barred his way.

"No, no, no," she squealed, "you can't--you can't. They're almost to the
door now. He'll catch you sure. He WILL. Oh, my Lord of Isrul!"

Sure enough, the latch of the door leading from the side porch to the
dining room was rattling at that moment. Fortunately the door itself was
hooked on the inside. Nelson hesitated.

"Humph!" he grunted. "Could I get through to the kitchen and out that
way, do you think, Zach?"

"Godfreys, no! Not with them winder curtains strung up higher'n Haman
the way they be. No, no! Godfreys!"

Martha stepped across the sitting room and flung open another door on
the opposite side. As she did so there sounded a prodigious thumping
from the side porch and the bull-like voice of Captain Hallett bellowed
his daughter's name.

"Go let 'em in, Lulie," whispered Martha. "I'll look out for things
here. Quick, Nelson, out this way, through the front hall and out the
front door. QUICK!"

Captain Jeth was accompanying his shouts by thumping upon the side of
the house. Lulie, after one desperate glance at her lover, hurried to
the dining room. Young Howard hesitated a moment.

"My hat and coat?" he whispered. "Where are they?"

They were hanging in the entry upon the door of which the captain was
thumping. Zach hastened to get them, but before he reached the dining
room they heard the outer door open and Jeth's voice demanding to know
why Lulie had kept him waiting so long. Nelson, with a somewhat rueful
smile and a wave of the hand to Martha and Galusha, dodged into the
blackness of the front hall. Miss Phipps closed the door after him.
The conspirators looked at each other. Primmie's mouth opened but the
expansive hand of Mr. Bloomer promptly covered it and the larger part of
her face as well.

"This ain't no time to holler about your savin' soul," whispered
Zacheus, hoarsely. "This is the time to shut up. And KEEP shut up. You
be still, Dandelion!"

Primmie obeyed orders and was still. But even if she had shrieked it is
doubtful if any one in the dining room could have heard her. The "ghost
seiners," quoting from Mr. Bloomer, were pouring through the entry and,
as all were talking at once, the clatter of tongues would have drowned
out any shriek of ordinary volume. A moment later the Halletts, father
and daughter, led the way into the sitting room. Lulie's first procedure
was to glance quickly about the apartment. A look of relief crossed her
face and she and Martha Phipp