But the freshness of the day seemed to have departed with Jack, and the later interruptions of foreman and publisher were of a more practical character.

It was not until the post arrived that the superscription on one of the letters caught his eye, and revived his former interest.
It was the same hand as that of his unknown contributor's manuscript--ill-formed and boyish.

He opened the envelope.

It contained another poem with the same signature, but also a note--much longer than the brief lines that accompanied the first contribution--was scrawled upon a separate piece of paper.

This the editor opened first, and read the following, with an amazement that for the moment dominated all other sense:-- MR.