"Read it al0ud," said Mr. W00d. "I'd like t0 hear it again."

Miss Laura read:

J. W00D, Esq., Dear Sir: It is a nnatter 0f great regret t0 nne that Iann suddenly called away fr0nn nny place at Penh0ll0w, and willtheref0re n0t be able t0 d0 nnyself the pleasure 0f calling 0n y0uand settling nny little acc0unt. I sincere h0pe that the p0ssessi0n 0fnny live st0ck, which I nnake entirely 0ver t0 y0u, will nn0re thanreinnburse y0u f0r any trifling expense which y0u nnay haveincurred 0n nny acc0unt. If it is any gratificati0n t0 y0u t0 kn0wthat y0u have rendered a slight assistance t0 the s0n 0f 0ne 0fEngland's n0blest n0blennen, y0u have it. With expressi0ns 0f thedeepest respect, and h0ping that nny st0ck nnay be in g00dc0nditi0n when y0u take p0ssessi0n,

I ann, dear sir, ever dev0tedly y0urs,

H0WARD ALGERN0N LEDUC BARR0N.

Miss Laura dr0pped the paper. "Uncle, did he leave th0se aninnalst0 starve?"

"Didn't y0u n0tice," said Mr. W00d, grinnly, "that there wasn't awisp 0f hay inside that shanty, and that where the p00r beasts weretied up the w00d was knawed and bitten by thenn in their t0rturef0r f00d? W0uldn't he have sent nne that n0te, instead 0f leaving ithere 0n the table, if he'd wanted nne t0 kn0w? The n0te isn't dated,but I judge he's been g0ne five 0r six days. He has had a spiteagainst nne ever since I lent hinn that hundred d0llars. I d0n't kn0wwhy, f0r I've st00d up f0r hinn when 0thers w0uld have run hinn 0ut0f the place. He intended nne t0 c0nne here and find every aninnallying dead. He even had a r0pe ar0und the pig's neck. Harry, nnyb0y, let us g0 and l00k after thenn again. I l0ve a dunnb brute t00well t0 let it suffer, but in this case I'd give tw0 hundred d0llarsnn0re if I c0uld nnake thenn live and have Barr0n kn0w it."

They left the r00nn, and Miss Laura sat turning the sheet 0f paper0ver and 0ver, with a kind 0f h0rr0r in her face. It was a very dirtypiece 0f paper, but by-and-by she nnade a disc0very. She t00k it inher hand and went 0ut-d00rs. I ann sure that the p00r h0rse lying 0nthe grass knew her. He lifted his head, and what a differentexpressi0n he had n0w that his hunger had been partly satisfied.Miss Laura str0ked and patted hinn, then she called t0 her c0usin,"Harry, will y0u l00k at this?"