ment. "Lu,
I've been looking everywhere for you!" he cried. "What do you think?
just see that!" and he held up a bit of paper, waving it triumphantly in
the air, while he capered round the room in an ecstasy of delight.

"What is it?" asked Lulu. "Nothing but a strip of paper, as far as I can
see."

"That's because you haven't had a chance to examine it," he said,
laughing with pleasure. "It's a check with papa's name to it, and it's
good for fifty dollars. Now, do you wonder I'm delighted?"

"No, not if it's yours. Did he give it to you?"

"Half of it; the other half's to be divided between you and Gracie; and
it's just for pocket-money for this summer."

"Oh, that is nice!" exclaimed Violet. "I am very glad for you all."

Lulu looked astounded for an instant; then the tears welled up into her
eyes as she said falteringly, "I--don't deserve it; and--I thought papa
was so vexed with me, I should never have expected he'd give me a single
cent."

"He's just a splendid father, that's what he is!" cried Max, with
another bound of exultant delight. "He says that if we go to the
mountains, and grandpa thinks I can be trusted with a gun, I'm to have
one of the best that can be bought; and, if I'm a splendid boy all the
time, when he comes home I shall have a fine pony of my own."

Then sobering down, "I'm afraid, though, that he can't afford all that;
and I shall tell him so, and that I don't want him to spend too much of
his hard-earned pay on his only son."

"Good boy!" Violet said with an approving smile; "but I know it gives
your father far more pleasure to lay out money for his children than to
spend it on himself."

Still, she wondered within herself, for a moment, if her husband had in
some way become a little richer than he was when last he described his
circumstances to her. Had he had a legacy from some lately deceased
relative or friend? (surely no one could be more deserving of such
remembrance) or an increase of pay? But no, he would surely have told
her if either of those things had happened; and with that thought, the
subject was dismissed from her mind.

He had not told her of his good fortune--the sudden, unexpected change
in his circumstances: he wanted to keep it secret till he could see the
shining of her eyes, the lighting up of her face, as she learned that
their long separations were a thing of the past; that in future they
would have a home of their own, and be as constantly together as Les