“What’s the matter, father?” said Daniel, while Miriam tilted her snub nose curiously.

“Praised be God!” was all the old man could say.

“Well, what is it?  Speak!” said Beenah, with unusual animation, while a flush of excitement lit up Miriam’s face and made it beautiful.

“My brother in America has won a thousand pounds on the lotter_ee_ and he invites me and Beenah to come and live with him.”

“Your brother in America!” repeated his children staring.

“Why, I didn’t know you had a brother in America,” added Miriam.

“No, while he was poor, I didn’t mention him,” replied Mendel, with unintentional sarcasm.  “But I’ve heard from him several times.  We both came over from Poland together, but the Board of Guardians sent him and a lot of others on to New York.”

“But you won’t go, father!” said Daniel.

“Why not?  I should like to see my brother before I die.  We were very thick as boys.”

“But a thousand pounds isn’t so very much,” Miriam could not refrain from saying.

Old Hyams had thought it boundless opulence and was now sorry he had not done his brother a better turn.

“It will be enough for us all to live upon, he and Beenah and me.  You see his wife died and he has no children.”

“You don’t really mean to go?” gasped Daniel, unable to grasp the situation suddenly sprung upon him.  “How will you get the money to travel with?”

“Read here!” said Mendel, quietly passing him the letter.  “He offers to send it.”

“But it’s written in Hebrew!” cried Daniel, turning it upside down hopelessly.

“You can read Hebrew writing surely,” said his father.

“I could, years and years ago.  I remember you taught me the letters.  But my Hebrew correspondence has been so scanty—­” He broke off with a laugh and handed the letter to Miriam, who surveyed it with mock comprehension.  There was a look of relief in her eyes as she returned it to her father.

“He might have sent something to his nephew and his niece,” she said half seriously.

“Perhaps he will when I get to America and tell him how pretty you are,” said Mendel oracularly.  He looked quite joyous and even ventured to pinch Miriam’s flushed cheek roguishly, and she submitted to the indignity without a murmur.

“Why you’re looking as pleased as Punch too, mother,” said Daniel, in half-rueful amazement.  “You seem delighted at the idea of leaving us.”

“I always wanted to see America,” the old woman admitted with a smile.  “I also shall renew an old friendship in New York.”  She looked meaningly at her husband, and in his eye was an answering love-light.

“Well, that’s cool!” Daniel burst forth.  “But she doesn’t mean it, does she, father?”

“I mean it.”  Hyams answered.

“But it can’t be true,” persisted Daniel, in ever-growing bewilderment.  “I believe it’s all a hoax.”