lay.

As Winnie passed the door of Miss Mary Lester's room to reach her own,
she observed it standing wide open, and wondered to behold it thus, as
Miss Mary was accustomed to bar and bolt it close, for fear of thieves
and housebreakers. But, fatigued and sleepy, she passed on, and soon
forgot her surprise after gaining the privacy of her own apartment.
Early in the morning she was roused from slumber by a furious knocking
on her door. She sprang up and demanded, "Who is there?"

"Me, Miss Winnie, only me--Aunt Eunice; and do you know what is become
o' Missus Mary?" exclaimed an excited voice without; "her door is wide
open this morning, and nobody slept in her bed last night."

Winnie was by this time fairly roused, and, opening her door, the poor
servant-girl flounced into the room, the very picture of terror and
affright.

"Has your master risen, and does he know of his sister's absence?"
inquired Winnie.

"No, nobody is up but me, and Missus Mary always tells me to come right
to her room first thing with a pitcher o' cool water; so I went this
mornin', you see, and behold missus' door wide open and no missus thar!
O, Miss Winnie, I 'spect satin has sperritted off soul and body, 'deed I
does."

"O, no, Aunt Eunice, I think not!" said Winnie smiling; "but you had
better go to your master and inform him what has occurred."

"'Deed I will, Miss," said the black woman, disappearing.

Winnie proceeded to dress, in a strange perplexity of fear and
astonishment, while Aunt Eunice thumped long and loud on her master's
door.

"Who's there?" at last exclaimed a voice within.

"Me, Aunt Eunice," said the woman frantically, "O, massa, massa, missus
gone, and who's to pour the coffee for breakfast?"

"What are you raving about?" said the master, opening his door; "why are
you disturbing me at this early hour?"

"Missus gone; sperritted off soul and body, I 'spect."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Lester, not in the least
comprehending her words.

"O, just come up to her room and see for yourself."

"Why, what's to be seen there?" he asked.

"Nothin' at all, I tells ye. Missus clean gone. Her door wide open, and
she never slept in her bed last night, massa," said the woman, gasping
for breath, as she ceased speaking.

The unusual sounds aroused Wayland, who slept near, and flinging open
his door he demanded what was the matter.

"O, Master Morris!" said aunt Eunice, turning her discourse upon him,
"