Letty and Susan consoled themselves by counting the money and planning what they would buy with it.
“And there is still to-morrow before we go to the Fair,” suggested Susan hopefully. “When are we going to tell, and show the bowlful? Maybe Grandfather will give us more when he hears about it.”
Susan enjoyed having a secret with Letty, but she wanted to share it with Grandfather, too.
“We will tell when we are ready to start for the Fair,” answered Letty firmly, “and not a minute before. You never can tell what will happen.”
But this plan was not carried out. Letty little knew how truly she spoke when she said “you never can tell what will happen.”
The next day, the great Day of the Fair, the money was counted the first thing in the morning, as soon as Johnny had had his bath and Mrs. Spargo had left the room.
“Five tens, one quarter, two fives, and four pennies!” Susan and Letty had said it so often that they could repeat it backward. It had grown to be a chant that rang in their ears.
Half an hour later they stole back to count it again.
“Look,” said Susan, stooping in the middle of the room. She held out the little brown-and-white sunbonnet that had hidden the money so “careless-like.”
Letty ran to the mantelpiece. The jar was gone!