“Up in the attic. It’s loaded with cedar chests full,” Ann told her. “Miss Hull always lets us wear them when we give masquerades.”
“Tell us about the rest of the characters,” Sally said impatiently.
“Well, there’s the poor unhappy lady that haunts the Twins’ balcony,” Gladys suggested with a perfectly straight face.
“The Twins’ balcony?” Sally showed her surprise at this new adaption of an old tale, but neither Ann nor Prue moved a muscle as Gladys continued. It was the opportunity they had been waiting for, ever since Janet had expressed the wish that their room had a ghost.
“Yes,” Gladys went on in a matter-of-fact tone, “the poor pretty lady that was standing on the balcony and looked down, and saw them bringing home the dead body of her lover. He had fought a duel with her brother, and the brother had killed him.”
“Oh, Glad, and you never told us!” Janet protested. “Was it really from our balcony?”
Sally who had caught Prue’s warning wink did not question any further. She knew as well as they did, that the famous haunted balcony was on the other side of the house, outside of one of the class rooms.
“Truth of the matter is, I didn’t intend to tell you at all,” Gladys said seriously. “Those things are not nice to know about. The servants, you know, all vow they have seen the ghost.”
Phyllis shivered. “Poor lovely lady” she said, “I’m awfully sorry for her, but I know I shall never sleep again.”
“What nonsense” Janet exclaimed. “The idea of believing in ghosts.”