land will be to
chloroform me," said she grimly. "But I should like to know before I go to
bed what they've been doin'. I s'pose it's no use to set up any longer,
though, tryin' to figure it out. We'd both better go to sleep. Good
night."

"Good night," Lucy returned.

Only too glad to escape, she hurried back to her own room, slipped out of
her clothes, and was soon lost in heavy, dreamless slumber.

The day had been a strenuous one, and she was very tired, so tired that
she might not have been awakened promptly had she not stirred in her
sleep and become dimly conscious of a flood of radiance upon her pillow.
The morning sunshine was brilliant in the chamber, and standing in its
circle of gold she beheld Ellen.

"It's six o'clock," she announced breathlessly, "an' I want you should get
right up. Martin Howe's gone off to the village in his wagon, an' I can't
help a-thinkin' that now he's out of the way them sisters of his will
start doin' somethin' more with that bag."

"What bag?" yawned Lucy sleepily.

"Why, the bag they were buryin' last night."

"Oh, yes."

Slowly the girl's latent faculties aroused themselves.

"You hurry up and dress while I go and watch," panted Ellen. "Be quick's
you can, or we may miss somethin'."

She went out, closing the door; but in a few moments her niece heard her
shrill call:

"They're comin' out with it! What'd I tell you? Two of 'em have got it,
carryin' it across the lawn. Ain't you 'most dressed?"

"Yes, I'm coming."

Fastening her belt as she went, Lucy hurried to her aunt's side.

Amid the sparkling, dew-kissed glory of early morning, she could plainly
see the three Howes making their way through the wet grass in the
direction of their pasture.

"Bless me! if they don't mean to sink it in the brook!" whispered Ellen.
"Oh, I never can stand this. I've got to foller 'em an' find out what
they're doin'."

"You wouldn't!" exclaimed Lucy in dismay.

"Indeed I would," her aunt retorted. "I'd go to any length to see what's
in that bag. If they were younger----" she broke off abruptly. "Anyhow,
it's somethin' they're ashamed of, I'm certain of that. They couldn't 'a'
murdered anybody, I s'pose. Bad's I hate 'em, I'd hardly think they're
that wicked. Still what can it be?"

"I can't imagine."

"Well, I'm goin' to track 'em down, anyhow," Ellen announced. "Ain't you
comin'?"

"No."

To spy on the actions of others did not appeal to the younger woman's
honest m