the mantle
shelf were taken down by the farmer's wife and a lighted candle set in
each; these were then handed to the different members of the family, who
passed out of the room in single file, very much after the manner of a
diminutive torch-light procession.

The family were supposed to retire to their own rooms at once, as "early to
bed" was the rule of the farmhouse, but the laughing group of girls all
assembled in one room for a friendly chat before retiring.

As Lancy sat by his open window enjoying the quiet scene without, the sound
of their voices reached his ears. He would have preferred a walk, or a
short _tete-a-tete_ with Dexie, instead of this early-to-bed arrangement,
but he respected the rule of the house and blew out his candle at an early
hour. He was rewarded for his good behavior by a long refreshing sleep, and
Dexie appearing to him in his dreams was more gracious than ever she had
been during his waking hours.

But, as everyone knows, when young ladies get talking together of an
evening, sleep "comes slowly up that way," and the shortness of their
candles alone warned them that it was time they sought the pillow. But the
short candles were unheeded, for Gertrude was relating reminiscences of a
former visit, and the fun and frolic that prevailed at the farm during
their stay. At last, when one of the candles flared up, then subsided in
smoke, the girls rose to leave the room, but Gertrude turned at the door,
saying:

"Take good care, girls, and sleep well over to the back of the bed, or you
may repeat the performance that took place the first night that Beatrice
and I slept in the house."

"Oh, do tell them about it, Gertrude," said Maggie, laughing. "Our candles
will hold out that long, I think."

Gertrude seated herself on the foot of the bed, while the rest waited for
the story.

"Well, we slept that night in the room that Lancy occupies, at the head of
the stairs, and, do you know, I never enter it but I feel cold shivers
running up my back as I think of that night. You see, Mrs. McDonald's
feather-beds are wonderful for size; they are her pride and joy; but we
were not used to them, so, during the night, we rolled over too near the
front of the bed, when suddenly out we both went, and the feather-bed fell
out on top of us! I thought there had been an earthquake, and so laid quiet
for the next shock. By and by Beatrice crawled out from under the ruins
and tried to lift the feather-bed bac