nervous out here at night whenever a cricket begins to sing--or
scrape his legs--or whatever it is they do!"

Lizzie bowed before the blast of her mistress's scorn and began to
move gingerly toward the alcove door. But obviously she was not
entirely convinced.

"Oh, it's more than that, Miss Neily," she mumbled. "I--"

Miss Cornelia turned to her fiercely. If Lizzie was going to behave
like this, they might as well have it out now between them--before
Dale came home.

"What did you really see last night?" she said in a minatory voice.

The instant relief on Lizzie's face was ludicrous; she so obviously
preferred discussing any subject at any length to braving the
dangers of the other part of the house unaccompanied.

"I was standing right there at the top of that there staircase,"
she began, gesticulating toward the alcove stairs in the manner of
one who embarks upon the narration of an epic. "Standing there
with your switch in my hand, Miss Neily--and then I looked down
and," her voice dropped, "I saw a gleaming eye! It looked at me
and winked! I tell you this house is haunted!"

"A flirtatious ghost?" queried Miss Cornelia skeptically. She
snorted. "Humph! Why didn't you yell?"

"I was too scared to yell! And I'm not the only one." She started