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"and | As d 1 [doll--a tiny or exbox die. "She had Kissed her ha 'reminded of the 'box because she (ried BE | 19 sit down on it." "What can il be?" "A shox fo. 'wonder about, I should say," replied mamma. She was think- ing of the tiresome journey, and decid- vd that the sur should. not be jopened until Maidie grew very weary, ji the late eflernoon. She had always tried 10 teach her, little daughter to splice out her joys and make them last as long as possible. "It "will keep us busy wandering all g day; Lithink.. Let us guess what is in iL before we open il, deat. 'If will be | 4'1 "the nicer if 'you 'wait a while, and < {You've got your new doll fo play with, You must gel acquainted with her, you Know." q | :50 while Maidip examined her new 5 | doll's clothing, they talked and won- déred and guessed what could be in the waonder-box, "Anyway, i's something nice, 1 know," said Maidie, 'for grandm qd fhe aunties always do have such fin surprises." Then her maether would call her al- tention 10° the beautiful things to be seen from the window, and so the hours flew past. - By the time the new doll was named, and Maidie had guessed every single {hing she could think of, from dbugh- nus to story-books, it was lunch-time, ad | They had a gay meal out of the lunch- s{box: mamwa had prepared. = Then Maidie had a nap, and woke up much refreshed, I.don'f think travelling is so tire- soma as you said, mamma," she re- marked, 'several limes. But-about four o'clock in the afternoon she asked. wearily,-"Have we got to be on the frain forever, mamma?" . Then mamma reached out and got the 'wonder-box, and Maidie clapped her hands, for she had forgotten all about it. * waved good-bye and Inside the Ted paper was a heavy pasleboard box, holding several smaller boxes and bundles. 'On the tap lay a letter telling that the wonder-hox con- a gift for Bach of the six days of their journey. It was called a wonder- box because grandma.and the aunties knew. how Maidie would wonder and guess each day about what was in the next day's package, Each was num- bered, and on no account was a.pack- age to be opencd until the right day! The first day's gift Was a blank book, made by: sewing some sheets 'of thick white paper iogether, making large square pages. The book was sewed info .a hlue. bristol-board cover, on which had béen pasted the picture of jhe | ® train of cars. Under this was print- ged in' gilt, "A" Litlle Traveller's Diary," and 'ai -the head of each of {he six leaves a' date had been written. A pencil was tied to this book w'th a long blue rib- bon, } "It'is fo hold the record of your jour- ney, dear," said mamma. "What cle- ver aunties my little girl has! You can write down 'all.about our {rip in this book. It will be something pleasant to do every day, and if I were yo¥ I'd begin now, because to-day is almost gone," ; ; suit mamma's help, put k he, book -g) 'happened pid A nipg iri the ear; How s | she had got dgguainted With a litle hoy and girl there, how she had treated them to some 'of the fruit papa had' got for 'her; how fit'one station where the train stopped a big dog jumped from a car- riage and tried lo follow his master and "mistress on the train, and how sad he cemed when the coachman caught him and put him back into the carriage. Ever so many things had happened (hat Maidie wanted to put into. her diary. The next day she found that her wonder-box - package held = blunt-end Scissors. and paper, and sheets of dolls and ire. toseut oul. So she spent | and happy day. The (hird day's boak-slate, with pencil | of colored crayons. nod was. fhe geen {ha fo papa, and now was the things' that had | and puzzles fn g ie Mudie read a 0 Ihe ry # d read, so-the paper need open only the-apace of n page or so. "The filth day's package was 1 box full of 'travelling things for Maid'e's - towel and washcloth tied ound a little square of soap, a silk" nd-bag with a cunning handkerchief an ity a tiny Japanese fan, doll's size, 'and a scrap of a Bottle containing co« logne water. ; The last day's gift was the best of all, 'so 'Maidie thought. IL was a do's folding bed, with a little dofl in it; and was made out of .a spool-box covered aver with plain paper. If you try to Open ane at one. end, holding the lid and box together at the other, you will sec what a nice doll's folding bed il makes. And inside were a tiny mat. tress, sheets and blanket, and the doll was dressed in a flannel lounging-robe. When Maidie and mamma reached home, you may be sure: that they car ried the wounder-box carefully from the {faln-with them. Maidie called it her "magic box," for 't had 'made the long-dreaded six days scem like threei--Youth's Companion. eee ernin - SENSATIONS OF THE SEA. Well Manned Ships That Have Passed . From all Human Ken. $ Practically all hope of hearing any. thing more of the missing liner Nicara- auan has been abandoned. She is now, more than {wo months overdue, and har name has already been added lo the list of missing ships, the late of which will never be known until the! sea gives up ite dead. Within recent years there have been several parallel cases to thal of the Nicaraguan. Possibly some readers still remember the disappearance' of the White Star liner Nareonic, which vans ished in 1893. This vessel, which was ovel"6,500" tons, was practically new, splendidly equipped, and commanded by a highly experienced and capable caplain. Nevertheless, when she ret sail in February, 1893, she passed from all human ken, and the only clue to her fate was the discovery, three weeks later, of lwo of her lifeboats floating ehout boltom upwards, Nine years later, in February, 1902, the Allan liner Huronian quitted Glas- #OwW on a voyage to St. John's, New- foundland. Here again was a fine steamer, of large tonnage, possessing the highest repute, equipped with every, appliance for safely known al the time, well manned and well commanded. Yot the Huronian shared the fate df the Naronic 'and disappeared. The loss of the British gunboat Con- dor in the Pacific in December, 1961, is another ocean mystery. The Condor, with aboul 150 officers and men, was known lo have been cruising near Cape Flattery, in British Columbia. about the dale mentioned. IL was alsa known that there was a great slorm at that time, and the Condor apparently foun- dered and all the crew perished, In addition to these sensational dis-, appearances, quile a number of smal- lr vessels. have completely vanished during {he last fifty years. In 1859. por instance, the Blervie Castle sailed from Lendon Docks for Adelaide, She- was ance-sépoken, but never scen again. Twenty-one years later, on February 11th, the City of Boston sailed from New York to England. and added-ene more bo the tragic mysteries of the sea. The only clue to her fate was a board picked up on the Cornish coast bearing the words, "We sare sinking." What hearlrexling story lies behind those three words? tila PARTICULAR. "George, wake up, I think there are burglars in the house, "Gee, whizz! Do yeu only think they're in the house? "Why don't you make sure they're in before waking ne up in the middle of the night?" --r Pin PABLEAUX TIME. "Do you know that Mr. Softmann J was just speakiny to?" asked the lady at the tea 10 the .one standing next lo er, "Oh, yes." "I stippose he says*those sweet things lo all the women he meels?" "No, he never. says them fo me." "Indeed! And you know Him?" "Oh, yes; Pm his wife! So