"You mustn't go away again, Frank," said little Freddie. "I wanted to see you ever so much."

 

"And I wanted to see you, Freddie," said our hero, his heart warming to the little boy.

 

"You won't go away again, will you, Frank?"

 

"Not if I can help it, Freddie."

 

"We are all glad to see you back Frank," said his employer. "But you have justified¹ my opinion of you by your success. Some of my friends ridiculed² me for sending a boy on such an important mission, but I don't believe any of them would have succeeded any better than you, if as well."

 

"I am glad you are satisfied with me, sir," said Frank, very much gratified by the commendation of his employer.

 

"I feel that you have done a great service, and indeed I don't know whom I could have sent in your place. However, I am glad to see you back again. I have missed you about my letters, and have postponed³ answering some till my young secretary returned."

 

Frank resumed his regular employment, and three months passed without anything that needs to be recorded.

 

At the end of that time, Frank received an important letter from Col. Vincent, which gave him much food for thought.

 

The letter was as follows:

 

"Dear Frank: For some time past I have been intending to write to you, but I have delayed for no good reason. Now, however, I am led to write by a surprising discovery which has just been made in your old home, which may be of material importance to you.

 

"When your stepfather went away, he requested me to have an eye to the estate, and order whatever I might think necessary to be done. I am not, as you know, a very cordial friend of Mr. Manning's, but I have always regarded the property as of right belonging to you—that is, since your mother's death—and so accepted the commission.

 

"A few days since I went over the house and found that it was quite dirty. Where the dirt could come from in an unoccupied house I can't tell, but, at all events, I felt justified in engaging a woman to clean the paint, so, if any of you should return unexpectedly, you would find the house fit to receive you. This was a very simple matter, you will think, and scarcely needs mentioning. But, my dear Frank, events of importance often hinge on trifles, and so it has proved in the present instance.

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