had the key. Who could have intruded into the sanctum, and for what
reason? She discussed it with Claudia. It gave them both a most uncanny
feeling to think that someone had been able to enter. The Gables was
practically shut up. Had a burglar been picking the locks during Miss
Kingsley's absence? There seemed to be nothing in the museum likely to
excite the cupidity of even an amateur thief; the specimens, though
interesting to the school, were of no monetary value. Lorraine's glance
went slowly round the room, and took in the desks and boxes, the walls,
on which she had pinned natural history prints, and finally wandered up
to the ceiling. Ah, here was a clue at last! The trap-door in the corner
had certainly been moved--it did not now quite fit down. There was about
an inch of light to be seen round its edge. A horrible idea suggested
itself to the girls. _Suppose somebody was in hiding up there!_

The bare notion blanched their cheeks. With one accord they fled from
the room, locked the door on the outside, and scurried down the steps.
In the yard they paused. What was to be done next? They did not feel
capable of tackling a possible burglar unaided, yet it seemed rather
weak to run away.

"Let's fetch Morland!" said Claudia.

The suggestion seemed a good one. Lorraine was only too content to throw
herself upon masculine aid. They walked at double speed to Windy Howe,
and hauled Morland from the piano. He stopped in the middle of a Brahms
sonata, and offered at once to go back with them to the school.

"You see, Miss Kingsley and everybody's away, and there's only the
charwoman about," explained Lorraine. "I know she'd be worse scared than
ourselves if we told her."

"Right-o! I'll go and investigate," agreed Morland, rather pleased to
show his courage before the girls.

So they all three went back to the museum, and here Morland placed
desks and boxes together, and mounted on them so as to reach the
trap-door, through which he wriggled. The girls held the pile steady,
and watched his long legs disappear through the opening.

"It leads on to the roof!" he shouted. "I'll climb up and explore. I'm
in a sort of garret with a ladder in the corner."

To the waiting girls it seemed a very long time before Morland returned.
At last, however, they heard his footsteps overhead, and he called to
them to hold the erection while he came down. It was with a sense of
relief that they saw his boots issue through the trap-d