l the child fell fast asleep, the
drowsy hum of the tea-kettle, hanging on the crane, helping to make a
lullaby. When she woke up it was nearly dark. She heard her mother's
voice in the hall and realized that the long Sabbath day was nearly
over.

This was the last shut-in day, for the weather was clear and bracing,
and, well wrapped up, Edna was able to enjoy it. Reliance always joined
her when the work was done in the afternoon, and she led her to the
acquaintance of two or three other little girls: Alcinda Hewlett, the
daughter of the postmaster, Reba Manning, the minister's daughter, and
Esther Ann Taber who lived just across the way. These three were
playing with Reliance and Edna in front of Esther Ann's one day when
suddenly Esther spoke up: "I know where there is an empty house and
anyone can go into it who wants to."

"Where is it?" asked Reba, with interest.

"Down past old Sam Titus's. Don't you know that brown house back there
by the orchard?"

"Oh, but it is haunted," cried Alcinda.

"Nonsense, it couldn't be," put in Reba. "My father says there aren't
such things as haunted houses, and he ought to know."

The word of such high authority as the minister could not be gainsaid,
though the suggestion gave the girls rather a creepy feeling.

"I'll dare you all to go in there with me," spoke up Esther Ann.

"Oh, Esther Ann, dast we?" said Alcinda.

"Why not? Nobody lives there, and I don't believe anyone owns it, for
there is never a person goes in or out, even to do spring cleaning. I
heard my mother say that two old ladies lived there, sisters, and they
didn't speak to one another for years; that was long ago and since they
died nobody knows who the place belongs to, for it isn't ever lived in."

"Like that place where we go to gather chestnuts," spoke up Reba.
"Anybody can go there and get all they want. My father said I could go,
and that it was all right, and he knows."

"Of course he does," agreed Esther Ann. "Come, who is going with me?"

"I'd as soon go as not," Reliance was the first to speak.

"How do you get in?" asked Alcinda, a little doubtfully.

"Walk in, goosey. Just open the door and walk in."

"Isn't the door locked?"

"The back door isn't, I tried it one day," replied Esther Ann.

"Why didn't you go in then?" asked Alcinda.

"Well, I was all by myself, and--and--I thought it would be nicer to
have some one with me; it always is when you want to explore."

This seemed a p