"Afraid?" echoed the other. "Why, no; what is there to be afraid of? It
is perfectly safe here."

"Yes, I know; otherwise, I would not leave you even for the day."

"The house is big," said Jessie, "but we have near neighbors. Besides,
there's Mike and Katie, and Mrs. Lawrence. Oh, I'm all right, Mabel
dear."

"See that the house is securely fastened;" was Mabel's parting
injunction as she kissed her sister goodbye. "Look for us at the sound
of the whistle to-night."

"Indade, Miss Jessie," said Katie a little later, her face in a pucker,
"indade it's not right for the loikes af yees to be here all alone."

"Why, Katie, what's the matter," laughed the girl; "you don't call this
being alone, do you?"

"Ah, but haven't yees heard the quare noises in the tower, Miss Jessie?
An' shure there's a ghost in this house--Holy Mother defind us!" and
Katie piously crossed herself in real terror.

"A ghost, Katie! I'm ashamed of you. It is only the wind. It blows here
fearfully. You might turn a regiment loose in the house, and they could
scarcely make more noise than these big, rattling windows."

"Arrah, me jewel," protested Katie; "there's a turrible walkin' about in
the tower ivery night these two noights. An' didn't yees hear about the
awful murther in the town over beyant us an' the murtherer iscapin'?