to
melt Teddy's hard heart, "won't you go after him? You will have to just
tear him away--"

However, the two boys were back sooner than the girls expected, for they
were very curious about the contents of the small shabby trunk, which had
so evidently been hidden away in the darkest corner of a dark closet in
the attic.

"Say, those are some tools, Billie," said Chet jubilantly, as he pried
away at the lock. "You could do just about anything with them--anything
from making a house, to breaking into one. I say," he added, stopping
work to look at her entreatingly, "don't you remember mother saying that
Aunt Beatrice left you the house and me--the tools?"

The girls and boys laughed, and Billie patted his shoulder fondly.

"No, I don't remember anything of the sort," she said, imitating his tone
to perfection. "But if you're a good boy and open the trunk in a hurry,
I'll deed them to you, Chet--every last tool in the tool-house."

"Honest to goodness?" cried Chet, his eyes beaming.

"Honest to goodness, brother mine."

Then Chet fell to work with fresh enthusiasm on the lock.

It was a stubborn old lock, and required a good deal of patience--which
the girls had not--and tinkering to make it give way.

But it gave at last, and girls and boys leaned forward with sighs of pure
excitement.

"Open it," cried Laura impatiently, but Billie put her hand on the lid
and faced them with shining eyes.

"We'll each have just one guess," she said, "and see who comes nearest to
guessing right."

"I bet it's money," cried Chet.

"That isn't fair, I was going to bet that too."

"So was I--"

"And I--"

Billie threw up her hands in despair.

"Of course, if you're all going to guess the same thing it's all ruined,"
she said, then added, as she bent forward and started to lift the cover:
"I don't know that I blame you, though, for I was going to guess the very
same thing!"

"Oh, Billie, hurry! You're so slow!" cried Laura, jumping up and down
with excitement. "Do get at it!"

"Shall I do it?" asked Violet, feeling an almost irresistible desire to
push Billie away and fling back the lid. Why was she so slow?

"One--two--three!" cried Billie, and then the lid was off and they were
staring down into the contents of the trunk.

For a minute they stood motionless. Then, as though moved by one impulse,
they dropped to their knees and buried their hands in something that
jingled at their touch!

The trunk was full to