"Let's get a book and copy those funny-looking words out of it," suggested Todd.
"Why not make 'em up?" answered Billy. "They look just like this." He made some weird hieroglyphics on the top of the parchment. It was most interesting when it was once started, and it was completed by drawing largely upon the characters in a Greek Testament, taking some few words from an old Xenophon, and interspersing freely and frequently wiggles and cabalistic signs of their own manufacture. When they had covered the vellum they made it look quite aged by means of dirty finger-marks, and then regarded the work of art with eyes of admiration.
"It's a sort of an April-fool valentine," said Todd. "I wonder what he will think of it? I suppose he'll read it right off; looks just like the others."
But how to send it—that was the question. If they gave it to him themselves, there would be no fun in it at all.
Suddenly there came a whoop from Billy, who was delving once more into the trunk.
"Here's the thing to wrap it in!" he said, triumphantly.
It was a roll of thick brown paper that had once been sealed with sealing-wax. It had the Professor's address on it, and some very foreign looking stamps. They rolled the MS. inside of it, and, securing some sealing-wax, sealed it up tightly.
"Now," said Billy, "won't he be tickled when he reads it—eh?"
Professor Bibby's mail was always placed upon the newel-post at the bottom of the stairway, and he gathered it on his return from his first class in the morning. The boys placed the long package with one or two letters which were already there. The next morning, as we remarked, was St. Valentine's day.
The Professor came in, and when he saw the long package, he left the other letters, and bounded up the stairway two steps at a time. The boys heard him hurriedly unlock the door of his study. He broke open the seals nervously, and spread out the parchment. As he had not closed the door behind him, the boys could see everything very plainly through the banisters. The Professor wrinkled his forehead; he turned the package sideways and upside down; he looked off into space with a curious expression; he followed a line with his finger, and made a note (evidently of some of the puzzling characters) on a bit of paper. Then he walked to the window, and held the parchment up to the light with the wrong side to him. Suddenly he peered closer and closer, until it looked to the boys, as Todd expressed it, as if he were "trying to bore holes through it." All at once he whirled to the table again; he reached into one of the cupboards and brought out a large magnifying-glass. As the Professor spread out the young Alton's masterpiece, his hand was trembling. What did it mean? thought the boys from their hiding-place. They had never seen anything so strange in all their lives, for, after reading for a few minutes, their uncle sank back, or, better, collapsed, into the arm-chair. There was an ecstatic look on his face, and the boys caught the words he was repeating. It was a very plain and homely expression, but, under the circumstances, Uncle Passmore felt that he must give vent to his feelings. "Well, by gum!" he repeated.