He told Lucas to put the ponies to the wagon again, and to take the Bray girls and their belongings up to Hillcrest; and to see that they were comfortable for the night before he came back.

This encouraged Mrs. Pritchett, when Lyddy took out her purse to pay for their entertainment, to declare:

"For the good land, no! We ain't goin' to charge ye for a meal of vittles--and you gals Dr. Polly Phelps's own grandchildren! B'sides, we want ye to be neighborly. It's nice for Sairy to have young companions, too. I tell her she'll git to be a reg'lar old maid if she don't 'sociate more with gals of her own age."

Sairy bridled and blushed at this. But she wasn't an unkind girl, and she helped 'Phemie gather their possessions--especially the latter's wet clothing.

"I'm sure I wish ye joy up there at the old house," said Sairy, with a shudder. "But ye wouldn't ketch me."

"Catch you doing what?" asked 'Phemie, wonderingly.

"Stayin' in Dr. Phelps's old house over night," explained Sairy.

"Why not?"

The farmer's daughter drew close to 'Phemie's ear and whispered:

"It's ha'nted!"

"What?" cried 'Phemie.

"Ghosts," exclaimed Sairy, in a thrilling voice. "All old houses is ha'nted. And that's been give up to ghosts for years an' years."

"Oh, goody!" exclaimed 'Phemie, clasping her hands and almost dancing in delight. "Do you mean it's a really, truly haunted house?"

Sairy Pritchett gazed at her with slack jaw and round eyes for a minute. Then she sniffed.

"Wa-al!" she muttered. "I re'lly thought you was bright. But I see ye ain't got any too much sense, after all," and forthwith refused to say anything more to 'Phemie.

But the younger Bray girl decided to say nothing about the supposed ghostly occupants of Hillcrest to her sister--for the present, at least.

 Prev. P 33/168 next