“Oh-h, what are they?” asked Elizabeth Ann, staring.
All around the room were dark, polished boxes. They had lids and locks and there were little keys in each lock.
“Chests,” said Uncle Hiram, enjoying her surprise. “Seamen’s chests, my dear. And in one of them, unless I’m greatly mistaken, we’ll find something that Roger Calendar will be proud to wear to the party.”
Uncle Hiram unlocked the lid of one chest and showed Elizabeth Ann a neatly typewritten list pasted inside the lid.
“I did that to every chest as I packed it,” he explained. “I can tell what is in every chest. These things are all trifles I picked up on my voyages—things your Aunt Grace doesn’t want to keep in the first cabin. She couldn’t keep them all up there, anyway—isn’t enough room.”
Elizabeth Ann almost forgot about Roger and the party as she turned over the things in the different chests as Uncle Hiram unlocked one after the other. There were strings of beads, and marvelously colored shells and dried star fish and pebbles with flecks of shining gold in them.
There were yards and yards of beautiful silks from far away countries and perfumes and spices that filled the air with fragrance as soon as the chest in which they were kept, was opened. There were bits of carved wood, and fans made of silk, and other fans made of shell. There were combs and ear-rings and funny lacquered shoes. There were little ivory figures—like the ones Elizabeth Ann had seen in Aunt Isabel’s cabinets when she visited her in New York. In fact there were so many things tucked away in those chests that Elizabeth Ann felt as though she might be visiting Santa Claus and looking over all the things he must have put away. Only these were not toys—Uncle Hiram hadn’t collected toys, though he did have a couple of odd-looking dolls made from carved bones.
“Now this is what I had in mind for Roger,” said Uncle Hiram, unlocking the last chest. “It may be a little large for him, but your Aunt Grace can take a tuck or two in it. She’s handy with her needle. How do you think Roger would like this?”
He drew out something made of dark blue silk and held it up for Elizabeth Ann to see. There were long trousers and a jacket almost solidly embroidered in vivid colors—red and blue and silver and gold and green. As Elizabeth Ann looked at it, she saw that there were gold dragons cunningly placed in the embroidery. A little silk skull cap went with the costume and embroidered silk slippers.
“No one around here has ever seen this,” said Uncle Hiram. “I think it will disguise Roger pretty thoroughly. I believe we have some masks around the house—your Aunt Grace will remember where they are—just large enough to cover your eyes. Roger might as well have one of those.”