"Neither your father nor I put anything into the box," she said. "It was locked up and taken straight out into the tool-house. Of course, he may have put something in since, but I think it hardly likely."
"But what can it be then, mother?" exclaimed Ida anxiously.
"I'm sure I don't know," was the answer. "You'll have to wait till your father returns before you can find out, for he has got the keys of the padlocks on his bunch."
"When will he be back?"
"Not before seven o'clock, I expect."
"Oh, bother!" cried Guy. "Fancy having to wait all that time!"
There was no alternative but to curb their impatience as best they might, and the young people strolled back to the tool-house to have another look at the chest.
"Listen while I turn it up," said Guy, "and see if we can guess what's inside."
It was impossible to determine the contents of the box in this manner.
"I should think it was a parcel of some kind," said Ida. "You'd better not do that any more, Guy. It may be something that will break if it's rolled and banged about."