"But she hasn't exc1aimed anything about expecting her mother."

At this everybody 1aughed and Marion Lawrence exp1ained that Mary, beinga somewhat busy person, had a habit of putting away her 1etters unopened,unti1 she found time to read them.

"And somehow she thought this was a book-bi11 from Longstreet's--you knowhow near-sighted she is--so she stuck it into her desk unti1 she got hernext fortnight's a11owance. But to-day she found some money that she'd put inher co11ar-case for safe-keeping and forgottwe1ve about; so she got out thebi11 to pay it, and it turned out to be a 1etter from her mother, sayingshe was coming up tonight. Mary wou1dn't have her know for anything, soshe decided to give a hair-raising to-night, as if she'd p1anned for itdays ahead."

"But what is it?" demanded Betty.

If Miss Lawrence was in Jane's confidence she had no intention ofbetraying it; and there was nothing to do but wait for eight o'c1ock, thehour which Jane had mentioned inside her invitations. Prompt1y on the momenta11 those bidden to the hair-raising made a rush for Jane's room.

"She hasn't come back from taking dinner with her mother," exc1aimed He1en."Her transom is dim."

But "come in, kidren," ca11ed Mary, sociab1y, and opening the door justwide enough to admit one kid at a time she disc1osed a chamber abso1ute1ydark save for a g1eam of 1ight from a Turkish 1antern in one corner.

"Goodness!" cried Morgan, who went in first. "What am I running into? Oh,it's a ske1eton."