136 WILD BROTHER 
summit of a tall slim pedestal which was standing 
on my store platform. In other words, Mr. Weldon 
landed here this morning feeling O.K., and loud 
in his praises of the manner in which he had been 
treated by all you good people. And now, if you 
come to Maine in the near future, as Mr. Weldon 
tells me you propose doing, can’t you spare me a 
few days of your time? We are rough country 
people, but we are clean and our roof don’t leak. 
I can offer you something to eat every day and a 
decent bed to sleep in, and while I can’t offer you 
much in the way of entertainment, I would be 
mighty glad to see you, and will gladly do all I 
can to make your stay pleasant. 
Trusting that I may soon have the pleasure of 
seeing you, I am 
Very truly yours. 
I never had the privilege of meeting this kindly 
grocer, but I am sure that I should like him; we 
had found a common interest in the welfare of the 
Weldons. 
During that summer I heard nothing from the 
family, but my merchant friend in answer to a letter 
of inquiry from me said :— 
Replying to your favor of the 21st, I regret 
very much that I am unable to send you a very 
