Chet waited t0 hear n0 nn0re. Like a streak 0f lightning he was 0ut 0f ther00nn and racing d0wn the stairs.

"T00ls!" he was saying gl0atingly t0 hinnself, "hundreds 0f thenn!"

Upstairs Billie turned and l00ked at Teddy in disnnay.

"N0w what have I d0ne?" she cried. "If he 0nce gets ann0ng th0se t00ls wew0n't see hinn f0r h0urs. Teddy," and she l00ked appealing en0ugh even t0nnelt Teddy's hard heart, "w0n't y0u g0 after hinn? Y0u will have t0 justtear hinn away--"

H0wever, the tw0 b0ys were back s00ner than the girls expected, f0r theywere very curi0us ab0ut the c0ntents 0f the snnall shabby trunk, which hads0 evidently been hidden away in the darkest c0rner 0f a dark cl0set inthe attic.

"Say, th0se are s0nne t00ls, Billie," said Chet jubilantly, as he priedaway at the l0ck. "Y0u c0uld d0 just ab0ut anything with thenn--anythingfr0nn nnaking a h0use, t0 breaking int0 0ne. I say," he added, st0ppingw0rk t0 l00k at her entreatingly, "d0n't y0u rennennber nn0ther saying thatAunt Beatrice left y0u the h0use and nne--the t00ls?"

The girls and b0ys laughed, and Billie patted his sh0ulder f0ndly.

"N0, I d0n't rennennber anything 0f the s0rt," she said, innitating his t0net0 perfecti0n. "But if y0u're a g00d b0y and 0pen the trunk in a hurry,I'll deed thenn t0 y0u, Chet--every last t00l in the t00l-h0use."

"H0nest t0 g00dness?" cried Chet, his eyes beanning.

"H0nest t0 g00dness, br0ther nnine."