Sue shut off the motor on the electric typewriter, crossed her secretarial office, entered the reception room, and opened the door.
Carleton Campbell, his eyes shining with eagerness, held up a shoe box for her inspection.
Hello, Miss Sue. Hello, Miss Sue, he said.
Elizabeth Dow, moving steadily and deliberately on her low-heeled heavy walking shoes, came marching down the corridor.
Sue put her arm around the boy, lifted him up, kissed him, then stood waiting for Elizabeth Dow, who very typically refrained from quickening her pace in the slightest, nor would she deign to exchange a greeting until she was close enough so there was no necessity to raising her voice in the slightest.
Good morning, Susan, she said, formally.
Good morning, Elizabeth.
I dropped in because they told me you were going to be here this morning.
Yes, Sue said. I have work to do. And then, after a properly impressive pause, added, A very important job. Were working against a deadline.
I see, Elizabeth Dow said, her voice showing her utter indifference to the urgency of the matter. Elizabeth Dow was affected only by problems which were important to Elizabeth Dow. Other persons problems made not the slightest difference to her.
Sue, she said, would you be a dear and watch Carleton for thirty minutes? I have a very important personal appointment and I just cant take him with me... and you know youre the only one hell stay with.
Sue glanced at her wristwatch. She knew the thirty minutes could be at least forty-five and might well be an hour.
Well... She hesitated and again looked at the watch.
I wouldnt ask it of you for myself, Elizabeth Dow said, but Carleton has some things he wants to talk over with you and hes been rather upset this morning. I know if I left him with the housekeeper in his present state hed be a nervous wreck by the time I got back, and she would, too.
Oh, please, Miss Sue, Carleton pleaded. Let me stay here with you. I want to talk.
All right, Susan said, but youre going to have to be a good boy, Carleton. Youre going to have to sit in a chair and watch Sue work. I have some very important statements to get out.
Ill be good, Carleton promised, climbing into a chair and seating himself with his hands folded on the shoe box.
Elizabeth Dow, apparently fearful that something would happen to change Sues mind, headed for the door. It will be only a few minutes, she promised, and was gone.
Sue smiled at Carleton. Whats in the box? she asked.
Treasure, he said.
Sue regarded the box with sudden apprehension. Now look here, Carleton, she said, you havent any toads or anything alive in that box?
He smiled and shook his head. This isnt my treasure box, he said, its Daddys.
What do you mean?
Daddy keeps his treasure box upstairs. Last night he let me put my treasure in his closet. He said hed trade treasures with me any time I wanted. So this morning I took his treasure.
The words poured out with Carletons childish accent and were spoken so rapidly that one word seemed literally to tread on the heels of another as they left the childs lips.
Susan regarded the box thoughtfully. Did I understand you right, Carleton? she asked. This is Daddys treasure?
Its my treasure now, Carleton said. Daddy said we could trade treasures, but hed want his back and hed give me mine back.
What about your treasure box? What kind of a box was it?
Just like this, Carleton said. Daddy doesnt buy shoes in stores. Daddy buys shoes by mail. When they come, my daddy takes the shoes out of the boxes and puts the shoes in the closet.
Yes, I know, Susan said, smiling. I make out the orders for his shoes. He has a particular brand of shoes that he likes and he has rather an odd size. Does your daddy know that you have his treasure box?
He said we could trade, Carleton said.
When?
Oh, a while back.
I thought your daddy was going to go out on the golf course this morning.
He said we could trade, Carleton repeated.
Susan said, Id better look in your daddys treasure box, Carleton, just to see.
He made a convulsive grasping gesture, pressing the box into his stomach and bending over. No! he screamed. That was the trouble with Miss Dow.
How did that make trouble, Carleton?
She wanted to take it away.
Why?
I dont know.
Im not talking about taking it away, Susan said. I just thought we ought to look in it. Dont you think we should?
He said nothing, but clung to the box.
You dont know whats in it, do you?
Treasure, he said.
What was in your treasure box, Carleton?
Lots of things.
I wonder if your daddy has as many treasures as you do. Do you think he does?
I dont know.
Wouldnt it be fun to find out? she said, her voice containing an invitation to adventure.
Its tied up, Carleton said.
Susan smiled at him. Im awfully good at knots, she said, and then frowned thoughtfully. Perhaps, though, those knots would be too much for us. Lets take a look at them, just to see.
Carleton let her inspect the twine around the box.
As soon as she saw the neat square knot she knew that this had not been tied by childish fingers. Whether or not his explanation of the exchange of treasure boxes was correct, there seemed to be no doubt that this was an adult treasure box.