"I want to return to some of you the money you paid for Paul's railroad ticket. Nelly has her mother's share as well as her own."
"But we didn't pay so much as this," said Dickey, in evident perplexity. "It only cost fourteen dollars in all."
"That comes near enough to the amount," replied Mr. Weston, "and you will oblige me by thinking that you have simply had returned to you the money you paid out. As for Ben and Johnny, who took charge of Paul when he was sadly in need of some one's care, I have got what I hope will be a pleasant surprise in store for them; and if they will come to the hotel at nine o'clock in the morning, Paul and I will show them what it is."
There was very little opportunity for any one to make a reply, for as Mr. Weston spoke he arose from the table, and then added,
"Now go and see all that you can until five o'clock, and then we will start for home."
It was a tired party who landed in New York quite early that evening, some going to Mrs. Green's and two to the hotel; but they were quite as happy as they were weary, and had had such a day of enjoyment as they had never even dreamed of before, which could be set down to the credit of the kind act of befriending a homeless boy.
If Mrs. Green had been able to have understood what five children were saying to her at one time, she would have had a very clear idea of that day of pleasure; but as it was, when each was eager to tell the story, and all spoke together, she had only a general idea until she was alone with Nelly.
After the attempt to enlighten her as to where they had been and what they had seen, the conversation turned upon the surprise which Mr. Weston said he had for Ben and Johnny, and many were the speculations as to what it might be. Mopsey was very certain that he had purchased one of the largest theatres in the city, and was to present it to them in due form; and so positive did he become as to the correctness of his idea, that he would persist in talking about what they would do after the two boys were installed there, to the exclusion of everything else. He even awakened them after they had gone to sleep that night, in order to make them promise that they would let him direct the entertainments, in case he was right regarding the gift of a theatre. Of course the two most interested were in a high state of excitement as to the gift, although they did not try to guess what it might be. It was a difficult matter for them to go to sleep after they went to bed, so anxious were they to know what good-fortune was to be theirs; and after Mopsey had awakened them, they remained in anything but a sleepy condition for several hours.