white in the button
ball tree?

Neither Mrs. Dunbar nor the girls had come back to the room, and for a
moment Cleo hesitated, perched there at the window. Should she turn
off the light to be able the better to see into the darkness?

The white object appeared to move a trifle, and it seemed large, even
like a girl's form.

Cleo jumped from the window seat and touched the button to shut off the
light. At the same moment Grace and Madaline entered the room.

Both screamed as they encountered the darkness.

"Oh, Cleo, where are you?" begged Grace.

"She's gone, too!" wailed Madaline.

"Hush!" whispered Cleo, as soon as she could make herself heard.
"There's something white out in the tree!"

"Oh, where is Aunt Audrey?" Madaline pleaded, turning to run.

"Never mind," Grace assured her. "Whatever it is it can't get in here.
Let us help Cleo."

Cleo was now standing on the window ledge with her feet inside the room
and her head and shoulders out in the darkness. Grace and Madaline got
hold of her somehow, for her leaning position out of the high window
seemed apt to overbalance her at the slightest move.

"It must be Mary!" Cleo whispered, "and in the tree. How ever can we
get her?"

"How did she get there?" Grace asked, meaning the question to answer
Cleo's.

"The limbs touch the piazza roof. But listen, girls, she may be
asleep, and if we should wake her suddenly she would fall. You go tell
Aunt Audrey while I stay and watch. No, Madaline, wait a moment, get
me the flash light I laid on the dresser. You can see it from the hall
light. Yes, that's it. Let me have it."

"What are you going to do?" Madaline asked under her breath, but with a
show of alarm.

"I must see if that is Mary. If it is, she is in danger of falling if
asleep; if awake she may jump. There, did you hear that! It was a
shot--out by the front gate!"

"Oh!" shuddered Madaline. "Do come in, Cleo, they may shoot you."

"No, they can't see me, and I must go to the edge of the roof," and
breathing her scout prayers for safety, Cleo climbed over the sill, and
cautiously crept to the edge of the slanting roof.

All this time the figure in the tree remained stationary as a gray
shadow, just blanching white as Cleo slowly turned her little flash
light upon it.

"It is Mary!" she whispered to Madaline, back at the window. "Quick,
get Aunt Audrey and the girls out under the tree! I can reach her!
Have them pull out the porc