I'll just tell him what I think about it."

But she had no opportunity of scolding her boy chum on this evening. He
was so busy preparing the other tricks and frolics which followed that
Agnes could scarcely say a word to him.

In the big front hall was a booth of black cloth, decorated with
crescents, stars, and astronomical signs in gilt.

Some of the girls were paring apples in long "curls" and throwing the
curls over their shoulders to see if the parings would form anything
like an initial letter on the floor. It was something of a trick to get
all the skin off the apple in one long, curling piece. But Agnes
succeeded and threw the peeling behind her.

"I don't see as that's much of any thing," Eva said, reflectively. "Oh,
Aggie, it's a U!"

"It's a _me_!" laughed the Corner House girl. "Then I'm going to be my
own best friend. Hurrah!"

"No, little dunce; I mean it's the letter U," said Eva, squeezing her.

"I think it looks more like E, dear," returned Agnes. "So it must stand
for Eva. You and I are going to be chums _forever_!"

Afterward Agnes remembered that U was an N upside down!

When the girls proposed going out to the spring-house and each looking
down the well to see whose reflection would appear in the water in the
light of a ghostly candle, Carrie's mother vetoed it.

"I guess not!" she said vigorously. "I'm not going to have candle-grease
dripped down my well. Yes! I did it when I was a foolish girl--I know I
did, Carrie. Your father had no business telling you. What he didn't
tell you was that your grandfather was a week cleaning out the well,
and it was right at the beginning of a long, dry spell."

"Who did you see in the well, Mother?" asked Carrie, roguishly.

"Never mind whom I saw. It wasn't your father, although he had begun to
shine around me, even then," laughed Mrs. Poole.

Suddenly two of the girls screamed. A mysterious light had appeared in
the black-cloth booth. The gilt signs upon it showed more plainly. There
was a rustling noise, and then the flap of the booth was pushed back.
The Hallowe'en Witch appeared in the opening.

"Money!" cried the witch. "Bright, golden coin. It's that for which all
witches are supposed to sell themselves. See!"

Between thumb and finger the witch held up a shiny five-dollar gold
piece. In the other hand was held a shallow pan of water.

"To gain gold one must cross water," intoned the witch, solemnly. "This
gold piece is freely the proper