Page:Elizabeth Jordan--Tales of the city room.djvu/191

 and to-night I'm going to mail it to my father,—just for glory and to down him more thoroughly. Before I left my room to-night I got a telegram from him. Here it is. Is n't he a dear?"

She unrolled the slip of yellow paper and gave it to Miss Herrick, who passed it round to the others. The girls read it eagerly.

"Our loving congratulations. Your mother and I are prouder than ever of our girl. Come home at once and show your brothers how to make a success of life."

"Is n't he fine?" repeated his daughter with conviction. "I'm going home to-morrow. I have saved enough to take me there in a new gown and with a general effect of affluence. I shall have the best accommodations all the way. It will take the very last cent I have saved, but that does n't matter. I 've won my wager and I'm content!"

She tossed the telegram into the air and caught it again with a gay laugh.

"I have no regrets over the end of my newspaper life," she added soberly, "except that I shall miss you girls—dreadfully. I 've