She blushed and laughed at the same time. Her hand came from behind her back. In it was a letter.

“But I do mean it, every word of it.”

“That’s to be my pay for giving Master Sam his billy doo, is it?”

“How did you guess? It is a letter to Sam.”

“How did I guess it? Shows I’m sure a wiz, don’t it?”

She saw her father coming and handed him the letter quickly.

“Here. Take it.” A spark of mischief lit her eye and the dimples came out on her cheeks. “Good-by, Curly.”


CHAPTER VII