oody, goody!" exclaimed a chorus of voices.

"It's strange that you never told us any of those stories, Aunt Selina,"
ventured Mrs. Talmage.

"Oh, it all happened so long ago, dearie, that I never thought anyone
would be interested. Besides, it turns to a page of my life that I
always wanted to keep closed," sighed Aunt Selina.

The others, respecting her reticence, changed the subject. Uncle Ben
smiled at her and made a comforting remark.

"Aunt Selina, when we finish our first year's work I am going to write a
most interesting treatise and call it, 'Aunt Selina's Recipes for
Youth.'"

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"Just what I said," replied he, laughing. "Since you have taken an
interest in this work you have grown years and years younger in looks
and actions."

"Ben, you're making fun of me!" declared Aunt Selina.

"No, he's not, Aunt Selina; you really are looking fine," said Mrs.
Talmage.

"Aunt Selina, isn't that what I prescribed for you at Happy Hills?"
cried Ruth, exultantly.

"Yes, Fluffy, you did, and all the glory of this old conquest belongs to
you," admitted Aunt Selina, patting the little girl upon the head.

Just then, an expressman drove up and spoke to Ike.

"Right to the front door--that is the B. B. & B. B. Publishing
Company's shop," replied Ike with pride.

Uncle Ben signed for the safe delivery of a large flat box and the
children crowded about to watch Ned and Jinks open it.

The box was marked "Glass" and "Handle with Care," so Ruth ran over to
her uncle to inquire about it.

"Do you know what is in it?" asked she.

"I believe it is the box that failed to arrive with the other things,"
he replied, smiling.

"Do tell what it is," persisted Ruth.

"Why? You'll soon see, and it would spoil the surprise if I told you,"
said Uncle Ben.

Ruth skipped back to the circle formed about the case watching Ned take
out the nails very carefully. Soon Jinks and he had the top boards off
and then started to lift out the excelsior. This disposed of, a flat
paper parcel was seen. Ned lifted it out, and seeing another one
underneath, Jinks took it out also. Meredith and Don looked to see if
there were any more, but excelsior seemed to fill the bottom of the box.

"Who has a knife?" asked Ned, not finding his own in his pocket.

"Here, here! hurry up and cut the twine!" shouted Don.

Ned took Don's knife with the broken blade and rusty handle, and smiled
as he hacked away at the