The first night passed off quietly and pleasantly; and so did the second; but, on the third night, just after midnight, there was a ghostly alarm. It came from the direction of the kitchen, and there was the sound of breaking glass, and the shuffling of feet upon the loose floor-boards. Both Mr. Noah and Mrs. Noah sat up and listened.
Yes—there was somebody in the pantry! Pieces of tin and crockery ware were heard to tinkle and jingle.
"That's the way these new-fangled ghosts always do, Nancy. They're great for knocking around crockery and table-ware !"
"What'll you do, Noah?"
"I'm goin' to see what's up; I never heard of their hurting anybody, did you?"
"No."
"Then I'll take my pistol and investigate, sh! don't make any noise!"
By the time Noah was ready, the two children were up.
"Hush! don't make a bit of noise, children."
"Is it a ghost, papa?"
"That's what we want to find out. Now, mark, if you follow me, look out and don't get in the way of the pistol. You bring the lamp, Nancy."
And so the procession was formed, Noah in the van, with his pistol firmly clutched; Mrs. Noah next, with lamp in her left hand and a poker in her right; Master Tommy next, armed with a bootjack; while little Stephen brought up the rear, his chubby hands clutching one of his father's boots. In the hall they were joined by the hired girl and an apprentice boy.
"Hark!"
Ah! the plates rattled again ! and the tin-pans clinked and clanged. The servant girl screamed and would have fainted, if Noah had not made a motion toward her with his pistol.
With slow and cautious tread, the head of the column reached the kitchen and halted before the door of the pantry. Ah! more rattling of plates !
"Who's there?" demanded Noah.
