Three Minute Stories

forming the fourth. It was hung with pictures, save where two or three doors broke the wall-space. Singular pictures they were, mostly family portraits, it was evid

heir delight to recognise here and there one of the

ried Margaret. "Look, girls, what a haughty, disagreeab

cried Peggy; "black velvet, s

k velvet, with hat and ruff. His face was sad, but the bright, dark eyes

aret softly; "it is a weaker face,

ike John Strong," s

s? I ask you. Now that you are my sister I must teach you to forget this habit of speaking to servants as if they were your equals. I o

l, was tempted to let this pass, but her

nferior person, Rita," she said gently, knowing that she seeme

ou would feel differently. He is a very superior man, and Uncle

n which it is not necessary, believe me, to go back a hundred years. We hear a

rgaret indignant

ders; her eyes shone with th

ère; correct it, if possible. And the garret cries out for us!" she said, turning away, with the straight line between her eyes that meant mischief, a

door will take us to this place of joy? thi

ocked. I-I have tried it two or three times." And she stole a

r heart still burned from Rita's insolent words. "Peggy, it

provoking not to be able to see what is in there. But this is the garret door, this way. I w

ble windows. The corners were black and deep,-miles deep, poor Peggy thought, as she peered into them. Old furniture lay about, broken chairs and gouty-legged tab

rrifying that Rita and Peggy both shrieked aloud,

-" She advanced cautiously a few steps, and began to laugh. It certainly had looked at first like the figure of a man hanging from the rafters

dvanced again, Peggy giggling nervously

he words back. She could not always be a schoolmistre

o, Peggy?" she ask

!" said

ts to find his papers, that is all. Ah, her

izzed and tortured out of all softness or beauty. Dainty Margaret did not incline to put them on, but Peggy was soon glorious in a huge white st

t curiously. "What they all must have looked li

and she had wholly forgotten her moment of spite. "Here! here is mine. Behold me, a gallant of the co

coat, a habit skirt of dark velvet, and a plumed hat which perched like a bird on top of her flowing wig. Peggy was put into a charming Watteau costume of flowered silk, in which she looked so pretty that Rita declared it was a shame for her ever to wear anything else; while Margaret found a long, gold-spotted gauze that took her fancy mightily. Thus attired, the three girls frisked and danced about the huge, dim old garret, astonishing the spiders, and send

HE G

teach you, my poors! Not to dance, not to understand the management o

gesture so tragic that Marg

y poor dear father giving me a lesson in the managemen

r Jim would be rather like a grizzly bear, I think, and none of the others would. Jean and I used

too dim and dusty. The courtesy, however, we can try. Mesdames! Raise the skirt, thus, the left foot in advance; the left, Peggy, chi

much for her. She stepped on her train, tripped, lost her balance, and fell heavily back aga

moving! The wall is moving! Ma

ackness looked through at them. Peggy clutched her cousins and trembled. Where was now the courage, the coolness, which had made her the heroine of the morning's adventure? Gone!

hispered, "do you

s, or a staircase! It must be a staircase, for it is in the thickness of the wall behind the chimne

ee minutes with the lamp, and the three cousins peered into the open space, Margaret ho

ide enough for one person, but no more. It plunged

explore it, girls? I don't suppose there can be

" said Rita. "But do you know

mysterious, I am sure!

I am thinking that for a concealment, if a concealment were

stair, she followed, with beating heart. She had longed all her breezy little life for mystery, adventure, something wonderful to happen to

was all. Now they came to a tiny landing, and something gleamed before them,-the brass handle of a door. Margaret hesitated,

idently ready for use, the bed neatly made, everything in spotless order. Brushe

; and this is where the locked door is on the second story. Com

e room,-but nothing-a plain room, and nothing more! A pretty thing to end a secret stai

rent. The staircase was wider, and the walls were cased in wood. Moreover, it showed marks of usage. The steps above were

ack way to the servants' rooms!

er funny little foreign accent on the word

r sounds were audible below them: a footstep, and then t

whispered Margaret. "Wh

sh out and scare h

of light,-the crack of a door! quick, the lamp!" and with a swift,

he sounds in the room beneath had ceased. All was still for a moment; then suddenly Peggy made a

a through her teeth. "

ooped and looked through it. The next instant she uttered a dreadful shriek, and st

ssed the floor, and as Margaret flung open the door, another