“A letter for me, brought by a strange mail–carrier,” said the keeper. “I will see what it is.”
“Why,” he exclaimed, “that is a letter from our district superintendent! Yes, it is the missin’ one that Walter couldn’t find! There is the date. That clears Walter.”
“I guess he was cleared afore,” declared Tom Walker, who was present.
Another mystery was solved that day. Many people were attracted to the beach by the tragedy of the wreck, and among them came Miss P. Green, Aunt Lydia, and other women. Some of Joe Cardridge’s family were at the station. The blouse that he had worn, was drying before the stove.
“What’s that?” queried Aunt Lydia, who had come to the station. Her sharp bright eyes were fastened on a sleeve of the blouse, turned back at the wrist. “If there ain’t that blue W that I tucked away in the white linin’ of Walter’s blouse!”
“Where?” asked Tom Walker.
“There!” replied Aunt Lydia. “That is Walter’s coat, I know.”
“Walter’s coat?” asked Keeper Barney, who had joined the circle of inspection.
“Yes,” replied Aunt Lydia, “I sewed a blue W on to the white linin’ of Walter’s sleeve, and here it is.”
“Humph!” said the keeper. “Joe Cardridge exchanged blouses with Walter, that is what he did, and carried off the missin’ letter.”