Christian fiction; Families -- Fiction; Love stories
Doris fell asleep over her dessert and was tumbled into the hammock to
finish her nap. Carol and Elizabeth and the boys started off crabbing,
and Shirley settled herself in another hammock with a pile of new
magazines about her and prepared to enjoy a whole afternoon of
laziness. It was so wonderful to lie still, at leisure and unhurried,
with all those lovely magazines to read, and nothing to disturb her.
She leaned her head back and closed her eyes for a minute just to
listen to the sea, and realize how good it was to be here. Back in her
mind there was a pleasant consciousness of the beautiful yesterday, and
the beautiful to-morrows that might come when Sidney Graham returned,
but she would not let her heart dwell upon them; that would be humoring
herself too much, and perhaps give her a false idea of things. She
simply would not let this wonderful holiday be spoiled by the thought
that it would have to end some day and that she would be back at the
old routine of care and worry once more.
She was roused from her reverie by the step of the postman bringing a
single letter, for her!
It was addressed in an unknown hand and was in a fat long envelope.
Wonderingly she opened it and found inside a bank book and blank check
book with a little note on which was written:
Dear Little Girl:
This is just a trifle of that present we were talking about the other
day that belongs to you. It isn't all by any means, but we'll see to
the rest later. Spend this on chocolates or chewing-gum or frills or
whatever you like and have a good time down at the shore. You're a
bully little girl and deserve everything nice that's going. Don't be
too serious, Miss Shirley. Play a little more.
Your elderly friend,
Walter K Graham.
In the bank book was an entry of five thousand dollars, on check
account. Shirley held her breath and stared at the figures with wide
eyes, then slipped away and locked herself in the big white room that
was hers. Kneeling down by the bed she cried and prayed and smiled all
in one, and thanked the Lord for making people so kind to her. After
that she went to find her mother.
Mrs. Hollister was sitting on the wide upper piazza in a steamer chair
looking off to sea and drawing in new life at every breath. Her book
was open on her lap, but she had forgotten to read in the joy of all
that was about her. To tell the truth she was wondering if the dear
father who was gone from them knew of their happy estate, and thinking
how glad he would be for them if he did.
She read the letter twice before she looked at the bank book with its
astonishing figures, and heard again Shirley's tale of the happening in
the office the morning of the arrest. Then she read the letter once
more.
"I'm not just sure, daughter," she said at last with a smile, "what we
ought to do about this. Are you?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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