"Teacher came to see me a good many times; but I
was too sick to know it. I'll never play truant
again."
"YOUR FRIEND, JIMMY DODGE."
Dexter was very glad to oblige his young friend by carrying this letter to Mr. Crawson's.
"What have you there, Dan?" asked his father the same evening, as he saw his son slily wiping his eyes while trying to read a paper.
The lad passed Jimmy's letter without a word, his lip quivering as he did so.
"Give me my specs, Amos.—There, on the end of the mantel."
He lead the writing from the top to the bottom of the page, coughing a good deal and clearing his throat at the last, while Daniel watched him closely. It was full five minutes before he spoke. He sat holding the letter, gazing straight before him. Then he said abruptly:
"I went out in the large boat and caught a blue fish to-day. I think there'll be more to-morrow. If you've a mind, Dan, you may get up and go with me to Buzzard's point. May be we can find something that will taste as good as the bread and cream Jimmy tells about. When you go there, you tell him your father says you may go to Sunday school and welcome."