did you put those clocks?"

Dorothy only laughed in reply, for the big bell was ringing furiously
all the time. Nellie had her dressing robe on, and opened the door to
those outside her room.

"I guess it's ghosts," she laughed. "They are all over."

"A serenade," called Bert, from his door.

"What ails dem der clocks?" shouted Dinah. "'Pears like as if dey had
a fit, suah. Nebber heard such clockin' since we was in de country,"
and Susan, who had discovered the loss of her clock, laughed heartily,
knowing very well who had taken the alarm away.

When the fifteen minutes were up that clock stopped, and another
started. Then there was a regularly cannonading, Bert said, for there
was scarcely a moment's quiet until every one of the six clocks had
gone off "bing, bang, biff," as Freddie said.

There was no use trying to locate them, for they went off so rapidly
that Nellie knew they would go until they were "all done," so she just
sat down and waited.

"Think you'll wake up in time?" asked Dorothy, full of mischief as she
came into the clock corner.

"I guess so," Nellie answered, laughing. "We surely were alarmed
to-night." Then aside to Nan, Nellie whispered: "Wait, we'll get even
with her, won't we?" And Nan nodded with a sparkle in her eyes.