"Well, one night, a long time after Bob and I had gone to bed, we heard a very strange noise.
"'Did you hear that noise, Bob?' I said.
"'Yes,' said Bob. 'I wonder what it is.'
"The noise still went on, so Bob said,—
"'Let's get up. I believe the noise is in the dovecot.'
"So we both jumped out of bed, and got into our clothes as fast as ever we could.
"Bob picked up the candle, and we ran out, and what do you think had happened?
"First of all, we saw the door of the dovecot wide open. Bob had forgotten to close it for the first time. There, lying dead upon the floor, was one of our pretty doves.
"By this time father and mother came rushing out to see what all the noise was about.