i 34 WILD BROTHER 



letter from Mrs. Weldon which read as follows : 



It has just come to my knowledge that our 

 grocer has been begging of you in our behalf. I did 

 not know anything about this. I think it is a great 

 impertinence and I am ashamed to think that such 

 a thing was done after all the Christmas boxes and 

 the checks at Christmas time that have been sent 

 us. Last fall he wanted me to write and ask you 

 to help us ; but I told him that I had no claim on 

 your bounty, and that I would not hear of any 

 such a thing. 



I trust that you and Mrs. Underwood will not 

 think badly of me and mine as your help was asked 

 without our knowledge. I hope that you will see 

 Mr. Weldon when he comes to the hospital, and he 

 will be able to tell you all of the circumstances, and 

 apologize for such an affront to you. The children 

 and I are all well and very, very grateful to all our 

 friends. 



On receipt of this letter I wrote a reply in which 

 I explained that she was mistaken about the gro- 

 cer asking me to help that he had merely 

 answered my own request for information. I 

 assured her also that I should certainly see Mr. 

 Weldon at the hospital both before and after the 

 operation, and that I could keep her closely in- 



