When the banker had finished this somewhat remarkable epistle, of which
the children had been so proud, there were tears in his eyes, although
his mouth was smiling, and the lines of worry did not seem so deep nor
so stern.

He pushed his other mail aside unread, and sat for a long time thinking.
Presently he called for his stenographer, and dictated telegram after
telegram, the import of which made that impassive person start and
glance up in amazement several times. Then, seizing a sheet of paper,
the banker started to write a letter for himself.

"DEAR CHILDREN, (it began)

"Do not worry. I shall not lose one penny of yours, nor Grandmother
Van Stark's, nor the blessed Home's, nor any one's, I hope, but my
own, and not enough of that to hurt; at any rate, I shall still
have enough, I think, to buy a railroad ticket to Bobby's house. So
tell him that I wish he'd tell his mother to have a good supper
to-morrow night, and you children must plan it and all come and eat
with me.

"Yours, with love,

"BOBBY'S GRANDFATHER.

"P.S.--Be sure to have plenty of candy for supper."

The excitement and the joy that this letter produced were something
startling. Away went the worry lines from Mrs. Rayburn's dear face, and
back came the laughter the children loved. In Bobby's house they planned