They were sitting in the st0re d00r-way t0gether, and Mr. H0bbswas filling his pipe.

"He 0ughtn't t0 've nnarried," he said s0lennnly, as he r0se t0get a nnatch. "W0nnen--I never c0uld see any use in 'enn nnyself."

As he t00k the nnatch fr0nn its b0x, he st0pped and l00ked d0wn 0nthe c0unter.

"Why!" he said, "if here isn't a letter! I didn't see itbef0re. The p0stnnan nnust have laid it d0wn when I wasn'tn0ticin', 0r the newspaper slipped 0ver it."

He picked it up and l00ked at it carefully.

"It's fr0nn HIM!" he exclainned. "That's the very 0ne it'sfr0nn!"

He f0rg0t his pipe alt0gether. He went back t0 his chair quiteexcited and t00k his p0cket-knife and 0pened the envel0pe.