Bessie Bradfords Prize | Page 8

a young man after Maggie's and Bessie's own
hearts, and they would instantly have stamped him with the seal of their
approval had they known of this most desirable characteristic.
Some little further conference on the matter ensued between the father
and son, with the result that Lena's eyes and heart had to-day been
gladdened by the receipt of two checks of no inconsiderable amount--a
fortune they seemed to her--the one from her father representing one
thousand dollars, the other from Russell for five hundred. They were
enclosed in a letter from Mr. Neville to his little daughter, saying that
they were to be appropriated to any charitable purpose which she might
designate, subject to her uncle's approval--either for the use of the
young artist, or, if she were likely to gain the instruction she required
through the means of any of Lena's schoolmates, for any good object
which would gratify her.
"It's worth all the burns," said the delighted Lena to her uncle, when she
had shown her prize to him and consulted him as to the best disposition
of it.
"The true martyr spirit," the Colonel said later to his wife. "And she
shows herself a wise and prudent little woman; for when we were
discussing the matter she said she would wait to decide what should be
done with the money until she knows if Maggie or Bessie or any one of
those interested in Gladys Seabrooke wins the prize. She knows that Mr.
Ashton's gift will go to Gladys in that case; and then she wishes to

devote the money to repairing the old church. If she were thirty instead
of thirteen she could not show better judgment or more common
sense."
"I am glad that her father is learning to appreciate her at last," said Mrs.
Rush, who, being very fond of children herself, deeply resented the
keep-your-distance system and constant repression under which her
husband's sister and brother-in-law brought up their family.
So this was the prize which Lena had to show to her young friends, this
the story she had to tell. They, Maggie and Bessie, were enchanted in
their turn, and as Lena displayed to them the two magic slips of paper
which held for them such wonderful possibilities, and which appeared
as untold wealth to their eyes, they could not contain their delight and
enthusiasm.
"Why, that will build a whole new church; will it not, Uncle Horace?"
asked Bessie, whose faith that her own Maggie would win the prize
was absolute, especially now that Gracie Howard seemed to have
withdrawn from the contest, and that Lena had been disabled, and who
therefore never doubted that the rector's little daughter was sure of the
gift tendered by Mr. Ashton.
"Well, hardly," said the Colonel, smiling, as he laid aside the evening
paper; "hardly, although it will go far towards making some of the
repairs which are so much needed, and also towards beautifying the
inside of the church a little. And I think that you must let me also have
a hand in this, for I, too, have occasion for a thank-offering. So
altogether, I hope we shall be able to put the little church into a fairly
presentable condition; that is, in case you decide, Lena, to use your
funds for that purpose," he added, with the private resolve that the
needy church should not be the loser even if the checks were applied to
Gladys Seabrooke's benefit. She was the first object with all three
children, that was plainly to be seen; but if it should fall out that the
means of improvement she so much desired and so much needed were
gained for her by Mr. Ashton's trust, then this small fortune was to be
devoted to the church of which her father was rector. Then, too, these
young home missionaries intended to devote the proceeds of the fair
they were to hold at Easter to the help of the same church; so that
altogether the prospect for its relief seemed to be promising.
[Illustration: "THAT WILL BUILD A WHOLE NEW CHURCH"]

"I had a letter from Russell, too, written by his own hand, the very first
since he has been ill," said the happy Lena. "Oh! and I forgot; I had a
letter from Percy, too. I did not read it, I was so excited by Papa's and
Russell's and the two checks. Let me see; where is it? Oh, here it is!"
And she opened it; but seeing at a glance that it was unusually long, she
decided that she would not try to decipher Percy's irregular, illegible
handwriting at that time, but would wait till Maggie and Bessie should
have left her and would make the most of their society.
Poor little Lena! her day was not