236 Winter 



and ' Bet's box,' echoed Adam and Willie. ' Aye, Bet's 

 box,' said Kitty. 



' Sure enough it's not my box,' said the uncle, drag- 

 ging it into the light. ' It's the same size, but not 

 the colour, but whatever is making it so heavy ? ' 



That was soon discovered. The red-headed ser- 

 vant girl came forward with a smile on her gaping 

 mouth that suggested the part she had taken in the 

 trick. ' There's a stone of shot,' she said, ' and there's 

 the horse-shoes from the back yard, and there's the 

 rusty keys that used to lie in the stable, and there's 

 my old petticoats stuffed in to keep them from 

 jingling, and,' she added, ' the weights and the flat- 

 iron.' 



' By George ! ' said Willie, ' he must have meant 

 to start a pack. Would you have stabbed me to save 

 that dirt ? ' 



' He didn't know what it was,' answered for him 

 Kitty. ' I just wanted to try his mettle, so I put this 

 box in the room of the other one and it's back in its 

 place now, neither touched nor opened.' 



' I'm glad of that, lass,' said the old publican ; and 

 though there was not much in the words there was a 

 something in the voice that made them sink deep ; ' it 

 would have been a bad day for me when I found you 

 turning against me ; but Willie, lad, if you want to 

 catch this skittish filly you'd better be quick. Down 

 to the minister's you go to-morrow and get your 

 names asked ; and as for you, you lubberly simple, 



