After the mid-day meal Tim had half a mind to go for a walk in the country by himself, for his uncle betook himself as usual to his study. But, as Kitty had spoken of seeing him on her return from the town, he decided to remain at home, write to his mother, and afterwards stroll out into the garden, so that the young folks next door could hail him if they wanted him. Accordingly, he settled himself in the dining-room, and had barely finished his letter, when, to his great amazement, Deborah opened the door, and announced:
"Miss and Master Glanville!"
"Kitty! Bob!" he exclaimed, rising from his seat at the table, and looking quickly from one to the other of his visitors. "Why didn't you call to me from the garden as you usually do? I should have heard you."
"If you're writing to your people perhaps you don't want to be disturbed, and we'd better not stay?" suggested Bob. "Hurry up, Kitty!" he whispered to his sister.
"Oh, do stay!" cried Tim. "Sit down, won't you? Here, Kitty, have this easy chair?"
Kitty sank into the chair indicated, but not before she had put her hand in her pocket, and drawn therefrom a small package. It had fallen to her lot to present the pocket-knife.
"I daresay you thought it was rather odd of me not to tell you where Bob and I were going this afternoon," she commenced, addressing Tim. "Now, didn't you?"
"Well, yes, I did," he admitted, candidly. "Of course, I saw you didn't want me to go with you—"
"That was just it," Kitty broke in. "We didn't want you to go with us because we were thinking of buying you a present. We've bought it! Bob chose it! It's a pocket-knife, and, oh, I do hope you'll like it! There was one with a tortoiseshell handle I rather fancied, but Bob said he was sure you'd prefer this one—if not, the man in the shop won't mind changing it. This one has three blades, all of the very best steel, they cut like lances, and it has a buck-horn handle. Oh, look at it, do!" She thrust the little package into Tim's hands as she spoke.
Tim, who had become quite red in his surprise, opened the package with fingers which trembled with eagerness, and a very handsome pocket-knife was revealed to view.