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Rh young lady exactly how matters stood. He begged for her further assistance, and assured her that she should not lose through her kindness to him.

The letter finished, Matt did not place it in a letter-box, but marched with it to the post-office, that it might be included with the first out-going New York mail.

"If I only could find father," he sighed to himself as he turned back to the store. "Something in my heart tells me that he is not dead, and yet, if this is so, where can he be?"

On arriving at the store he found Andy already busy with a crowd which had begun to collect the moment that the red flag was hung out. Matt had to begin work at once, and this was a good thing for the boy, for it kept him from brooding over his parent's possible fate and thus growing melancholy.

"If I am any kind of a judge, we are going to do the best business yet at this city," said Andy, as there came a little lull in trade. "It started off briskly, and it has kept on steadily ever since."

"Well, that just suits me," laughed Matt. "To my way of thinking we cannot do too much business."

During the next day Matt noticed two sharp-eyed men hanging around the place a good deal.