nne. And I thought the name would mean something to you,"
replied Captain Enos.

Anne smiled happily. It was good news to hear from the sailorman, and to
know that he was a friend of her father's.

"What are you making, Uncle Enos?" asked Anne, as the captain put down one
smooth bit of wood and picked up another.

Captain Enos pointed to Anne's wooden doll and whispered, "I'm afraid
Martha Stoddard Nelson will hear. Put her down behind your chair and come
over here, and I'll tell you."

Anne set the doll down carefully, with its head turned away from Captain
Enos, and tiptoed across the little space between them.

"I'm making a chair for Martha Stoddard Nelson," whispered Captain Enos,
"for a surprise. And you mustn't tell her a word about it till it is all
ready for her to sit in."

Anne laughed. To have a secret with Uncle Enos was about the most
delightful thing she could imagine; and to have it mean a fine cedar chair
for her doll to sit in was the best kind of a secret.

"You mustn't let Martha Stoddard Nelson face toward me more than you can
help," went on Uncle Enos. "You don't think she has noticed what I am
doing, do you?"

"No," whispered Anne. "I'll be very careful, and let her stay up-stairs a
good deal until the chair is finished."

"That will be a good plan," said Uncle Enos, "and there comes your Aunt
Martha. I hear her at the door."

Anne ran to open the door and Mrs. Stoddard came in smiling and rosy from
her walk in the sharp wind. The white kitten jumped up and came running
toward her, and the good woman looked about the cheerful room as if she
thought it the finest place in the world.

"I have more scarlet yarn," she said, sitting down near Captain Enos, "and
I have a present for thee, Anne; something that Mistress Starkweather sent
thee with her love," and Mrs. Stoddard handed Anne a small package.

"It's a box!" declared the little girl, taking off the paper in which it
was wrapped, "and see how sweet it smells."

"'Tis of sandalwood," said Captain Enos. "There must be many such in the
settlement, for 'twas but a few years ago that some of our men came back
from a voyage to Ceylon, and fetched such boxes in their chests."

"Open it, Anne," said Mrs. Stoddard, and Anne carefully took off the
cover.

"Look, look!" she exclaimed, holding out the box toward Aunt Martha; "what
are these shining things; all pink and round?" and she picked up a string
of pink coral beads and held them up