I am confident I even heard some things they said. They were men. It
sounded as though they spoke over there by the east wing--_or in the
cellar_."

"Ye don't mean it!" exclaimed the wondering Lucas, leading the way slowly
to the cellar-hatch just under the windows of the old doctor's workshop.

This hatch was fastened by a big brass padlock.

"Dad's got the key to that," said Lucas. "Jest like I told you, we have
stored vinegar in it, some. Ain't many barrels left at this time o' year.
Dad sells off as he can during the winter."

"And, of course, your father didn't come up here last night?"

"Shucks! O' course not," replied the young farmer. "Ain't no vinegar buyer
around in this neighborhood now--an' 'specially not at night. Dad ain't
much for goin' out in the evenin', nohow. He does sit up an' read arter
we're all gone to bed sometimes. But it couldn't be dad you heard up
here--no, Miss."

So the puzzle remained a puzzle. However, the Bray girls had so much to
do, and so much to think of that, after all, the mystery of the night
occupied a very small part of 'Phemie's thought.

Lyddy had something--and a very important something, she thought--on her
mind. It had risen naturally out of the talk the girls had had when they
first went to bed the evening before. 'Phemie had wished for a houseful
of company to make Hillcrest less lonely; the older sister had seized
upon the idea as a practical suggestion.

Why not fill the big house--if they could? Why not enter the lists in the
land-wide struggle for summer boarders?

Of course, if Aunt Jane would approve.

First of all, however, Lyddy wanted to see the house--the chambers
upstairs especially; and she proposed to her sister, when their morning's
work was done, that they make a tour of discovery.

"Lead on," 'Phemie replied, eagerly. "I hope we find a softer bed than
that straw mattress--and one that won't tickle so! Aunt Jane said we could
do just as we pleased with things here; didn't she?"

"Within reason," agreed Lyddy. "And that's all very well up to a certain
point, I fancy. But I guess Aunt Jane doesn't expect us to make use of
the whole house. We will probably find this west wing roomy enough for
our needs, even when father comes."

They ventured first up the stairs leading to the rooms in this wing.
There were two nice ones here and a wide hall with windows overlooking
the slope of the mountainside toward Bridleburg. They could see for miles
the wi