and not Gyp, would mother
care as much?

At that moment Mrs. Westley threw her arms about her and held her very
close.

"I just must feel _you_, dear, safe here with me--or I couldn't--stand
it--waiting."

* * * * *

"Jerry! Look! That flash--it comes--and goes!" Gyp's voice, scarcely a
whisper, breathed in Jerry's ear.

The two girls were huddled in the little window of the tower room. Gyp
was almost hysterical; Jerry had had all she wanted of ghosts. Gyp had
felt thin fingers grip her elbow, her shoulder--even her ankle. Someone
had breathed in her ear. Jerry, too, had admitted that she had heard
sounds of irregular breathing from a corner of the room near the secret
door. And there had been a constant tap-tapping! And something had
laughed--a horrible, thin, ghost laugh, though Jerry said afterwards
that it _might_ have been the wind.

Gyp had seen white figures floating about outside, too. Uncle Peter had
brought spirit-cronies with him! And now the ghostly flash of light----

"Gyp----" Jerry suddenly spoke aloud. "It's a--_flashlight_! See,
someone is swinging it as they walk. _Oh_----" Inspired to action, Jerry
seized a huge book and sent it crashing through the window. "_Help!
Help!_" she screamed, through the broken glass.

Startled, Uncle Johnny, Graham, Barbara Lee and the assistant janitor,
whom they had aroused, halted. Graham, dropping the coil of rope,
pointed excitedly to the tower.

"Look--they're in the tower room! _Well, I never_----" That the tower
room and its mysteries should remain under lock and key had been a
grievance to Graham.

Uncle Johnny shouted to the girls; a great relief, surging through him,
made his voice vibrate with joy. And in the light of the electric flash
he saw that Barbara Lee's eyes were glistening with something
suspiciously like tears.

"Now, to rescue the imprisoned maidens," he laughed, turning to the
engineer.

It took but a few moments for the little party to reach the third floor.
Then from above came a plaintive voice.

"If you'll just touch George Washington on the left-hand side of
the--the frame--he'll move--and----"

For a moment, John Westley, staring at the panel, wondered if _he_ were
crazy or if Gyp and Jerry----

"We got in--that way," the voice explained. "You can't open the other
door! And _please_ hurry--it's _dreadfully_ dark and----"

The truth flashed over Graham. "Of all _things_! A secret door!" he