“I do think this is the dearest place,” said Maisie, as they went in the door of Treasure House. “I never heard of such a thing before. Whose plan was it?”
“Our two fatherses, mostly,” replied Dotty. “Wait a minute, girls, till I switch on the light.”
In a moment a small side light pierced the gloom, but before she could turn on the larger light, Dotty gave a scream.
“Oh,” she fairly shrieked, “what is that? who is it?”
“Who is what?” cried Dolly following her in, and Maisie came quickly after.
Then they saw what she meant. Somebody or something lay on the floor. Something like a person, but still and unmoving.
“It’s a woman!” screamed Dotty, as she peered down into a veiled white face. “Oh, who can it be? How did she get here?”
Always excitable, Dotty was now fairly beside herself with fear and alarm, and not daring to touch the prostrate figure, she shuddered and fell back against the wall.
“I can’t look! What is it?” and Dolly clapped her hands over her eyes, and refused to take them down. “See what it is, Maisie, won’t you?”
“No. I don’t see why I—I sh-should, when you and D-D-Dotty won’t,” and Maisie cowered in another corner.