o Yeld
post office with a bundle under his arm. At the last moment a
difficulty had arisen with regard to postage, as, between them, the two
could not raise the thirteen shillings required to stamp the lot.
However, by a lucky accident Tom discovered a bundle of halfpenny
wrappers, the property of the estate, which (after scrupulously writing
an I.O.U. for the amount) he borrowed.

"Saved a clean six-and-six by that," he remarked, when the last was
licked up; "that'll go into the fireworks."

Jill, whose admiration for her brother's genius knew no bounds, felt
almost happy.

It was Monday evening when the Yeld post-master was exercised in his
mind by hearing a loud rap down-stairs, which on inquiry he found to
have proceeded from the discharge of 150 mysterious-looking halfpenny
missives, written in a very round hand, into his box. Being an active
and intelligent person, he felt it his duty to examine one, addressed,
as it happened, to the Duke of Somewhere. After some consideration, and
a study of his rules and regulations, he came to the conclusion that the
enclosure was of the nature of a letter, and thereupon proceeded to mark
each with a claim for a penny excess postage. Which done, he retired to
his parlour, relieved in his mind.

Tom and Jill had more to do than to speculate on the adventures of their
carefully-written cards.

"Now about grub!" said Tom that evening.

Once more Jill turned a little pale. She had been dreading this fateful
question all along.

"What do you think?" said she diplomatically.

Tom, of course, had thought the problem out.

"We must keep it dark from the slaveys," said he, "at least till
everybody comes, then they're bound to give us a leg up. I fancy we can
scrape a thing or two up from what's in the house. And I've called in
at one or two of the shops at Yeld and told them to send up some things
addressed to `Miss J. Oliphant--private.' There was rather a nice lot
of herrings just in, so I got three dozen of them cheap. Then I told
them at the confectioner's to send up all the strawberry ices they could
in the time, and 150 buns. You see everybody is sure not to come, so
there'll be plenty to go round."

"Didn't Mr Rusk ask what they were for?" inquired Jill.

"I said Mr Oliphant presented his kind regards, and would be glad to
have the things sharp."

Next morning, greatly to the delight of the hospitable pair, the
herrings came up in a basket, addressed pr