It was a good while before they could tell what had happened.
'She came again,' said Hal, 'and she came close, close to me, and she
put her _cold_ face down near my cheek till she touched me, and I don't
like her--oh, I don't like her, mother!'
"'Did she go to Jack and Lucy too?'
"'Yes, yes; and she made _them_ cry as well.'
"'Why do you not like her? Is it the black bonnet? You dreamt of a black
bonnet last night, you know,' said I, half-puzzled, half-provoked.
"'She's so frightful,' cried Hal.
"'How could you see her? There was no candle.'
"This question perplexed the little boys. They persisted that she had a
light about her somewhere. I need hardly say that there was no comfort
for us the rest of the night. 'If anyone is trying to frighten us out of
the place, I'll be even with him yet,' said I. My wife believed that a
trick had been played upon the children, and she was most indignant.
"Next day the cribs were removed to the upper story, and Charlotte and
Joanna, our daughters of twelve and fourteen, were put to sleep in the
dressing-room. We predicted an end to the annoyance we had been
suffering.
Pages:
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206