On the following night the girls heard something moving under their bed.
Esther exclaimed: "There is that mouse again, Jane. Let us get up and
kill it. I'm not going to be worried by mice every night."

So they both arose, and on hearing a rustling in a green paste-board
box, filled with patch-work, which was under the bed, they placed it out
in the middle of the room and were much amazed to see the box jump up in
the air about a foot and then fall over on its side. The girls could not
believe their own eyes; so Jane placed the box in its old position in
the middle of the room, and both watched it intently, when to their
amazement the same thing occurred again. The girls were now really
frightened, and screamed as loudly as they could for Dan, who put on
some clothing and came into their room to ascertain what was the matter.
They told him what had just taken place, but he only laughed, and after
pushing the box under the bed, and remarking that they must be insane or
perhaps had been dreaming, he went back to bed grumbling because his
rest had been disturbed.

The next morning the girls both declared that the box had really moved;
but, as nobody believed them, they saw it was of no use to talk of the
matter. Jane went to the shop, Dan to his shoe factory, and William Cox
and John Teed about their business as usual, leaving Olive and Esther to
attend to their household duties. After dinner Olive took her sewing
into the parlor, and Esther went out to walk. The afternoon was
delightful, and there was quite a breeze blowing from the bay. Walking
is very pleasant when there is no dust; but Amherst is such a dusty
little village, especially when the wind blows from the bay, that it is
impossible to walk on any of the streets with comfort on a windy day
during the summer. Esther found this to be the case, so she retraced her