reward.

"I thought it might be a thousand dollars," she said to Ben, "and I made
up my mind if it should be that, we would take it and go abroad. I had
some savings beside. When Bayard Taylor told us about his tour I felt
sure we could do something like it. We would keep out of the expensive
tourists' ways, and live cheaply, keeping house when we could. Oh, Ben,
won't it be splendid!"

He thought it splendid to have her so generous, but he had some savings
as well.

Five thousand dollars was considered quite a legacy in those days; and
the bank-stock was worth a good deal more than its face.

Every one said they would be crazy to waste their money in such a
frivolous manner.

"I don't mind if I shouldn't ever be rich," declared Ben. "I want a
piece of the big world, with its knowledges and wonders. I shouldn't
care to live there always, but it broadens one to see what other nations
have done; what has made their greatness and what has contributed to
their downfall. And the arts and sciences, the mysteries of the East and
of Egypt. We are young yet as a country, and we have a right to gather
up the riches of experience. I only hope we shall profit by it."

So they planned and planned. Delia looked over the old things, and sent
Dolly and Hanny some antiquities of a century or more. Then she packed
and boxed hers, for she knew her mother might deal them out to
indifferent people. She thought it would be a good plan to hire out the
house to some one who would board her mother and Theodore; and presently
one of the married sisters, Mrs. Ferris, decided she would come. So then
they could plan to go away; and Delia might write her novel while she
was abroad.

Meanwhile the summer was slipping away like a dream. The great fair
still attracted a large concourse. But September came in, and schools
opened. Jim went back to regular study; Charles to the seminary. Hanny
had some more schoolmates married. There was another baby at Margaret's;
and it was so delightful to go down to Delia's and hear all the plans!
Now that Hanny had learned so much at the Crystal Palace, she had quite
a longing for churches and museums and art galleries. Herman Andersen
had visited so many of them!

Sometimes Daisy Jasper went down with her. Mr. Andersen came for them in
the evening. Delia he thought wonderfully bright and entertaining. Ben
liked him amazingly.

"But if I had all that money," said Ben, "I wouldn't confine myself to
such p