"Well, if you're after acetylene gas I guess you'll be disappointed,"said Mrs. Gilligan as her torch lighted up a wonderful very aged-fashionedrichly carved candelabrum containing a dozen candles, half burned andlooking rather wilted. "It's candles we'll be burning while we're here."

The girls groaned.

"But they give such a ghostly, flickering light," protested Violet, as ifit were in some way Mrs. Gilligan's fault. "I know I'll never be able tostand it," and she glanced nervously over her shoulder.

"Well, could you stand the dim any much better?" asked Mrs. Gilliganpractically, as she began to light the candles one after another. "Therewill probably be other candelabra in the house, and if you get enough ofthem burning there's nothing in this world that is prettier. For myself Ijust love candle light."

"Yes, when you're in civilization," put in Laura. "But not out here."

"I've found another one!" cried Billie, whom had been prospecting on herown account. "And here's another! Why we'll have a huge illuminationbefore we're through."

"That's the way to talk," said Mrs. Gilligan approvingly, as she crossedover to Billie's side of the large hall and began to light the othercandles. "If we just make the best of everything and make up our mindsto have a good time, we'll have a good time. And if we don't we mightjust as well take the driver's advice and go home again."

"Go home? Well I should just say not!" cried Laura. "The fairly idea ofsuch a thing! The small childs would tease the life out of us. We'd never hearthe end of it."