“Oh, please, let’s not go up,” Rosanna pleaded, trembling.
“You stay here,” Penny said in a whisper. “If anything goes wrong, let out a cry for help.”
The mysterious music had ceased for the moment. Penny waited until it began again, and then, following the sound, crept noiselessly up the stairs leaving Rosanna on guard below.
At the top of the last step Penny paused to listen again. Actually, she was not as courageous as she had pretended. She could hear her own heart pounding.
It was so dark on the third floor that at first she could distinguish nothing. The music had increased in volume and Penny was more sure than ever that it came from a hidden pipe organ.
As her eyes focused better she found herself standing upon a small landing from which branched two closed doors. After a slight hesitation she tiptoed to the nearest one and opened it a tiny crack.
Although no sound had betrayed her, the music from within ended with a discordant crash. Startled, Penny allowed the door to swing wide. She started forward, and suddenly tripped. Until that moment her nerve had held steady. But as she stumbled and fell she uttered a shrill cry of terror.
Rosanna, fearing the worst, came running up the stairs.
“Penny! Penny! Are you hurt?”
Reassured by her friend’s voice, Penny scrambled to her feet and met Rosanna at the door.