“Ya-as, an’ I picked it up,” replied Pete, unblushingly.  “Go on an’ read it, why don’t yer?”

It seemed to Andy that it would be no more than fair to read it under the circumstances, and he opened it and did so.  It was without signature, and read as follows: 

  “Gone with Uncle Mike!  Watch the Mirror.”

Andy’s disappointment at the contents of the letter was plainly shown on his face.

“What’s the matter?” asked Pete, curiously.

“I can’t understand it,” answered Andy.

“Can’t yer read writin’?” was Pete’s surprised inquiry.

“Of course I can,” replied Andy; “but I can’t make anything out of this.”

“What does it say?” asked Pete.

They were walking along as they talked, and Pete constantly kept his eye on Mr. Roberts.

Andy read the letter to him.

“Lay low!” exclaimed Pete, suddenly, pulling Andy around a corner.  “He’s missed the letter.  He’ll be back ter hunt fer it.”

“I’ll stay here,” said Andy.  “You keep your eye on him.”

Pete went out to Broadway again, and Andy saw him disappear hastily around the corner.

He knew by that that his man could not be approaching, so he peered around the corner and saw Pete on the edge of the sidewalk looking every way.  Mr. Roberts was nowhere in sight.

Pete hunted and Andy hunted, but neither could obtain a glimpse of him, and Andy was in the depths of despair.

“It’s no use,” said Andy, at last; “he’s gone, and my chance has gone with him.”

Pete looked sympathetic and downcast.

“I s’pose it’s my fault,” he said, dismally.

“No, it’s my fault,” said Andy.  “I should have kept my eye on him all the time.”

“Yer’ve got the letter,” reminded Pete, by way of consolation.

“What’s the use of the letter when I can’t understand it?” replied Andy.

“What don’t yer understand?” asked Pete.

“Any of it ’What does ‘Gone with Uncle Mike’ mean?  What does ’Watch the Mirror’ mean?”

“Huh!” said Pete.  “I can tell yer that much.”

“You can.”

“Yer bet I can.  Come on, an’ I’ll show yer.”

Andy looked suspicious and doubtful.  How could Pete be so knowing as that?  If he could not understand the letter, how could Pete?

Pete, however, led him without a word, but with a wonderfully knowing air, along several blocks, and finally stopped at a news stand and looked it over.

“That the last Mirror, boss?” he asked, of the man in charge.

“Yep.”

“Give it ter me?”

And Pete handed over his quarter, received his change and a paper and then led Andy up a side street and gave the paper to him.

Andy saw that its name was the Mirror, and that it was devoted to theatrical news.  That was enough to give him confidence in Pete’s intelligence, but he was in the dark yet.