ey had not before felt any personal proprietorship
in the big mansion; but he now ran lightly up its marble steps with a
new and delightful sense of returning to his home. To his touch upon
the door-bell nobody responded, and after several such demands had
failed to awake any response, the reason for it came to him.

"Maybe they've gone. Maybe they won't answer it. I'll run down to the
basement entry and try that."

So the reporter waited while the lad did so, and presently there came
a sound of eager feet within the front hall, and the door was flung
wide. It was Towsley, of course, and his face was flushed with
excitement and indignation, as he exclaimed:

"Come right straight in. Quick's you can. She's had a terrible time, I
guess, and they've done it!"

All that was clear to the reporter's mind of this announcement was
that he was desired to enter and follow his guide; which he did into
the cheerful basement breakfast-room, where Miss Armacost still sat.
She had not gone upstairs since first coming down that morning, and
she was white and tremulous. The sight of her troubled face aroused
not only all Towsley's chivalry, but that of the reporter also.
Instantly, he regretted that he had so promptly availed himself of the
newsboy's "ghost story," and had thought more of furnishing "copy"
than of a gentlewoman's feelings.

"For she's not the sort will like to have her private experiences made
public gossip," he reflected, ruefully. Also, that it was probably too
late, even now, to remedy the evil of his haste. The best course left
him was to apologize for his presence and offer his assistance in a
case of need.

But, for once, Miss Lucy was too much disturbed to care about
notoriety, and she eagerly accepted his offer of help.

"It's very silly of me. I see and know it perfectly; but this
inexplicable ringing has so infected my people that all, except
Jefferson, have gone away. Each made a plausible errand, for the
moment, yet each declared her intention of leaving for good and right
away. As for Jefferson, he claims to be unusually busy at the stable,
and only appears--even that very reluctantly--when I ring him up. I'm
not much used to doing my own errands, but Lionel's suggestion seems a
good one. If I could get hold of an electrician, that dreadful bell
might be made to keep still."

"Well, madam, I am not much of an electrician, but I do understand a
little about such matters. If you'll allow me to exami