"If you knew how I had been dreading it," said Mrs. Oliver, after they had talked it all over, "I could give you some idea of the relief I feel. I'd been thinking that I must send for Mrs. Sanleitner, and give a day right up to it, have every book taken out, the shelves dusted, and--But you've done it all," her eyes again on the boys' work of a few hours past; "and now that the children are asleep, Bridget can come in with her chamois, and polish the doors." "Yes, do have her," urged the boys, "and give papa a thorough-going surprise." "To match the one I have for you," said Mrs. Oliver. "Dr. Phisterer has been here, and asked if I had two boys that would answer to his description, and I had to confess I had. He then went on to say that he and Freddy were going into town at half past four, and asked if he might take charge of my boys as well." "You don't mean it! Hurrah!" they cried, waving their dusters. "Hope he'll take the bays; they're awfully fast." "I don't care what he takes, so long as we get in town in time for the fire-works. Dr. Phisterer evidently thinks it is going to clear." "Clear!" exclaimed Mrs. Oliver, throwing open the blinds. "You're so shut up in here, you don't know the state of the weather." The sun had come out. "I wonder if we'll have time-- But there he is this minute;" and Douglas rushed out on the piazza, calling, "Dick! Dick!" The boy approached slowly, his hands behind him. "It's one as has been used," he said, producing a fire-cracker he had picked up in the yard. "I didn't call you for that," said Douglas, hurriedly. "Didn't know you had it. Here are some good ones--wait; these too. Give some to--" But two bare feet were flying in the air. The putting into Dick Ransom's hand of three unopened packs of crackers had deadened his sense of anything else. He gave a sort of a whoop as he darted down the mill road, which had the effect of rousing the neighborhood, and of making scores of flying feet the principal things to be seen. The Oliver boys talked in something of this strain when they got back from town that night: "Didn't those horses fly!" "Isn't Dr. Phisterer splendid!" "I never knew Fred was so nice a fellow." "Will you ever forget the surprise of the two Wills as we dashed by the Edson's?" "'Twas rich; and then our meeting father before we'd gone a mile." "And with Colonel Yale! I thought of the library right away." "So did I; and you heard how delighted papa was; said he'd been thinking all the way out if he'd only attended to having those books straightened; for Colonel Yale has one of the finest collections, you know." "Oh yes; but do you know," interrupted Douglas, "that we haven't yet touched upon the best thing of all?" "What do you mean?" asked Hugh.