"I herewith return your tickets. You must be fools as well as knaves, to suppose that I will aid you in swindling my neighbors, and pay all the expenses myself."
To which he in a few days received the annexed "settler:"—
Sir.
"We perhaps owe you an apology for sending the parcel postage unpaid.
As we infer from the phraseology of your note, that you are willing to swindle your neighbors if we will pay all the expenses, please give us your lowest terms on which you will act as our agent.
P. S. All communications shall be strictly confidential."
This note was promptly returned, with the following endorsement across its face, by the post master:—
"It seems you are not only fools and knaves, but blackguards also. Ask my neighbors if they think I would "swindle" them either at my own expense or that of any one else."
To which this answer came back by next mail:—
"We have inquired of your neighbors long ago, and that's the reason we applied to you in the first instance."