ok. Don't be foolish. See that thing
moving down there by the woods? Is it a human being or an animal?"

"Oh, Jessie! Maybe it is a ghost," murmured Amy.

But her curiosity overcame her fears sufficiently for her to join
Jessie at the doorway. Through the falling rain the chums were sure
that something was moving down by the woods.

"It's a dog," said Amy, after a moment.

"It's a child," declared Jessie, with conviction. "I saw its face
then."

"Perhaps it is the Carter ghost," breathed Amy. "I never heard whether
this haunt was a juvenile or an adult offender."

"I guess you are not much afraid after all," said her chum. "Yes, it
is a child. And it is getting most awfully wet."

"Wait! Wait!" the girl from Roselawn cried. "Don't run away from me."

Whether the child heard and understood her or not, it gave evidence of
being greatly frightened. She covered her face with her hands and sank
down on the wet sod, while the rain beat upon her unmercifully. There
was no shelter here, and Jessie Norwood herself was getting thoroughly
wet.

In a calm moment that followed the child piped, without taking down
her hands.

"Are--are you the ha'nt?"

"What a question!" gasped Jessie, and seized the crouching figure by
the shoulder. "Do I feel like a ghost? Why, it's Henrietta!"

The clawlike hands dropped from the freckled face. The little girl
stared.

"Goodness! I seen you before. You are the nice girl. You ain't a
ghost."

"But you are sopping wet. Come up to the house at once, child."

"Ain't--ain't there ghosts there?"

"If there are they won't hurt us," said Jessie encouragingly. "Come
on, child. I am getting wet myself."

But little Henrietta hung back stubbornly. "Mrs. Foley says ha'nts
carry off kids. Like my Bertha was carried off."

"We have some nice lunch," said Jessie, quickly. "You'll forget all
about the silly ghosts when you are helping us eat that."

This invitation and prospect overcame the fear of ghosts in
Henrietta's mind. She began to trot willingly by Jessie's side. But
already the rain had saturated the girl from Roselawn as well as the
child from Dogtown.

"Two more bedrabbled persons I never saw!" exclaimed Amy, when they
arrived upon the porch. "Do come in. There is wood here and we can
make a fire on the hearth. You can take off that skirt, Jess, and get
it dry. And this poor little thing--well, she looks as though she
ought to be peeled to the skin if we are ever to get _her_