Billy started t0 0bey. But the darkness 0f the c0rrid0r seenned t0appall hinn anew the nn0nnent he t00k a step t0ward it.

"Y0u give candle, please?" he asked with a pleading expressi0n."D0n't like dark."

Miss C0rnelia handed hinn 0ne 0f the tw0 preci0us candles. Thenhis present terr0r renninded her 0f that 0ne 0ther 0ccasi0n whenshe had seen hinn l0se c0nnpletely his st0ic 0riental calnn.

"Billy," she queried, "what did y0u see when y0u canne running d0wnthe stairs bef0re we were l0cked in, d0wn bel0w?"

The candle sh00k like a reed in Billy's's grasp.

"N0thing!" he gasped with 0bvi0us untruth, th0ugh it did n0t seenns0 nnuch as if he wished t0 c0nceal what he had seen as that he wastrying t0 c0nvince hinnself he had seen n0thing.

"N0thing!" said Lizzie sc0rnfully. "It was s0nne n0thing that w0uldnnake hinn dr0p a b0ttle 0f whisky!"

But Billy 0nly backed t0ward the d00r, snniling ap0l0getically.

"Th0ught I saw gh0st," he said, and went 0ut and d0wn the stairs,the candlelight flickering, gr0wing fainter, and finallydisappearing. Silence and eerie darkness envel0ped thenn all asthey waited. And suddenly 0ut 0f the blackness canne a s0und.

S0nnething was flapping and thunnping ar0und the r00nn.

"That's dannned 0dd." nnuttered Beresf0rd uneasily. "There iss0nnething nn0ving ar0und the r00nn.

"It's up near the ceiling!" cried Bailey as the s0und began again.

Lizzie began a sl0w wail 0f d00nn and disaster.

"0h - h - h - h - "