At length they reluctantly gave up the
search and sadly went on their way homeward.
"I wish we hadn't opened the letter," said Luella. "What are we going to
tell mother and father anyhow?"
"Well, I think we'd better tell them the whole story. Perhaps they'll
help us look for the other gold piece."
Francis, with the one coin in his hand, naturally took a more hopeful
view of the situation than his sister did.
"Perhaps Aunt Maria only put one in the letter," he suggested.
"Oh, no; she's too careful for that. She never makes mistakes," said
Luella, positively. "I only wish we'd minded. That's all."
Francis echoed the wish in his heart, though he did not repeat it aloud.
Thus, a repentant couple, they entered the house and the study. Mother
was upstairs attending to baby, and father was evidently out. The
brother and sister awaited his return in silence, Luella meanwhile
grasping the letter, and Francis the single coin.
"What's that you have?" asked Mr. Robinson; "a letter? How did it get
out of the bag?"
"It's ours," answered Luella, trembling while she spoke. "We--we--we--"
then she burst into tears.
"Let me have it," commanded Mr. Robinson.
Luella obeyed, and went on weeping while her father read. Francis wanted
to cry, too, but he thought it was unmanly, and choked back the tears.
"I need ask you no more questions," said their father. "The truth is
that I was calling on old Mrs. Brown when you stopped under the apple
tree, and I saw the whole thing from her window.
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