we couldn't help sleeping
anywhere."

"Just as I thought," said Mrs. Gilligan, referring to the object she had
stubbed her toe against. "Your suitcase, Billie, and the creepy noise we
heard was when it slid off the trunk. Come on now," she added, holding
her candle high over her head again, "let's see what we can find in the
way of bedrooms."

"Let's go in the first door we reach," suggested Billie, and at the
moment Mrs. Gilligan's candle showed a wide, high doorway leading into a
black cavern of a room.

"Well, here's the first one," she said. "If we have luck and find some
bedding--"

She was already feeling her way cautiously between several chairs and
tables, with the girls following close behind.

"There's the bed!" cried Laura. "Oh, isn't it funny? A regular old
four-poster."

"With a canopy over it!" marveled Violet.

"And it's made up with clean things," added Billie, making another
discovery. "Goodness, it makes you feel like the 'Little Princess' when
she found all the good things in her room."

"Sure enough, it has been made fresh," said Mrs. Gilligan, as she
wonderingly turned down a somewhat dusty spread and disclosed snowy
sheets beneath.

"Somebody's been keeping house anyway," said Laura.

"Here's room for two of you girls," said Mrs. Gilligan.

"Oh, we all three want to sleep together," cried Violet, fearful that she
might be picked to sleep alone. "There's safety in numbers."

"All right, but I have to sleep somewhere," Mrs. Gilligan reminded her
with a wry little smile. "Aren't you going to help me find some place?
This may be the only bed that's in sleeping condition in the house."

"Then we'd have to sleep four in a bed," said Billie, with a chuckle.
"But come on, let's see if some kind fairy hasn't prepared for you too,
Mrs. Gilligan."

Laughing, the girls pushed out into the hall and looked for the next
doorway. They no longer glanced fearfully in the corners for something
they were afraid to see. The thought of the nice clean bed pushed all
their weird fancies into the background. Ghosts and clean beds did not
seem to go together!

They found another room just as clean as the other one, and also with a
canopied four-poster in one corner. With cries of delight the girls
discovered that it also was ready for occupancy.

"Goodness, I wonder who could have done it?" mused Violet, as she dropped
down on the edge of the bed and regarded the girls wonderingly.

"Maybe it was a g