the strings!

Everything was exactly right.

"There wasn't any Sky-Scraper," said Aunt Izzie, "so I got
'Snow-Skimmer' instead."

"It's beautiful, and I like it just as well," said Katy contentedly.

"Oh, hide them, hide them!" she cried with sudden terror, "somebody's
coming." But the somebody was only Papa, who put his head into the room
as Aunt Izzie, laden with bundles, scuttled across the hall.

Katy was glad to catch him alone. She had a little private secret to
talk over with him. It was about Aunt Izzie, for whom she, as yet, had
no present.

"I thought perhaps you'd get me a book like that one of Cousin Helen's,
which Aunt Izzie liked so much," she said. "I don't recollect the name
exactly. It was something about a Shadow. But I've spent all my money."

"Never mind about that," said Dr. Carr. "We'll make that right. 'The
Shadow of the Cross'--was that it? I'll buy it this afternoon."

"Oh, thank you, Papa! And please get a brown cover, if you can, because
Cousin Helen's was brown. And you won't let Aunt Izzie know, will you?
Be careful, Papa!"

"I'll swallow the book first, brown cover and all," said Papa,
making a funny face. He was pleased to see Katy so interested about