“I never saw him before,” replied Mr. Donlin, “and I haven’t seen him since.  Maybe the police could find him.”

“That’s it!  That’s what we’ll have to do!” cried Mr. Bunker.  “I shall have to send the police to find the old lumberman; not that he has done anything wrong, but to get back my papers.  He may keep the coat.  Very likely he hasn’t even found the papers.  Yes, I must tell the police!”

But before Mr. Bunker could do this in came the postman with the mail.  There were several letters for the real estate dealer, and when he saw one he exclaimed: 

“Ah, this is from Grandma Bell!  We must see what she has to say!”

Daddy Bunker opened the letter, which was written to him by his wife’s mother—­the children’s grandmother—­and when he had read a few lines, he exclaimed: 

“Oh, ho!  Here is news indeed!  Good news!”

“Oh, what is it?” asked Russ.  “Did grandma tell you in the letter that the tramp lumberman left your papers at her house?”

CHAPTER IV

FOURTH OF JULY

Daddy Bunker looked at his little boy and girl.  And, on their part, Russ and Rose looked at daddy.  They were thinking of two things—­the letter from Grandma Bell and Mr. Bunker’s real estate papers that the tramp lumberman had carried off in the old coat.  Russ and Rose didn’t know much about real estate—­except that it meant houses and barns and fields and city lots.  And they didn’t know much about valuable real estate papers, but they did know their father was worried about something, and this made them feel sad.

“Has grandma got your papers?” asked Russ again.

“Oh, no, little Whistler,” answered Mr. Bunker with a laugh.  “She doesn’t even know I have lost them.”

“But what’s the letter about?” asked Rose.

“It’s a letter from Grandma Bell inviting us all up to her home at Lake Sagatook, in Maine, to spend part of the summer,” answered Mr. Bunker.  “Grandma Bell wants us to come up to Maine, and have a good time.”

“Oh, can we go?” cried Russ, and, for the moment, he forgot all about his father’s lost papers.

“Oh, won’t it be fun!” cried Rose.  “I love Grandma Bell!”

“Yes, I guess every one who knows her does,” said Mr. Bunker, for he was as fond of his wife’s mother as he was of his own, who was the children’s Grandma Ford.

“When can we go?” asked Russ.

“Oh, it’s too soon to settle that part,” answered his father.  “We’ll have to take this letter home and talk it over with mother.  Then I must see if I can’t get the police to find this red-haired tramp lumberman who is carrying those valuable papers around in my old coat.  It’s queer I never thought that I put them in the pocket.  Very queer!”

“Maybe the tramp will bring them back,” said Rose after a bit.  “Lots of times, when people find things, they bring them back.”