louder
than before, she had great difficulty in restraining herself from
springing from the bed and shrieking aloud, in a paroxysm of panic
terror.

But she did control herself, lay perfectly still, and allowed not the
slightest sound to escape her lips.

That last clanking noise had awakened Elsie, and she too now lay wide
awake, silent and still, while intently listening for a repetition of
it. She hardly knew whence the sound had come, or what it was; but when
repeated, as it was in a moment or two, she was satisfied that it issued
from the room where Lulu and Grace were, and her conjectures in regard
to its origin coincided with Lulu's.

She, too, was greatly alarmed, but did not lose her presence of mind.
Hoping the little girls were still asleep, and judging from the silence
that they were, she lay for a few minutes without moving, indeed
scarcely breathing, while she tried to decide upon the wisest course to
pursue, asking guidance and help from on high, as she always did in
every emergency.

Her resolution was quickly taken; slipping softly out of bed, she stole
noiselessly from the room and into another, on the opposite side of the
hall, occupied by Edward and Zoe.

"Edward," she said, speaking in a whisper close to his ear, "wake, my
son; I am in need of help."

"What is it, mother?" he asked, starting up.

"Softly," she whispered; "make no noise, but come with me. Somebody or
something is in the room where Lulu and Gracie sleep. I distinctly heard
the clanking of a chain."

"Mother!" he cried, but hardly above his breath, "an escaped lunatic,
probably! Stay here and let me encounter him alone. I have loaded
pistols--"

"Oh, don't use them if you can help it!" she cried.

"I shall not," he assured her, "unless it is absolutely necessary."

He snatched the weapons from beneath his pillow as he spoke, and went
from the room, she closely following.

At the instant that they entered hers a low growl came from the inner
room, and simultaneously they exclaimed, "A dog!"

"Somewhat less to be feared than a lunatic, unless he should be mad,
which is not likely," added Edward, striking a light.

Lulu sprang up with a low cry of intense relief. "O Grandma Elsie, it's
only a dog, and I thought it a crazy man or a wicked murderer!"

As she spoke the animal emerged from his hiding-place and walked into
the outer room, dragging his chain after him.

Edward at once recognized him as a large mastiff Harr