be too long. It's dark
in here."

"The dark won't hurt you," said Hortense, but to this the boy only
snorted by way of reply.

Hortense peeped cautiously into the kitchen. Aunt Esmerelda was seated
in her chair, fast asleep.

"What luck," thought Hortense, and she tiptoed across the kitchen to
the cellar door. She opened it very carefully, shut it again without
noise, and crept down the stairs.

The basement was dark, but soon Hortense began to see her way and
walked to the furnace. At the back of it was the wooden chute that led
to the window above.

She knocked gently upon it.

"Are you in there?" she asked.

"Yes," said a muffled voice.

Hortense looked for the door of which the boy had spoken and at last
found a panel which slid in grooves. She pulled at this but succeeded
in raising it only a couple of inches.

"It's stuck," said Hortense.

"I can help," said the boy, slipping his fingers through the opening.

He and Hortense pulled and tugged and at last succeeded in raising the
panel about a foot. They couldn't budge it an inch further.

"I guess I can squeeze through," said the boy.

Scraping sounds came from the box, and the noise of heels on the wooden
sides. The boy's head appeared and then an arm. Hortense seized the arm
and pulled.

At last a very dusty, grimy boy wriggled through and, rising gasping to
his feet, dusted his clothes.

"What's your name?" Hortense asked.

"Andy. What's yours?"

Hortense told him. They looked at each other without further words.

"You've got to get through the kitchen without Aunt Esmerelda seeing
you," said Hortense, and led the way to the cellar stairs.

"You stay here until I see if she's still asleep," Hortense said as she
crept cautiously to the top.

She opened the door very gently and peered in. Aunt Esmerelda still sat
in her corner, asleep. Hortense motioned to Andy, who came as quietly
as he could, which wasn't very quiet for his heels clumped loudly on
the stairs.

"Hush!" Hortense whispered. "Now go as fast and as quietly as you can
across the kitchen. Hide behind the barn, and I'll follow you."

Andy ran across the room, but as he went out of the door he struck his
toe against the sill, making a great clatter.

Aunt Esmerelda awoke with a start.

"Lan's sakes, wha's dat?" she exclaimed.

"May I have some cookies, Aunt Esmerelda?" Hortense asked.

Aunt Esmerelda's eyes were rolling.

"I 'clare I seed somefin' goin' out dat a do