M."
"Saw a great light, indeed!" said Horace, who, for
once, felt awed.
CHAPTER V
THIS IS CHRISTMAS
For half a minute, as it seemed afterwards, no one
spoke. Then Matty flew to her mother, and flung her
arms around her neck, and kissed her again and again.
Tom hardly knew what he was doing; but he recovered
self-command enough to know that he must try to be manly
and businesslike,--and so he rushed downstairs to find
the man who brought the note. It proved to be a man he
did not know. Not a messenger from the bureau, not one
from the Navy Department, least of all, an aid of
the Assistant Marshal's. He was an innocent waiter from
the Seaton House, who said a gentleman called him and
gave him the note, told him to lose no time, and gave him
half a dollar for coming. He had asked for an answer,
though the gentleman had not told him to do so.
Tom wrote: "Hurrah! All's well! All at home.--T."
and gave this note to the man.
They all talked at once, and then they sat still
without talking. The children--must it be confessed?--
asked all sorts of inopportune questions. At last Tom
was even fain to tell the story of the bear himself, by
way of silencing the Brick and Laura; and with much
correction from Horace, had got the bear well advanced in
smelling at the almond-candy and the figs, when a
carriage was heard on the street, evidently coming
rapidly towards them.
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