The Brass Bound Box

, so that Katharine darted forward to her support. But Aunt Eunice raised her hand protestingly, and totter

vant, where-where

ut to faint as Moses had done, yet she did not fall nor did her gaze wav

-hay-m

ng a bit more natural in appearance, while Kate indig

, Aunt Eunice, it's the Magic Treasure. It holds the key to all the world-to all the good things in the world, anyway. And you're the wonderful Wise Wom

ght it to the disturbed lady, who, when the girl would have

I wouldn't touch it. It has wro

mechanism. As she gazed her thought was busy as painful, but out of the chaos one idea at last grew clear: The Brass Bound Box must be safely hidden and none must know that it had ever been

in her face which altered its ordinary kindliness. Not that it was unkind, for there was even more than usual sweetness in the

o serious a thing as I now ask you, but you must

promptly. "But it's honest to tell you I hate promises, and I never feel so tempted to lie as when I've made one. I'd rather n

lips at this evidence of moral cowardice. The boy felt, and with justice, that it was "Kitty Quixote" who had got him i

any person, young or old. I shall put it out of sight where it will not be easily found again, and then forget it. You must forget it, t

rs"-that meant dead people; and how could it harm people already dead to have that box found,

n ague. When he fixed his great eyes upon Aunt Eunice's face they wer

rning. That's easy, isn't it? Besides, you are so young you will not remember long. Other thi

er. Her step was no longer uncertain, but firm and decided. A terrible situation had suddenly confronted her, and made, for a moment

" regarded one another in dismay; and Montgomery was the first

't it a-

n to me and making me stay whether or no. That was a dirty mean t

. I've got s-s-s-somethin' to tell you," said the unhappy lad, far too disturbed to resent her sharpness. At which she became instantly regretful, and slipp

e have cared at all who saw him thus being petted by a "girl." However, once arrived at

ld it all over t-t-town, a'ready,

abject creature before her, who seemed to droop and wilt und

" she repeate

d mournful

shing dishes again, and kept at it f

of his recent retirement from public life, indeed, he was positive that this had been a "secret" really worth keeping. Ho

'll happe

s Aunt Eunice's secret the box was my secret, too. I was the first who should have

'round, didn't I? An' when I told about him the o-o-o

d never gone to that wood, then things wouldn't have happened. The box would have stayed in its hole, I wouldn't have hurried home with it by the long wrong way and met you, and poor Uncle Moses wouldn't have followed nor fallen over that root. Aunt Eunice would have been like the saying, 'Where ignorance is bliss,' and wouldn't have been worried so, and we shouldn't have been forbidden to tell things that I wouldn't have cared to tell, i

talk, had promptly spit upon his palms and rubbed them together, then leaped to catch an upright beam. "Shinnying" up to the slippery mow with real agility, he there paused and regarded Katharine with an expression of gre

nfully, to hide his own chagrin. "H-h-

did tell it before it was hers you needn't make it worse and speak of it again. If anybody asks you about it now, all you must do is to keep perfectly still. Not say a word. Let them think what they please,

asserted the climber, referri

ver 'shinny' up a st

ad-der, do for g-g-girls," ass

d I'll begin to teach

uching the roof. Jumping from the higher board floor of the barn into this bay Montgomery ran nimbly up the perpendicular ladder, which was so straight it seemed fairly to tilt backwards, like an overerect person, and Katharine followed as best s

weet and warm. I don't wonder hens like it up here, though it's scarey coming up.

anything. I can cl-cl-climb any tree in Aunt Eu-Eu-Eunice's woods. I can climb any tree in Deacon Meakin's woods. I-I can climb all the trees

es instruction. To descend with a quantity of fresh eggs for Susanna's depleted larder would be to bring one ray of sunshine into that darkened house. For as the widow had pertinently inquired of the hired man, only the night before, "How can a body cook good victuals without ingrejunce? An' what's the greatest ingrejunce in punki

eath the eaves where their builders had supposed in their hen-minds that no human being would ever come, while another adventurous fowl had lazily scooped a hole in the very centre of the mow and deposited

uld see the roofs of village homes and the spire of the church which Monty felt he could so easily climb. There, all anxiety

RGOTTEN, THEY DREAMED

ted to paint great pictures he had to paint mean little ones, such as common persons liked and would buy. 'Pot boilers' he called them, because they brought the cash, the 'fuel,' to keep the 'pot' a-boiling. Course, we had to have

Monty. Yet, following Katharine's rapturous gaze skyward, his own blue eyes had filled with dreamy speculation, a

goin' to stay here always. I'm goin' to be a big man and-

g? What

-b-big as Sq-Sq-Squ-Squire Petti-john. I'm goin' to

what is it they call them? Politic

corrected Montgomery, wi

she continued: "Politicians can do things. They can get folks elected. Anybody to anything. Plain storekeepers to b

yes.

from it. However, the hay was soft, and no harm was done, nor was her enthusiasm

ses Jones elected constable. Now, while he'

at he forgot to trip in his speech. Then doubt and s

I wouldn't care at all except for him. But we must do it. I've heard him talking with Widow Sprigg how that now the 'law was changed,' 'town meeting' was no 'great shakes' any more, for the Presidents and constables all got mixed in together till a 'body couldn't tell t'other from which.' For his part he'd 'ruther be 'lected in the spring when crops was growin' an' tramps a-trampin', though if he was forced into it, better one time than never,' and a lot more funny grumble. She

nerves. G-gr-gramma says so, and she knows. She's older 'n you, an'

icked it up in the garden and washed it clean. You put it in and then say just-as-slow-as-slow: 'Betsy Bobbins baked a batch of biscuit.' After you learn to say it slow, without once st

t-to. You're

angry or in real earnest you can talk well. Listen to me and think if I'm

aragraphs which alternately plunged her pupil into despair or exalted him to extravagant delight. And the fortunate result of this first lesson was that when it was ended

and now for a reward you shall hear the most glorious plan I

nce. In any case, it was a scheme that would have appealed to him irresistibly and was one full worthy of the brain of "Kitty Quixote," so that he was fas

ght down out that mow this minute!