The next morning the girls both declared that the box had really moved; but, as nobody believed them, they saw it was of no use to talk of the matter.  Jane went to the shop, Dan to his shoe factory, and William Cox and John Teed about their business as usual, leaving Olive and Esther to attend to their household duties.  After dinner Olive took her sewing into the parlor, and Esther went out to walk.  The afternoon was delightful, and there was quite a breeze blowing from the bay.  Walking is very pleasant when there is no dust; but Amherst is such a dusty little village, especially when the wind blows from the bay, that it is impossible to walk on any of the streets with comfort on a windy day during the summer.  Esther found this to be the case, so she retraced her steps homeward, stopping at the post office and at Bird’s book store, where she bought a bottle of ink from Miss Blanche.  On arriving at the cottage she hung up her hat and joined Olive in the parlor, took little George on her lap, and, after singing him to sleep, lay down on the sofa and took a nap.

After supper Esther took her accustomed seat on the door-step, remaining there until the moon had risen.  It was a beautiful moonlight night, almost as bright as day.  While seated there gazing at the moon, she said to herself, “Well there is one thing certain anyhow, I am going to have good luck all this month, for on Sunday night I saw the new moon over my shoulder.”

At half-past eight o’clock, Esther complained of feeling feverish and was advised by Olive and Jane to go to bed, which she did.

About ten o’clock Jane retired for the night.  After she had been in bed some fifteen minutes, Esther jumped with a sudden bound into the centre of the room, taking all the bed clothes with her.

“My God!” she exclaimed, “what can be the matter with me!  Wake up Jane, wake up!  I’m dying, I’m dying!” “Dying!” responded Jane; “why dying people don’t speak in that loud tone.  Wait until I light the lamp, don’t die in the dark Esther.”

Jane thought her sister only had the night mare, but when she lit the lamp, she was considerably alarmed by her sister’s appearance.  There stood Esther in the centre of the room, her short hair almost standing on end, her face as red as blood, and her eyes really looked as if they were about to start from their sockets, her hands were grasping the back of a chair so tightly that her nails sank into the soft wood.  She was truly an object to look on with amazement, as she stood there in her white night gown trembling with fear.  Her sister called as loudly as she could for assistance; for Jane, too, was pretty well frightened by this time, and did not know what to do.  Olive was the first to enter the room, having first thrown a shawl around her shoulders, for the night was very chilly.  Dan, put on his coat and pants in a hurry, as did also William Cox, and John Teed, and the three men entered the room about the same time.