"Now let us look at the drawer," said her mother, when, after pausing a moment to breathe, she moved towards the table. It was a poor little shaky thing, and of a very dilapidated appearance. It was not to be wondered at that as soon as her recovery made its presence unnecessary in her room, she had banished it to the garret whence it had been brought.
"You see there is no trace of it," said Bessie, mournfully, as she watched her mother remove the articles the drawer contained one by one.
No, it was not there indeed.
Bessie pulled out the drawer, and even took the trouble to examine the aperture which contained it, but all was in vain.
"It is certainly very strange," said her mother. "I do not see how, if it were really in this drawer, it could have got out without help."
"Nor I either," added Bessie, half laughing at the idea of a nut walking off of itself. "Oh, if I could only find it! I do not mind the nut so much, although dear uncle James gave it to me last Christmas, as I do the money, for you know, mother, I asked you if I might not keep it forever, that is as long as I lived, to remember Mr. Dart's kindness by, and to show, when I grew up, as my first earnings. Oh, I was so proud of those three pieces of silver!"
"What were they?" asked her mother, looking over the contents of the drawer again.
"Don't you remember?" exclaimed Bessie, in a tone of great surprise, as though it were really remarkable to have forgotten. "Don't you remember? There were two twenty-five cent pieces and a ten cent piece!" and Bessie broke into fresh weeping again.
"Don't cry about it, Bessie," said her mother, "you know crying cannot bring them back."