Katie,
with a smile, that in spite of the check duster made her look quite
angelic.

Aubrey flew at her, and hugging her, broom and all, exclaimed,--

"Oh, how _could_ you! You are too good; I didn't half deserve it. Was
there ever such a darling sister before?" and a great deal more in the
same strain, as he showered kisses upon her till he took away her
breath, one moment declaring that she shouldn't do it and he wouldn't
have it, and the next assuring her that he could never thank her enough,
and never forget it as long as he lived. And Katie was as happy as he
was.

It was rather a damper, however, when that day passed, and the next, and
no one came to look even at the bargain. Aubrey said that if no
purchaser appeared before the following Wednesday, he should certainly
go to Mr. Wallis about the locket; and it really seemed as if Katie's
sacrifice was not to be made after all.

Tuesday afternoon came, still nobody had been in answer to the
advertisement. It was a pouring wet day, and Aubrey's holiday hung
heavily on his hands. He had read every book he could get at, painted
two illuminations, constructed several "patent" articles for Kate, which
would have been great successes, but for sundry "ifs," and abandoned as
hopeless the task of teaching Caesar, Miss Clare's asthmatic old dog, to
stand upon his hind legs, and was now gazing drearily out on the soaked
garden, almost wishing the vacation over. Suddenly he turned to his
sister, who was holding a skein of worsted for her aunt to wind,
exclaiming, "Katie, I've struck a bright!"

"What is it?" she asked, understanding that he had had an inspiration of
some sort. "An apparatus for getting at nuts without cracking them; or a
chest-protector for Caesar to wear in damp weather?"

"Neither; I'm going to rummage in the old bookcase upstairs, and see if
I can come across anything fit to read, or an adventure." And not being
in the habit of letting the grass grow under his feet (if vegetation was
ever known to develop in such unfavourable circumstances), he bounded
away; while Miss Clare observed, rather anxiously, "When that boy goes
adventure-seeking, it generally ends in a catastrophe; but I don't think
he can do much mischief up there."

Ten minutes afterwards, Katie went to see how Aubrey was getting on, and
found him doing nothing worse than polishing the covers of some very
dirty old books with one of his best pocket-handkerchiefs. When she
remonstrated