“Then what made the piano play?” Teddy insisted.  “You said yourself that you heard it.”

“Oh, I heard it all right,” said Mrs. Gilligan, helping herself to more jam.  “There isn’t any doubt about that.  But I have an idea what caused it, all right.”

“Oh, tell us,” they cried eagerly.

But their chaperone shook her head determinedly while her lip became still tighter.

“No, indeed I won’t tell you,” she said, adding with a little chuckle:  “I want to try it out myself first.  For I know that if I told you young ones about it you’d only laugh.  And I don’t like being laughed at.”

“But we wouldn’t laugh,” Billie assured her earnestly.  “Really, Mrs. Gilligan, we’ll promise on our word of honor not to so much as even smile.”

“Get out with your promises,” said Mrs. Gilligan, relapsing into her brogue.  “I do be knowing you better.  I’ll try it to-night,” she added graciously, “and if it doesn’t work I’ll tell you about it in the morning.”

“I suppose here’s where I spend another sleepless night,” said Violet dolefully, helping herself to more biscuits.  “Oh, well, I’m getting so I can do without sleep now.”

“Well, you don’t look as if you’d ever lost a wink in your life,” said Chet, glancing at her admiringly, for it was an open secret with the boys and girls of North Bend that Chet rather especially liked tall, dark, peace-loving Violet Farrington—­perhaps because she was so much like himself.

Violet blushed prettily at this complimentary remark, and the girls looked at her teasingly.

“Who was it that said something or other was blind?” asked Laura wickedly, and Violet kicked her under the table.

“Peace, my children,” said Billie.  “We’re having enough trouble with ghosts and things without starting a war among ourselves.  Who’ll have some more jelly?”

There was a simultaneous shout of approval, and the jelly dish began its fourth round of the table.

However, they did at last get through eating and wandered out on the front porch, where Mrs. Gilligan could not scoff at their ideas, to discuss the doings of the night before.

But it was only a little while later that Mrs. Gilligan put another damper on their fun by announcing that some one would have to go to town for more provisions.  The boy had failed to come that morning, and their supply of canned goods was running dangerously low.

“Let’s all go,” Chet suggested.  “We could walk down and ride back.”

“But, oh, Chet, it’s so frightfully hot,” Billie objected.  “I’m sure we’d get sunstroke or something.”

“Yes, it’s a terribly long walk,” added Violet.

“Well, we could wait till toward evening,” said Ferd.  “It wouldn’t be so scorching then.  I admit,” he added, taking a slanting squint at the sun, “that even I am not eager to take a long hike just now.”

“But toward evening we’ll be preparing supper,” objected Laura, and the boys threw up their hands in despair.