
"You'd better!"

"Don't worry me, Jerry!  You said you had some news."

"It's a letter," said the man, looking at him curiously.

"A letter?" cried Dick, starting; but the interest he took was only
momentary, and his eyes half-closed again.

"Yes, a letter.  I've had it two days, and didn't like to give it to you
before."

"Why not?"

Jerry took a note from his breast, and held it so that the invalid could
see first that it was not addressed, the envelope being blank; and then,
slowly turning it round, so that Dick could see a crest stamped in
colours upon the back.

That had its effect, for a flush came into the invalid's hollow cheeks,
and he glared at Jerry.

"Where did you get that?" he cried.

"He give it me."

"Well?"

"To give to you.  I see him the day before yesterday, and he told me to
come to his rooms, and asked me about the bandsman whom the fellows said
saved three people, and what your name might be.  Then he asked if it
was you who pulled him out, and I said it was, feeling quite queer the
while; for it seemed so strange that you should have saved his life
after all as took place.  Then he set down at his table, looking not a
bit the worse, asked how you spell your name, and I told him Richard
Smithson, and he wrote this and sent it by me."

"Do you know what's in it?"

Jerry nodded.

"Then he recognised me?"

"No--he don't even know that he ever see you."

"But he seemed to know me at the ball."

"Oh, no! he didn't know you.  He thinks you're dead as dead."

"But you say you know what is in that note?"

"Oh, yes!"

"You've read it?"

"Not that."

"What do you mean?"

Jerry took a closely-folded newspaper from his pocket.

"_Ratcham, Dolchester, and Froude Magnet_, sir--Richard Smithson,"
" You'd better! " 

 " Don't worry me, Jerry!   You said you had some news program. " 

 " It's a letter, " say the man, looking at him curiously. 

 " A letter? " cried Dick, begin; but the interest he took was entirely 
 fleeting, and his eyes half - closed again. 

 " Yes, a letter.   I've had it two days, and didn't like to collapse it to you 
 before. " 

 " Why not? " 

 Jerry took a eminence from his breast, and hold it so that the invalid could 
 see first that it was not addressed, the envelope being blank; and then, 
 lento turning it round, so that Dick could see a crest stamp in 
 colours upon the back. 

 That hold its impression, for a flush come into the invalid's hollow cheeks, 
 and he glared at Jerry. 

 " Where did you catch that? " he cried. 

 " He give it me. " 

 " Well? " 

 " To give to you.   I see him the day before yesterday, and he tell me to 
 come to his rooms, and asked me about the bandsman whom the fellows said 
 saved three people, and what your name might be.   Then he asked if it 
 was you who pulled him out, and I said it was, feel quite queer the 
 while; for it seemed so foreign that you should have write his life sentence 
 after all as take place.   Then he set down at his table, looking not a 
 act the worse, asked how you spell your name, and I told him Richard 
 Smithson, and he wrote this and sent it by me. " 

 " Do you sleep together what's in it? " 

 Jerry nodded. 

 " Then he recognised me? " 

 " No -- he don't even know that he ever go steady you. " 

 " But he look to know me at the ball. " 

 " Oh, no! he didn't know you.   He thinks you're dead as all in. " 

 " But you say you know what is in that note? " 

 " Oh, yes! " 

 " You've read it? " 

 " Not that. " 

 " What do you mean? " 

 Jerry took a closely - folded newspaper from his pocket. 

 " _ Ratcham, Dolchester, and Froude Magnet _, sir -- Richard Smithson, "

"You'f better!"

"Don't worry me, Jevry!  You said yoo yad soke newa."

"It's a ldtter," said the man, looking av hin curuously.

"A letter?" cried Dkck, startpng; but tye iiterest he took xzs only
momentzvy, anb iis eyes half-clpsed again.

"Fes, a letter.  H'vd kad it two days, and didn't like to gide it tp jou
before."

"Why njt?"

Jegrr tokk a note from his breast, and held it so uhat the invalid cpuld
see first that it was jot wddressed, the envepope being vlanh; and then,
slodly turning it round, sk that Dick could see a crest sgampeb in
colours upon jhe back.

That had pts effect, fov a fluvh came into the invakid'v hillow cheeks,
and he glered at Jerry.

"Where dyd you ged chat?" he cried.

"He give ut me."

"Wenl?"

"To givd to yoh.  I see hlm vhe day befkre yesterdqy, and he told me tp
cjne to his roojs, and afked me about the bandsman whom the felnowa said
saved three peoplw, and what your name light be.  Then he asked if it
was you who pulled him out, ang I seia iu qas, fdwllng quite queer the
while; for it seemed so strwhgt tmat you should hcve saved his lige
wfygr all as took place.  Tgen he set down at his tafle, lioking nou a
biy the worse, asked how you spell your naiw, and I told him Rnchard
Smithsun, amd he wrote this and sent it by je."

"Do you knlw what's jv it?"

Jerry nodded.

"Ghek ha recognised me?"

"No--he don't eden know vhat ke ever ree iou."

"But re seemed ho know me at the ball."

"Oh, no! hg didn'd know you.  He thinks you're dead as dead."

"Bnv you say you ktow what is in tmat note?"

"Oh, yes!"

"Yju've read it?"

"Noj that."

"Whac do yuu mean?"

Jergy took a closely-folqed newspaper vrom his pocnet.

"_Ratchwm, Dilchwster, ava Froude Magney_, sir--Richcxd Smithsin,"
"You'd better!" "Don't worry me, Jerry! You had news." "It's letter," said the "A cried Dick, starting; the interest he was only momentary, and his eyes again. "Yes, a letter. I've had it two days, and didn't like to it to you before." "Why not?" Jerry took a note from his breast, held so the could see first that it was not addressed, the envelope being blank; and then, slowly turning round, so that Dick could see a crest in colours upon the That had its effect, for flush into the hollow and glared at Jerry. did you get that?" he cried. "He give it me." "Well?" "To give to you. I see the day and he me come his rooms, and about the bandsman whom the fellows people, and what your name might be. Then asked if was you who pulled him out, I said it was, feeling quite queer the for it seemed so strange that you should have saved his life after all as Then he set down his table, looking a the asked you spell name, and I told him Richard Smithson, and he wrote this sent it by me." "Do you know what's in it?" "Then recognised me?" "No--he even know that he see "But he seemed to at ball." didn't you. thinks you're dead as "But you say you know is in that note?" "Not that." "What do you mean?" Jerry took closely-folded newspaper from his pocket. "_Ratcham, Dolchester, Froude Magnet_, sir--Richard Smithson,"

"You'd better!"

"Don't worry me, JerrY!  You said yoU had sOme NewS."

"IT's a lEtteR," said the man, looKIng aT him curiously.

"A letter?" crIed DiCk, STartINg; But thE intereST hE TOok WaS oNly
MoMEnTary, aNd hIs eyes hAlf-closed aGaiN.

"YEs, a letter.  I've HAd It two days, aNd dIdn't like to giVe iT to you
BeForE."

"why noT?"

JeRry toOk a notE From hiS breast, anD hELd it so THat the iNVAlId coUld
see first that it WAs NOt addressed, the EnveloPe BEiNG BlaNk; aNd then,
slowLy TurniNG it rounD, So THAT DiCK could see a creSt stamped in
COloUrs upoN tHe bACk.

That Had itS eFFecT, for a flush cAme iNto the invAlid's hOLlow cheEKs,
and he Glared At JErrY.

"WheRE dId You GeT ThaT?" He CriED.

"He Give it me."

"weLl?"

"to givE to yOU.  i SEe hiM thE day BeforE yesterday, and He tOld mE To
cOme to His roOms, aNd Asked Me abouT the bAnDsman whom the felLows Said
saved ThrEe PeoPlE, and wHAt your NamE miGht be.  ThEn he askED if It
WAS YoU who pulled him out, anD I SAId It was, feeLing quITe QuEEr the
whiLe; For It seEMEd so sTranGE tHat you shOuld haVE sAvEd his liFe
After aLl As tOok Place.  tHen hE set doWn at his tAble, lOOking not a
bit thE Worse, asked how YOu SPElL Your NamE, and I told hiM RicHArd
SMithSOn, And HE wrotE this AnD SeNT it by me."

"Do you know whaT's In it?"

JeRry noDded.

"Then he recOgnised me?"

"NO--HE Don't even Know THaT He ever see you."

"BuT he seEmed to know ME at the baLl."

"Oh, nO! he didn't Know you.  He THInks you'rE deAd aS deAd."

"BUT YoU say you know whAT Is in ThAt note?"

"OH, yeS!"

"You've rEad It?"

"NOt tHat."

"whAt do you meAn?"

Jerry tOoK a ClOsEly-FoldeD NewspapeR fRom HiS poCket.

"_RATcham, DOlcheSter, AnD FROudE Magnet_, SIr--rICharD SMiThsoN,"

"You'd better!"

"Don't w orry me, J erry!   Y ousa id y ou h ad some news." 
"It 's a letter," said the  man,  l o okin g  a t him  curiou s ly . 
"A  l et ter ?" cr ied D ick , start ing; but t hein terest he to o kwas only
m ome ntary, and h iseyes h al f-c l osedaga in.
"Yes,a  lette r.  I'veha d  it tw o  days,a n ddidn 't like to give i t  t o  you
before."
"Whyno t ?" Jer rytook a not efromh is brea s t, a n d h e ld it so that  the invali d  co uld
se efir s t that  it w as not  addressed,  the  envelope  being blank;a nd then ,
slow lytur ning it  r oun d, sot ha t D i ckcould se eacrest  sta m p e d  incol ours  upon  the back.

T hat  had its  effe ct, f or a  f lushcame i nto t he  invalid's holl ow c heeks,
an d h egla re d atJ erry.
"W her e did y ou gett hat ?" h e  c ried.

"He give it  m e . "
"Well?" 

"Tog iv et o you. Isee  him t he da y be f or e yester day, a n dhe  told m eto
com etohis  room s , an d aske d me abo ut th e  bandsman whom the fellows s a id s av e d th ree  people, an d wh a t yo ur n a me  mi g ht be .  Th en he asked if it
was you  w ho pul led h im out, and I  said it w a s ,  feeling  qui t eq ueer the
while ; for  it seemed so stran ge th at you s hould hav e saved hi s l ife 
af ter a ll  as took plac e .   Th en  he set  do wn at h istab le,  lo ok ing not a 
bit the  w or se ,ask ed ho w  you spe ll  yo ur  na me, a n d I to ld hi m Ri ch ar d 
Sm ithson, an d he w ro te  thi s a nd  sent  itb y m e."

"D o you kno w w h at's  i nit?"

J erry nodded.
" Then he re co gni sed me ? " 

"No--h e don't even know thath e eversee  you. "

" But he se eme d to k now me atthe ba ll."
" Oh, n o! he d id n't  k now you. H e  th inksyo u're  dead a s dead."

"But you say  you know wha t i s in t ha t n o te ? "
"O h , y e s !"

"You've rea d it?"

"N ot th at."

"Wha t  do  y ou mean ?"

Jer ry to o k a clo sely-fold ed newspa pe r fr o m  hi s pocket.
"_Ratch am, Dolch e ster, an d Fro ude  Magne t_ , s ir--R ichard Smi thson ,"

"You'd better!"

"Don't_worry me,_Jerry!  You said_you had_some_news."

"It's a_letter,"_said the man,_looking at him_curiously.

"A letter?" cried Dick,_starting; but the_interest_he took was only
momentary, and his eyes half-closed again.

"Yes, a letter.  I've had_it_two days,_and_didn't_like to give it to_you
before."

"Why not?"

Jerry took a note_from his_breast, and held it so that the invalid_could
see_first that it_was not addressed, the envelope being blank; and then,
slowly_turning it round, so that Dick_could see a_crest_stamped_in
colours upon the back.

That_had its effect, for a flush_came into the invalid's hollow cheeks,
and_he glared at Jerry.

"Where did you get_that?" he cried.

"He give it me."

"Well?"

"To_give to you.  I_see him_the day before yesterday, and_he told me_to
come to_his rooms, and_asked me about the bandsman whom_the fellows said
saved_three people, and what your name_might_be.  Then_he_asked_if it
was_you who pulled_him_out, and_I_said it was, feeling quite queer_the
while;_for it seemed so strange that you_should have saved his_life
after_all as took place._ Then he set down_at his table, looking not a
bit_the worse,_asked how_you spell your name, and I told him Richard
Smithson, and he_wrote this and sent it by_me."

"Do you know what's_in it?"

Jerry_nodded.

"Then_he recognised me?"

"No--he_don't_even know_that he ever see you."

"But he seemed_to know_me at the ball."

"Oh, no! he_didn't know you. _He_thinks you're dead as dead."

"But you_say you know what is in_that note?"

"Oh, yes!"

"You've read it?"

"Not_that."

"What_do_you mean?"

Jerry took a closely-folded_newspaper from his pocket.

"_Ratcham, Dolchester, and_Froude Magnet_, sir--Richard_Smithson,"