another chimney; but here goes to find out." He
brought his hatchet down vigorously between the boards at one end,
where a slight crevice promised some leeway.

"Oh, do be careful," she cried "even if there's nothing in it but
stove-polish and excelsior, the nails and the boards are absolute
treasures!"

He proceeded more gently. There was any amount of hoop-iron, which he
removed carefully, and the nails were drawn with as much caution as if
they had been teeth, as they well might be, considering there were no
more on earth to draw. When the top of the box was finally off, and a
quantity of papers removed, they gave a simultaneous cry of delight.
The box was full of books. They took them out, one at a time, with
little exclamations of pleasure, as an old friend came to light.
Sitting down on the ground they piled the books about them on the
papers, and opening favorites here and there read to each other and
themselves till long after noon. It was really a fine library, well
chosen, covering a wide range of subjects and including an
encyclopaedia and an unusually fine edition of Shakespeare.

"Isn't it the most beautiful Christmas present you can imagine, Adam?"
she said. "If you are not suited with this it must be because, in the
old slang, you 'want the earth.'"

"But we haven't even opened your box," he said.

"I don't want to," she answered slowly. "Somehow I feel as if we would
better stop now and let well enough alone. Let us enjoy this awhile.
Perhaps the other box may spoil this one, or at least the day."

Adam laughed with good-natured tolerance. "How absurd!" he said. "Let
us see what there is. You know you said yours would be the nicest;
besides, if it contains sawdust and last year's almanacs, I shall have
to divide with you, and we may quarrel over the Shakespeare." He
opened the box while she stood watching him with a strange
unwillingness. It had been labeled, "This Side Up," and on the very
top there was a wooden case. He put it in Robin's arms, and she opened
it with trembling fingers. She replaced the broken strings, adjusted
the bridge, tucked the violin under her chin, tuned it, and
straightway escaped from every sorry care of earth.

Adam went on unpacking the box. It contained chiefly materials for
writing,--all the paraphernalia that the fastidious student requires.
There were many note-books, and at the bottom a large, handsomely
inlaid writing-desk. The name on the cover made him start