things before you. Poor little fellows! I suppose that they have as much right to their tiny lives as we have to ours; but they do mess things up dreadfully, though of course I really don't mind. Do forgive me, and the next time that you come I'll be so nice to you that you'll forget all about my bad disposition. Now good-bye, and be sure that you come soon," and she stood shedding sunshine upon him all the way down the steps.
As he drove back through town, it occurred to him that he had called at the post office rather early, probably before the mail had been distributed from the incoming boat; and so he turned in again, only to find his box as empty as he had left it. He stopped at one of the windows. "Has the mail from the Cleveland all been distributed?" he asked.
"The Cleveland? She isn't in yet." said the clerk.
"The President Cleveland didn't come in this morning?" he asked in bewilderment.
"No. She hasn't docked yet. We expected her at eight o'clock this morning, but she got held up by bad weather and is probably just about docking now. Anyway, they thought they'd make it about noon."
Dick turned away from the window and went back to his car. "That's a pretty note!" he said to himself. "A complete fabrication with all of the trimmings, the young lady concocted, to escape an unwelcome call; and she hadn't thought of the pos-
