t and to
the point, and written in his characteristic style. It said:

"Dear Quincy:--Pseudonym received. Bruce Douglas is a name to conjure
with. It smacks of 'Auld Lang Syne.' The Scotch are the only people on
the face of the earth who were never conquered. You will remember, if
you haven't forgotten your ancient history, that the Roman general sent
back word to his emperor that the d----d country wasn't worth conquering.
Enclosures also at hand. The shorter ones are more songs than poems. I
will turn them over to a music publisher, who is a friend of mine. Will
report his decision later.

"I gave the long poem to Francis Lippitt, the well-known composer, and
he is delighted with it and wishes to set it to music. He is great on
grand choruses, Bach fugues, and such like. If he sets it to music he
will have it sung by the Handel and Haydn Society, for he is a great gun
among them just now. The eight stories have reached New York by this
time, and Jameson is reading 'Her Native Land.'

"With best regards to Mr. Bruce Douglas and yourself.

LEOPOLD ERNST.

The third letter was from the Adjutant-General's office, and Quincy
smiled as he finished the first sheet, folded it up and replaced it in
the envelope. As he read the second the smile left his face. "Who would
have thought it?" he said to himself. "Well, after all, heroes are made
out of strange material. He is the man for my money and I'll back him
up, and beat that braggart."

On the following Sunday, after dinner, Quincy had a chat with Uncle Ike.
He took the opportunity of asking the old gentleman if he was fully
satisfied with the progress towards recovery that his niece was making.

"I don't see that she is making any progress," said Uncle Ike frankly.
"I don't think she can see a bit better than she could when she came
home. In fact, I don't think she can see as well. She had a pair of
glasses made of black rubber, with a pinhole in the centre of them, that
she could read a little with, but I notice now that she never puts them
on."

"Well," remarked Quincy, "perhaps I have taken an unwarrantable liberty,
Uncle Ike; but when I was last in Boston I heard of a new doctor who has
made some wonderful cures, and I have engaged him to come down here next
week and see your niece. Of course, if you object I will write to him
not to come, and no harm will be done."

Quincy did not think it necessary to state that he had paid the doctor
his fee of one hundred