Superscription:--"Sweet Dream of my Heart!"
"This letter is dumb, it says merely what is necessary, and will be found on the third rose-bush in the second row; other things by word of mouth. This by way of preliminary: when a cross is marked with white chalk on the garden gate, the contents of my heart may be found under the pot of the third rose-bash in the second row. Waving a handkerchief, from the Gurlitz side betokens thy presence, and desire for an interview; my response will be three whistles on the handle of my walking-stick. (Our shepherd taught me that, love is an apt scholar.)
"Rendezvous: the great water-ditch at the right of the bridge.
"Thine ever!!
"One Whom thou Knowest.
"P.S. The loved one will excuse me for writing this in my shirt-sleeves, it is so infernally hot."
This letter fell into the wrong hands; it was the little Frau Pastorin who found it, as she was watering the flowers, while Louise, who was learning housekeeping, was preserving gooseberries. She made no scruple of opening and reading the letter, and when she had made herself acquainted with its contents, she had no doubt that it was intended for Louise, and that it came from Fritz, her precious nephew. She said nothing to Louise of her discovery, that would have been playing into Fritz's hand; but she alluded in a variety of ways to ridiculous correspondence, just to ascertain if Louise had found similar epistles before; it was to no purpose however, the child understood nothing from her hints, and she then resolved to say nothing of the matter to her Pastor,--why should he be worried about it? and then it went terribly against the grain to confess that her own flesh and blood--for so, unfortunately, she must consider Fritz--should perpetrate such a piece of nonsense. She would gladly have spoken her mind to him, but he kept out of her way.
She went about with such thoughts in her mind for a day or two, taking, by the way, the watering of the flowers out of Louise's hands, once for all, that she might suspect nothing. It was wise in her to do so, for it was not long before she found a water-soaked letter, under the third rose-bush in the second row. This spoke more clearly:
Address:--"To the Only One, known to me alone."
Superscription:--"Soul of my life!"