place holds a mystery, and I can't but wonder what it is."

The undercurrent of excitement was thrilling to the Merediths, as their
thoughts turned to Aunt Janice's parting injunction about the tower room.

"If there's anything bothering Aunt Janice, I'd do anything to help her
out." Nora was speaking softly.

"Perhaps we can help," Don said, "anyhow we can follow out her
instructions, whatever they may be."

"I love Aunt Janice," Alice joined in, "don't you?"

"She's a perfectly darling old lady," Beth replied, a sentiment that
expressed the feelings of all the Merediths.

A sudden turn in their wanderings, revealed the mysterious west wing and
tower room, that was uppermost, just then, in their minds.

With its clinging ivy that covered the old walls, it looked more
mysterious than they dreamed it would. In another moment, however, they
remembered what Aunt Janice had said, and hurried on by.

"I don't think we ought to look at it even at a distance," Nora remarked,
"because I'm sure that room holds the secret that shadows the old place;
for some reason Aunt Janice isn't ready to disclose it."

"And _I_ believe that Dad would have told us all about the castle if it
hadn't been for the mystery." Janey glanced back over her shoulder as she
spoke, then gave a suppressed scream.