t 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 found. To hide it she would have to touch it,
no matter how unwillingly. But the secret of its existence must be kept,
although that secret was already in the possession of these two others.

She called them to her and held out her hands now for the box. They
approached her with a sort of awe, for there was that still in her face
which altered its ordinary kindliness. Not that it was unkind, for there
was even more than usual sweetness in the glance she gave Montgomery,
yet he felt as if he had been guilty of some terrible sin without in the
least knowing what or why.

"Children, you are young to be asked to promise so serious a thing as I
now ask you, but you must promise it, and you must keep your word. Will
you?"

"I never broke my word in my life, Aunt Eunice! I wouldn't begin now
after I've grown to be such a big girl," said Katharine, 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 not promise, if you please; and I
guess--I guess I'd rather not hear any secret. I'll go out and let you
tell it to Monty alone."

Montgomery shot out a restraining hand and clutched her vanishing
skirts, while a faint smile stole to Miss Maitland's lips at this
evidence of moral cowardice. The boy felt, and with justice, that it was
"Kitty Quixote" who had got him into this scrape, with her wild woodland
adventures and her fairy-tales, and that it was but fair she should
share in it.

"Unfortunately, you already know it. What you must promise is--that you
will never, never speak of this box or its strange reappearance to 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, too. You are
Sturtevant and Maitland, descendants of honorable men and women, and for
the sake of your forebears you must hide this thing."

It was all so solemn that Katharine shivered, yet could not help
wondering a little. "Forebears"--that meant dead people; and how could
it harm people already dead to have that box found, even supposing it to
be full of poisons or other dreadful stuff, as she now began to imagine?

Now, if Kate merely shivered and speculated, poor Montgomery was in an
ague. When he fixed his great eyes upon Aunt Eunice's face they were so
full of terror