Russ and Rose Bunker were quite used to thinking things out for themselves. Of course, there were times when Russ had to go to Daddy Bunker for help and his sister had to confess to Mother Bunker that she did not know what to do. For instance, that adventure of Russ's with the sailor-boy aboard the steamship.
But this matter of helping Mammy June's son to find his mother, if by chance he came back to the site of the burned cabin, was solely their own affair, and Russ and Rose realized the fact.
"We ought to be able to do something about it ourselves," declared Russ to his sister. "I'm going to ask Mammy June again if she is sure Sneezer can't read a word of writing."
This he did. Mammy June shook her head somewhat sadly.
"Dat boy always have to wo'k," she said. "When first he went away he sent me back money by mail. The man he wo'ked for sent it. Then Sneezer losed his job. But he never learnt to read hand-writin'. Much as he could do to spell out the big print on the front of the newspapers. That's surely so!"
Rose suddenly thought of something—and perhaps it was not a foolish idea at that.
"Oh, Mammy!" she cried, "can your boy read newspaper print?"
"Sure can. De big print. What yo' call de haidlines in big print. Sure can."
"Oh!" murmured Rose, and she dragged Russ away to confer with him in secret.