“Has there been any letter addressed to Monsieur Luis De Hauteroche?”
The inquiry referred to a date of some days anterior.
The clerk could not answer that—indeed the question was rather an idle one. Of course, amidst the thousands of letters delivered by the official, it would have been miraculous in him to have remembered a particular one. He had no recollection of such a letter being delivered; and there was none for the address lying in the office.
“Stay—there is a letter that has just come in by an extra mail, for ‘Monsieur Luis De Hauteroche.’”
My friend eagerly grasped the document—the more eagerly that he saw upon it the stamp of the Saint Louis post-office! It was scarcely large enough to contain the copy of a will. It could hardly be that of which we were in search.
It proved not to be that, but a document of a very different character. It read thus:
“Monsieur,—The 1,000 dolls, cheque transmitted to you upon the Planters’ Bank of New Orleans, by a mistake of one of our clerics, was not crossed. It has been paid by the Bank and returned. We are anxious to know if it reached your hands safely. Please state by return mail.
“Gardette and Co,
“Bankers,
“Saint Louis,