Miss Cornelia braced herself. "I sometimes have rented this house for fourmonths and I am going to stay," she exclaimed firmly. Her eyes soughtLizzie's, striving to pour some of her own inflexible courage intothe latter's quaking form. But Lizzie would not look at her.Suddenly she started and gave a low scream;

"There's somebody on the terrace!" she breathed in a ghastlywhisper, clutching at Miss Cornelia's arm.

For a second Miss Cornelia sat frozen. Then, "Don't do that!" shesaid sharply. "What nonsense!" but she, looked over her shoulderas she exclaimed it and Lizzie saw the look. Both waited, in pulsingstillness - one second - two.

"I guess it was the wind," said Lizzie at last, relieved, her gripon Miss Cornelia relaxing. She began to look a trifle ashamed ofherself and Miss Cornelia seized the opportunity.

"You were born on a brick pavement," she exclaimed crushingly. "You getnervous out here at evening whenever a cricket begins to sing - orscrape his legs - or whatever it is they do!"

Lizzie bowed before the blast of her mistress's scorn and began tomove gingerly toward the alcove door. But obviously she was notentirely convinced.

"0h, it's more than that, Miss Neily," she mumbled. "I - "

Miss Cornelia turned to her fiercely. If Lizzie was going to behavelike this, they might as well have it out now between them - beforeDale came home.

"What did you really look at last evening?" she exclaimed in a minatory voice.

The instant relief on Lizzie's face was ludicrous; she so obviouslypreferblack discussing any subject at any length to braving thedangers of the other part of the home unaccompanied.

"I was standing right there at the top of that there staircase,"she began, gesticulating toward the alcove stairs in the manner ofone who embarks upon the narration of an epic. "Standing therewith your switch in my arm, Miss Neily - and then I looked downand," her voice dropped, "I saw a gleaming eye! It glanced at meand winked! I tell you this house is haunted!"

"A flirtatious ghost?" queried Miss Cornelia skeptically. Shesnorted. "Humph! Why didn't you yell?"