but urged by Mrs. Blake, the mayor added to it his own check for the balance.
Naturally Nellie wanted to go right home to her mother with it, and nothing about the reception had any interest for her after she received the big check. However, Mrs. Bobbsey insisted that Mr. Minturn would take the money to Nellie's mother the next day, so the little girl had to be content.
Then, when all the festivities were over, and the children's excitement had brought them to bed very tired that night, Nellie sat by her window and looked out at the sea!
Always the same prayer, but to-night, somehow, it seemed answered!
Was it the money for mother that made the father seem so near?
The roaring waves seemed to call out:
"Nellie—Nellie dear! I'm coming—coming home to you!"
And while the little girl was thus dreaming upstairs, Mr. Minturn down in the libary was telling about his visit to Nellie's mother.
"There is no doubt about it," he told Mrs. Bobbsey. "It was Nellie's father who went
