“Friends of yours?” asked the captain, still mystified.
“Never saw either,” exclaimed the boy. “But I want you to read this.”
He drew out his newly-written letter, and, fumbling it in his excitement, finally got the sheet in Captain Anderson’s hands. It read:
“Valkaria, Florida, Jan.——
“Mr. Roy Osborne,
“Care J. W. Atkinson, Pres. Am. Aeroplane Works, Daytona, Florida.
“Dear Sir:—You will be surprised to get this letter. But maybe you won’t be sorry. Like a good many other boys, I have read about your experiences with aeroplanes. I live in St. Paul, and the newspapers there published all about what you did in Utah. The papers said you are only 17 years old, and that is why I am writing this, as I am 16. As I said, I don’t live here, but I’ve been down here nearly two weeks, and I’m living with Captain Anderson, at this place. We have made an aeroplane that I am sure will fly. It has a new kind of rudder that I’ve never heard of before. Maybe it is a good thing. I am taking the liberty of writing this letter to you because the papers say you are a skilled aviator. And I thought maybe you would like to investigate the new rudder that we have made. I haven’t any money to pay you to do it, but I thought that you might like to do it anyway because you are a boy. It is only 85 miles to Valkaria from Daytona. I suppose you work for Mr. Atkinson, but if he will let you come, there is splendid boating down here, and we have some fine ripe pineapples and oranges, and I would be glad to show you our new airship. Trusting that I may be favored with an early reply, I am,
“Your obedient servant,
“Andrew Leighton.
“P.S.:—The engine was made by my uncle, and it is a beauty.”