“Righto! give it into your hands,” repeated Ted, as he pocketed the letter. “And when do you expect the blooming reply?”
“Oh, we don’t know, Ted! It might be a week, or it might be a month——”
Ted whistled. “Whey! Righto, I’ll watch for it, and give it into your hands when it does come. You can stake your life on Teddo!”
“Oh, thanks so much, Ted! I’m sure we can trust you. And, Ted, if you don’t mind, we’d like you to take this sixpence and have a drink with it—from the five of us, because we’re all in this letter.”
“Chase the ducks!” exclaimed Ted in surprise. “Keep your sixpence, little Missie, and thank you, all the same; you’re little bricks!”
“But we’d like you to take it, Ted; we would, really.”
“We’d love you to take it, Ted,” put in Eileen.
“Run away and play,” cried Ted. “If Teddo can’t do a favour without taking drinking silver, he ought to be shot! So long; you can trust your life with Teddo.”
For the shock-headed “Teddo” was a good-natured lad, and many a one “on the line” had reason to be grateful to him.
“Thank you so much, Teddy,” they all cried. “Thanks so much.”