“What in the world have you there?” inquired Miss Rindy.
“That’s just what I don’t know. It is addressed to me, and Mrs. Perry said that as I was the only Ellen North in town it must be for me.”
“Who sent it?”
“No one that I know. Up in the corner it says it is from Mary West, Baltimore, and I don’t know any Mary West in Baltimore or anywhere else.”
“Open it and we may find some explanation inside.”
“It is fairly heavy,” said Ellen. Then she lifted the box to a chair and began tugging at the string, finally loosening it enough to remove the cover. There was a layer of tissue paper on top but nothing in the way of a card or note. Underneath the paper, carefully wrapped in a towel, was a white crêpe de Chine dress. Ellen shook it out and looked at her cousin in wonderment. “Did you ever?” she exclaimed.
Miss Rindy took the dress and began examining it while Ellen turned her attention to the next thing in the box. This was discovered to be a black wool dress with touches of white embroidery upon it; then came a black sport hat with a white ornament upon it, and, last of all, there was a black coat with a big fur collar. At sight of this last Ellen was so overcome that she flung the coat from her and dropped in a heap on the floor while she burst into tears.
“You silly, silly goose,” cried Miss Rindy. “Get up. What in the world are you crying for?”
“I am so afraid they don’t belong to me, and they are so lovely,” Ellen sobbed.
“Find another Ellen North in the town and I’ll admit that they might not belong to you.”