“I don’t believe there’s a soul here!” she exclaimed.  “Not a soul!  The house is deserted!”

CHAPTER XVII

IN CHARGE

“No one here?  What do you mean?”

“Betty Nelson, what a strange thing to say!”

“Of course there must be some one here.  They’re only upstairs, maybe, shutting the windows there.”

Thus spoke Mollie, Grace and Amy in turn.  Betty listened patiently, and then suggested: 

“Just hearken for a minute, and see if you think anyone is upstairs shutting windows.”

Then all listened intently.  There was not a sound save that caused by the storm, which seemed to increase in fury instead of diminishing.

“There is no one here,” went on Betty positively.  “We are all alone in this house.”

“But where can the people be?” asked Grace.  “They must be people living here,” and she looked around at the well-kept, if somewhat old-fashioned, parlor.

“Of course the house is lived in—­and the people must have left it only recently,” said Betty.  “That’s evident.”

“Why did they go off and leave it?” asked Mollie.

“That’s the mystery of it,” admitted Betty.  “It’s like the mystery of the five hundred dollar bill.  We’ve got to solve it.”

“Perhaps—­” began Amy in a gentle voice.

“Well?” asked Betty encouragingly.

“Maybe the lady was upstairs shutting the windows when she saw the storm coming, and she fell, or fainted or something like that.”

“That’s so!” exclaimed Mollie.

“We’ll look,” decided Betty.

“Betty!” chorused Grace and Amy.

“Why not?” the Little Captain challenged.  “We’ve got to get at the bottom of this.”

“But suppose we should find her—­find some one up there in a—­faint,” and Amy motioned toward the upper rooms.

“All the more reason for helping them,” said practical Betty.  “They may need help.  Come on!”

The girls left their things in the hall, and, rather timidly, it must be confessed, ascended the stairs.  But they need not have been afraid of seeing some startling sight.  The upper chambers were as deserted as the rooms below.  In short, a careful examination throughout the house failed to disclose a living creature, save a big Maltese cat which purred and rubbed in friendly fashion against the girls.

“The house is deserted!” declared Betty again.  “We are in sole and undisputed possession, girls.  We’re in charge!”

“For how long?” asked Amy.

“Until this storm is over, anyhow.  We can’t go out in that downpour,” and Betty glanced toward the window against which the rain was dashing furiously.  “We must close down the sashes here, too!” she exclaimed, for one or two were open, and the water was beating in.

“What can have happened?” murmured Mollie.  “Isn’t it strange?”