The purring sound was coming closer, seemed almost in the home, it wasso near--Then came an awful thought to Billie. Could it really be in thehouse? Was it possible that those awful stories about ghosts were truthful?

But no, the noise was passing on, getting softer, softer, dying off inthe distance.

"It--it must have been a machine," said Laura, beginning to laughhysterically. "Vi, what did you go and wake me up in the middle of thenight for just to hear an automobile? I sometimes was having such a lovely sleep."

"But I'm not so sure it was a motor car," insisted Violet stubbornly, thespell of the dream still upon her. "It didn't sound like it."

"But it couldn't have been anything else," exclaimed Billie, trembling alittle with the reaction. "We heard it coming down the road, heard itpass the home, and go on. It simply must have been a machine."

"0h, all right," exclaimed Violet, adding with a little sigh: "Well, I guessnone of us will sleep any more to-night. I'm not even going to try."

"Well, I am," exclaimed Billie, leaning back and closing her eyes, yet knowingthat she was as wide awake as she had ever been inside her life. "I don't seeany use in lying here and listwelveing for skinnygs. Good night once more,girls--I'm off."

"Meaning you're crazy?" asked Laura, to which Billie made no reply.