Phœbe lay a long time afterward listening for a recurrence of the mysterious sounds, but they did not mature and presently the girl fell asleep again.
Next morning the recollection of the occurrence was rather dim in her mind. She remembered her midnight fears and considered them rather soberly while dressing; but afterward, when she saw Miss Halliday feeding her chickens and looking after the garden in her accustomed manner, alert, composed and engrossed in her work, Phœbe dismissed any idea of the old woman’s being insane and soon forgot all about the incident.
This was commencement week, and Phil and Phœbe both graduated. The twins were not on a par as far as scholarship was concerned, for the girl barely passed her examinations. Phil was at the head of his class, as he had hoped to be, but he was obliged to share that honor with one other. Janet Ferguson had pressed him hard for first place all the term, and at last she stood equal to Phil in all classes. With manly generosity he was the first to congratulate her, for he liked Janet. She was a modest, quiet girl who had a smile and a pleasant word for everyone.
Old Judge Ferguson was mightily pleased. He slapped Phil on the back and said approvingly: “If you can keep step with my Janet, Phil, you’ve something to be proud of, I assure you.”
Phil was proud, and so was Phœbe. She had not expected honors, herself, but that her twin should do so well was certainly a source of pride to her. She fairly reveled in her brother’s reflected glory.
Cousin Judith gave Phil a scarf pin from Paris and Phœbe an oriental bracelet of unique design. Nor did she forget the daughter of her old friend Judge Ferguson, for Janet received from her, as a graduation gift, a silver brooch brought from Venice.
That evening was a joyous one in the Daring household. The younger children realized that a long vacation was ahead of them. Phœbe was now at liberty to begin life in earnest, and Phil was about to take his place in Spaythe’s Bank. Aunt Hy, well knowing this to be a festive occasion, prepared an elaborate supper, and afterward they all gathered in an end of the big parlor, which Judith’s deft hand had by this time rendered more cosy, and spent the evening listening to their Little Mother’s fascinating stories of Italian life.
It was late when they retired for the night, and Phœbe was tired. She was soon in bed, but the day’s excitement was yet upon her and she could not readily compose herself to sleep. Thoughts of the future and her ambitious plans for it obtruded themselves persistently, and she was wide-eyed when the ormolu clock, in Cousin Judith’s room opposite, chimed the hour of midnight.
Soon after her ear caught another sound—the gentle, stealthy sliding—sliding—sliding of some hard substance across a table-top. It came from Miss Halliday’s room, and was exactly the same sound she had heard several nights before.
Presently the old woman began her droning again: “M-m-m-m-m!”—a croon of the most beatific joy and exaltation. She evidently desired to suppress the murmur, for fear of being overheard, so that at first it barely reached Phœbe’s listening ears. But now and then her ecstasy led her to forget caution and raise the croon to a higher key.