airway leading to it.

At any other time, or in any other house, they would have found this
attic of absorbing interest. In its dusky corners stood spinning wheels
and winding-reels. Decrepit furniture of an ancient date had found a
refuge there. Antique hair trunks lined the sides, under the eaves, and
quaint garments hung about on pegs. The attic was the only apartment in
this strange house that received the light of day, for the two little
windows like staring eyes were not boarded up. So dim were they, however
with dirt and cobwebs, that very little daylight filtered through.

But the attic had no great holding interest at present, since it was
evident that it contained no clue to help them in the solution of the
mystery. And they soon left it, to search anew every room below, in the
hope of coming upon the missing key.

"These old-fashioned keys are so immense that it hardly seems possible
that any one would carry one off--far," conjectured Joyce. "But why in
the world should just that room be locked, anyway? What can be hidden
there? I'm wild,--simply wild with impatience to see it all!"

The search for the key was not exactly systematic. Neither of the girls
felt at liberty to open bureau-drawers or pry into closets and trunks.
Besides, as Cynthia wisely suggested, it was not likely that any one
would lock a door so carefully and then put the key in a drawer or trunk
or on a shelf. They would either carry it away with them or lay it
down, forgotten, or hide it in some unusual place. If it had been
carried away, of course their search was useless. But if it had been
thoughtlessly laid aside somewhere, or even hidden away in some obscure
corner, there _was_ a possibility that they might come upon it.

With this hope in mind, they went from room to room, searching on desks,
chairs, and tables, poking into dark corners, peeping into vases and
other such receptacles, and feeling about under the furniture; but all
to no purpose. They came at last to the great bedroom where were so many
signs of agitation and hurried departure, deciding that here would be
the most likely field for discovery. Goliath had evidently preceded
them, for they found him once more curled up on the soft rug before the
fireplace. He seemed to prefer this comfortable spot to all others, but
he rose and stretched when the girls came in. Joyce went straight for
the chimney-place.

"I'm going to poke among these ashes," she announced. "A lot of