She poked the dog with her pencil, to which he responded by a series of wriggles. "Do keep still, Cloppy, or I'll never get my letter done. Now let me see. I think another rule was something like, 'If you have a story to tell, state it clearly, and in as few words as you can't get along without.' Now I'm not going to tell any story; it's the solemn truth; but I suppose the rule's the same for that." After long and hard work, and much scratching out and putting in again, Ladybird succeeded in producing the following epistle: Dear Mr. Governor: It is a traggedy! Stella is a lovly girl, and that silly Charley Hayes is not good enough; but I don't know of any other men in Plainville, except married ones, and the ragman, so what can I do? But you are noble, brave, and powerful, so please send by return mail a nice, handsum, good, young man. I mean send a letter about him, with blue eyes if possible, and anyway, an earl. Don't tell Stella right off. Send the earl to me, and I will see if he will do. Please write to Ladybird Lovell, Primrose Hall, Plainville. P. S. And I am much obliged. I would have said more thanks but this is a business letter. Ladybird. "Now, Cloppy," said Ladybird, as she finished reading her work of art, "I do really think that's a very nice letter, and I do really believe the governor will send a perfectly lovely young man for my Stella, and then Charley Hayes can go and marry somebody else." Cloppy wagged his tail, and blinked his eyes in his usual bored fashion, and Ladybird scrambled down from the apple-tree and trotted off to the post-office to mail the important letter. She stamped it carefully, and addressed it to "Governor Hyde, State House." "Now," she said, as she walked home in great satisfaction, "I just guess I've done something for my friend, and I wish the answer would come quick." It is not remarkable that Ladybird's letter should have safely reached its destination. It was opened among the other mail by Gilbert Knox, the governor's private secretary. As letters of a similar type had been received before, and found no favor in the governor's eyes, not even as interesting curiosities, young Knox was about to toss it into the waste-basket, when his chum Chester Humphreys came into the office. "Hello, Chester," he said; "you like odd tricks. Here's a letter that may interest you. Want to read it?" Chester Humphreys read Ladybird's letter. "You might go down to Plainville," said Gilbert Knox, "and personate the earl." "I don't think I care for the lovely Stella," returned Humphreys; "besides, I'm not an earl. But I'd like to see the kid that wrote that letter. I think I'll write and make an appointment with her just for fun."