Still, when all was said and done, good old Anna
was genuinely glad that Major Guthrie was safe. It
would make her gracious lady more cheerful, and it
also provided herself with a little bit of gossip wherewith
to secure a warmer welcome from Alfred Head
when she went along to supper with him and his Polly
this very evening.

"That sort of letter may be very valuable in our
business -- I know best its worth to me."

The owner of the Witanbury Stores was speaking
English, and addressing his pretty wife.

Anna, just arrived, had at once become aware that
the atmosphere was electric, that something very like
a quarrel was going on between Alfred Head and
Polly. Mrs. Head looked very angry, and there was
a red spot on each of her delicately tinted cheeks.

Only half the table had been laid for supper under
the bright pendant lamp; on the other half were spread
out some dirty-looking letters. In each letter a number
of lines had been heavily blacked out -- on one indeed
there was very little left of the original writing.

"It's such rubbish!" Polly said crossly. "Why,
by spending a penny each Sunday on _The_News_of_
_the_World_ or on _Reynolds's,_ you'd see a lot more letters
than you've got there, and all nicely printed, too!"

She turned to the visitor: "Alfred can't spare me
half a sovereign for something I want really badly,
but he can give seven-and-sixpence to a dirty old
woman for a sight of all that muck!" Snatching one
of the letters off the table, she began reading aloud:
"My dear Mum, I hope that this finds you as well
as it does me. We are giving it to the Allemans, as

[[206]]

p205 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p206w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p207

v?