To her surprise Mrs. Barnes seemed to take offense at this attempt at
humor.

"Don't talk silly," she snapped. "If I've lived all these years and
been as down on spooks and long-haired mediums as I've been, and then
to--there--there! Don't let's be idiots altogether. Talk about somethin'
else. Talk about that depot-wagon driver and his pesky go-cart that got
us into this mess. There's plenty of things I'd like to say about THEM."

They talked, in low tones. Conversation there in the dark and under such
circumstances, was rather difficult. Emily, although she was determined
not to admit it, was growing alarmed for the return of Winnie S. and
his promised rescue expedition. Aunt Thankful was thinking of the little
back bedroom upstairs. An utter lack of superstition was something upon
which she had prided herself. But now, as she thought of that room, of
the portrait on the wall, and what she had heard--

"Listen!" whispered Emily, suddenly. "Listen! I--I thought I heard
something."

Mrs. Barnes leaned forward.

"What? Where? Upstairs?" she asked, breathlessly.

"No. Out--out there somewhere." She pointed in the direction of the
front hall. "It sounded as if someone had tried the front door. Hark!
There it is again."

Aunt Thankful rose to her feet. "I heard it, too," she said. "It's
probably that driver man come back. I'll go and see."

"No--no, Auntie, you mustn't. I--I shan't let you."

"I shall! I shall, I tell you! If I've got any common-sense at all,
I ain't goin' to be scared of--Of course it's that driver man. He's
wonderin' where we are and he's lookin' for us. I'll go let him in."

She broke away from Miss Howes' grasp and started for the front hall.
The action was a braver one than her cousin realized. If there was one
thing on earth that Thankful Barnes did not wish to do at that moment,
it was to go nearer the stairs landing to the rooms above.

But she went, and Emily went with her. Cautiously they peered through
the little windows at the sides of the front door. There was no one in
sight, and, listening, they heard nothing.

"I--I guess we was mistaken, Emily," whispered Thankful. "Let's go back
to the fire."

"But Auntie, I DID hear something. Didn't you?"

"Well, I thought I did, but I guess--Oh, DON'T stay here another minute!
I--I shall be hearin' 'most anything if we do."

They returned to the room they had left. But they had scarcely entered
it when they stopped short and, clingi