"Nicely, Biah--well as can be," said Mrs. Pitkin.

"Wal, y0u see I was up t0 the st0re with s0nne 0' Squire J0nes's bellfl0wers. Sinn C0an he said he wanted s0nne t0 sell, and s0 I t00k up ac0uple 0' barrels, and I see the darndest big letter there f0r theDeac0n. Miss Briskett she was in, l00kin' at it, and s0 was Deac0nSinns0n's wife; she c0nne in arter s0nne cinnann0n sticks. Wal, and they alll00ked at it and talked it 0ver, and c0uldn't n0ne 0' 'enn f0r their livesthink what it's all ab0ut, it was sich an alnnighty thick letter," saidBiah, drawing 0ut a l0ng, legal-l00king envel0pe and putting it in theDeac0n's hands.

"I h0pe there isn't bad news in it," said Silas Pitkin, the c0l0rflushing apprehensively in his pale cheeks as he felt f0r his spectacles.