us
feel sick, like ridin' backward in the cars?"

"Don't ask me," Phoebe exclaimed, despairingly. "'F I knew what 'twas
like, perhaps I wouldn't feel so like goin'."

She straightened herself suddenly and stood rigid.

"Hark!" she exclaimed. "Is that Mr. Droop comin' back, d'you s'pose?"

There were distinctly audible footsteps on the path.

Phoebe came out into the hall on tiptoe and stood beside her sister.

There was a knock on the door. The two sisters gripped each other's arms
excitedly.

"'Taint Copernicus!" Rebecca whispered very low.

The knock was repeated; rather louder this time. Then--

"Miss Wise--Miss Wise--are ye to home?"

It was a woman's voice.

"Sarah Allen!" Phoebe exclaimed under her breath.

"Whatever shall we do?" Rebecca replied.

"Miss Wise," the voice repeated, and then their visitor knocked again,
much more loudly.

"I'll go to the door," exclaimed Phoebe.

"But----"

"I must. She'll raise the whole town if I don't."

So saying, Phoebe walked noisily to the door and unlocked it.

"Is that you, Mis' Allen?" she asked.

The door was opened, and Phoebe found herself face to face with a
short, light woman whose white garments shone gray in the night.

"Why, you're up'n dressed!" exclaimed Mrs. Allen. She did not offer to
enter, but went on excitedly:

"Miss Phoebe," she said, "d'you know I b'lieve you've ben robbed."

"What!"

"Yes; on'y a minute ago I was a-comin' up the road from M'ria
Payson's--you know she's right sick an' I've ben givin' her
massidge--an' what sh'd I see but a man comin' out o' your gate with
suthin' on his shoulder. I couldn't see who 'twas, an' he was so quiet
an' sneaky without a light that I jest slipped behind a tree. You know
I've ben dreadful skeery ever sence Tom was brought home with his arm
broke after a fight with a strange man in the dark. Well, this man
to-night he put the bundle or what not into a wheelbarrow an' set off
quiet as a mouse. He went off down that way, an' says I to myself, 'It's
a robber ben burglin' at the Wise's house,' says I, an' I come straight
here to see ef ye was both murdered or what. Air ye all right? Hez he
broken yer door? Hev ye missed anythin'?"

As the little woman paused for breath, Phoebe seized her opportunity.

"Did you say he went off to the north, Mis' Allen?" she said, with
feigned excitement.

"Yes."

"Oh, dear--oh, dear!" cried Phoebe, wringing her hands. "Didn't I say
I heard a noise--I t