Very softly the children crept on the porch and found the electric bell. In a minute they heard steps in the hall and the porch light came on.
They did not run but stood in silence, holding their grinning lanterns. Mr. Harper opened the door and when he saw them he looked for a second and then threw his arms up into the air.
“Help, Mamma!” he shouted. “Ghosts, Mamma! Come and save me!”
Lucy and Dora couldn’t help giggling. They had not expected him to act like that. They didn’t think Mrs. Harper would come, but she did.
“Goodness!” she said. “What shall we do, James? Ghosts! and not an inch of mosquito netting in the house!”
This was too much for Dora. She was so interested that she forgot she was a spook.
“Don’t ghosts like mosquito netting?” she asked.
“No, indeed!” said Mr. Harper. “It gives them hay fever. Harriet,” he said to his wife, “how could you let the mosquito netting run out?”
Lucy began to think Mr. Harper was crazy, but Dora knew he wasn’t. Uncle Dan talked in just that way. She laughed and so did Mrs. Harper.