was as red as blood, and her entire
person as cold as ice. What a strange case, pale when hot, and blood
red when cold, yet such was really the fact.

While the family stood looking at her, wondering what would relieve her,
for her entire body had swollen to an enormous size and she was
screaming with pain and grinding her teeth as if in a fit, a loud report
like thunder was heard in the room. They all started to their feet
instantly and seemed paralyzed with fear.

"My God!" exclaimed Olive, "the house has been struck by lightning and I
know my poor boys are killed?"

After giving vent to this exclamation, she rushed from the room to her
own where the children were, and found them both sleeping soundly, so
she returned to the room where they all stood looking at Esther, and
wondering what had produced the terrible sound. On entering, Olive told
them that the boys were both sound asleep.

"I wonder what that awful noise was?" she said. Going to the window and
raising the curtain she saw that the stars were shining brightly and was
then satisfied that it had not been thunder they had heard. Just as she
let the curtain drop, three terrific reports were heard, apparently
directly under the bed. They were so loud that the whole room shook, and
Esther who a moment before had been swollen to such an enormous size,
immediately assumed her natural appearance, and sank into a state of
calm repose. As soon as they found that it was sleep and not death that
had taken possession of her, they all left the room except Jane, who
went back to bed beside her sister, but could not sleep a wink for the
balance of the night.

The next day Esther remained in bed until about nine o'clock, when she
arose, seemingly all right again, and got her own breakfast. As her
appetite was not as good as usual, all she could eat was a small piece
of bread and butter and a large green pickle, washed down with a cup of
strong tea. She helped Olive with her work as usual, and after dinner
took a walk past the post office, around the block and back to the
cottage again. At supper the usual conversation about the strange sounds
took place, all wondering what had caused them. As no one could
ascertain the cause they gave it up as something too strange to think
about, and all agreed not to let the neighbors know anything about it,
because they argued, that, as no one would be likely to believe that
such strange sounds had been heard under the bed, the best