"Pixy," he said as he commenced to write, "whom do you suppose my letter is to? It is to Aunt Fanny for we are going home, Pixy; yes, going home. We will surprise them. I will tell you how we will do, Pixy. When we are near our house I will take off your cord, and you can run in the open door of the store and see papa. Then you can run in the open door of the house and see mamma and sister. Mamma will say, 'Why, here's Pixy! Fritz cannot be far away.'"
This plan seemed to suit Pixy admirably, and Fritz continued with his letter. When it was finished he folded and addressed it to "Dear Aunt Fanny," and laid it upon the table. He hurried into the bedroom, put such things in his knapsack as he would need before Paul and Franz came home, strapped it over his shoulder, put his rain-coat over his left arm, took the end of Pixy's cord in his right, and descended the steps after carefully locking the door, and putting the key into the hands of the Steerer servant, he set out for home.
CHAPTER IX
THEY VISIT THE CLOTHING HOUSE
When Mrs. Steiner and the boys returned they found the door locked.
"Run down, Franz, and get the key. I told Fritz to leave it there if he went out for a walk and the boy took my advice."
Franz soon returned, the door was opened and they entered, Mrs. Steiner sinking down upon the sofa with the sigh, "Oh, those steps, those steps!"
"Aunt Fanny, here is a letter upon the table. It is for you, and written by Fritz," said Paul.
"By Fritz!" laughed Aunt Fanny, "gone out for a walk and left a letter for me! Read it, Paul."
The boy opened the missive and read, each sentence meeting with comments from his interested listeners.