"A letter from Clapp? Where is he?" inquired Ferguson, with interest.
"This letter is dated at St. Louis. He doesn't appear to be doing very well."
"I thought he was going to California."
"So he represented. But here is the letter." Ferguson took it, and, after reading, handed it to Harry.
It ran thus:—
"ST. LOUIS, April 4, 18—.
"JOTHAM ANDERSON, ESQ.,—Dear Sir: Perhaps you will be surprised to hear from me, but I feel as if I would like to hear from Centreville, where I worked so long. The man that induced me and Harrison to come out here left us in the lurch three days after we reached St. Louis. He said he was going on to San Francisco, and he had only money enough to pay his own expenses. As Luke and I were not provided with money, we had a pretty hard time at first, and had to pawn some of our clothes, or we should have starved. Finally I got a job in the 'Democrat' office, and a week after, Luke got something to do, though it didn't pay very well. So we scratched along as well as we could. Part of the time since we have been out of work, and we haven't found 'coming West' all that it was cracked up to be.
"Are Ferguson and Harry Walton still working for you? I should like to come back to the 'Gazette' office, and take my old place; but I haven't got five dollars ahead to pay my travelling expenses. If you will send me out thirty dollars, I will come right on, and work it out after I come back. Hoping for an early reply, I am,
"Yours respectfully,
"HENRY CLAPP."
"Are you going to send out the money, Mr. Anderson?" asked Ferguson.