was I who kept you."

"Yes, and I know why."

"Why, then?"

"Simply to fix it up for me. You never could intrust me with such an
important commission."

"Well, I am sure when I have a chance to speak to your father--but, dear
me, there are so many things!"

"Oh, Doro, I just want to ask you if you saw the 'Babbling Brook' in the
audience? She was fairly eating up little Mary with those big optics of
hers."

"Miss Brooks? I did not see her," answered Dorothy. "Did she like Mary's
effort?"

"Like her? I should, say she fairly loved her, but then, you see, a sister
of hers had a baby girl once," and Tavia laughed to cover up the mistake
she had made in mentioning the affairs of Miss Brooks. "There, Doro, dear,
I'm going now. To-morrow is another day, as your aunt says," finished
Tavia, kissing Dorothy fondly and leaving her chum to think over all the
matters that now confused her tired, weary brain.

It was Roger who first tapped at his sister's door the next morning.

"Doro," he called, "when are we going out to see that ghost?"

"Ghost?" repeated the girl, rubbing her eyes and trying to collect her
scattered thoughts.

"Yes; you know you promised," and by this time Roger was in the room and
had his arms around her neck.

"Oh," she laughed, "we'll take a ride out to the castle just as soon
as--as Ned is able to go."

"He's going out riding to-day--I heard him say so," persisted the boy.

"Well, we'll see," replied Dorothy. "But you must run out now. My! it's
almost nine o'clock. I didn't think it was so late."

The entertainment had been so engrossing that all the thoughts of
Tanglewood Park and the mystery concerning it had entirely escaped
Dorothy's memory for the time being. But Roger had determined to know all
about that "scream," and only yesterday he had had a long talk with old
Abe down at the station; a long, serious talk. Abe told the little fellow
that there "sure was a ghost up at the castle," and when Joe, who was with
Roger, asked about the lady the old liveryman had driven up there, Abe
rolled up his eyes in an unpleasant fashion, and declared that the lady
was a "near-ghost" herself.

Roger told all this, and more, to Dorothy, so she was obliged to make a
tentative promise, at least, that she would go with him to the castle the
very first moment she could spare.

The boy renewed his request after breakfast, and was quite insistent.

"I can't go to-day," said his sister. "You know I h