But little by little--in nickels and dimes and quarters--Theodore laid
by another five dollars. He knew to a penny how much there was, but
when he brought the last dime, he and Nan counted it all to make
sure. There was no mistake. It amounted to thirty-seven dollars and
twenty-five cents, and the boy drew a long, glad breath as he looked
up at Nan with shining eyes and flushed cheeks, saying,
"To-morrow, Nan, I can see--_him!_"
"Don't look so--so awfully glad, Theo. I'm afraid something will
happen," said Nan, with a troubled expression in her eyes as she
looked at him.
"Don't you worry. I ain't a-goin' to be robbed again--you better
believe I ain't!" cried the boy. Then he glanced at his worn suit and
tried to pull down his jacket sleeves, as he added, wistfully, "D'you
think I look well enough to go there, Nan? I wanted to buy a collar
an' necktie, but, I just _couldn't_ wait any longer."
Nan's private opinion was, that if the bishop could only see Theo's
face at that moment, the garments he wore would be a matter of small
importance. She answered, quickly,
"You look plenty well enough, Theo. Don't worry about that."
She gathered up the money and put it back into the box in which it had
been kept, and the boy went across the room to the bed where the baby
lay asleep.
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