Connect both boxes to a single hub using the drop cables, make sure the hub is powered up.

AppleTalk network should work out of the box.

So to TCP/IP, DHCP won't work without a DHCP server to allocate the IP addresses, so you need to decide on a static subnet (eg 192.168.1.x with netmask 255.255.255.0 ) then allocate the addresses as follows,

reserve 192.168.1.1 for a router, then give 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.3 to the boxes. Configure using the networking control panel in the TCP/IP pane.

You have no name server, so refer to each machine by IP address.