y awake an hour or two thinking over what Siller had said, and
hearing her cough drearily in the next chamber. Little Patty was
sleeping sweetly, but Mary's nerves were quivering, she did not know
why, and

"All things were full of horror and affright,
And dreadful even the silence of the night."

As she lay wishing herself safe at home in her own bed, there was a
sudden noise outside her window,--the sound of heavy footsteps. Who
could be walking there at that time of night? If it was a man, he must
want to steal. Mary did not for a moment fancy it might be a woman, or a
"creetur" on a broomstick,--she was too sensible for that; but you will
not wonder that, as she heard the footsteps come nearer and nearer, her
heart almost stopped beating from fright. Siller had not coughed for
some time, and was very likely asleep. If so, there was no time to be
lost.

Mary sprang out of bed, and ran down stairs, whispering, "Fire! Murder!
Thieves!"

That wakened Patty, who ran after her, clutching at her night-dress, and
crying out, "A fief! A fief!"

For she had lost a front tooth the day before, and could not say
"thief."

It was a wonder they both did not fall headlong, going at such speed.

Siller was in the kitchen, standing in the middle of the floor, with a
red cloak on, staring straight before her, with a white, scared look.

"Hush, children, for mercy's sake!" she whispered, putting her
handkerchief over Patty's mouth, "we're in a terrible fix! It's either
thieves or murderers, or else it's witches. Yes, Polly Lyman, witches!"

"I don't hear the steps now," said Mary. "O, yes I do, too; yes I do,
too."

By that time there was a loud knocking.

"It must be witches; thieves wouldn't knock," whispered Siller, tearing
her back hair. "Hear 'em rattle that door! That was what it meant when I
saw that black cat, just before sundown, worritting the doctor's dog. I
thought then it was an imp."

The door continued to rattle, and the children's teeth to chatter; also
Siller's, all she had left in her head.

"O, if we had a silver bullet," said she, "that would clear 'em out."

Poor little Patty! You may guess at the state of her mind when I tell
you she was speechless! For almost the first time in her life she was
too frightened to scream.

The knocking grew louder and louder; and Siller, seeing that something
must be done, and she was the only one to do it, began to behave like a
woman.

"Stop shaking s