“Perhaps not. But I can’t think what else it could be.”
“A human agency, you may be sure of that,” declared Cora. “I don’t believe in the supernatural. This was done by human hands and, sooner or later, we’ll discover by whom. Humans are fallible and will make a mistake. We must watch for that mistake.”
They righted the furniture and talking of the matter seemed to make it lose some of its mysteriousness. The boys stayed to supper and until late in the evening. Jack offered to remain all night, and sleep on the couch downstairs, but Cora would not hear of it.
“We’ll be all right,” she declared. “We can call you on the telephone if we want you. Besides, Mr. Floyd is going to leave open the door leading to his quarters, and he can hear if we call. We’ll be all right.”
“Well, ring us up if you find the chairs doing a fox trot or hesitation waltz in the middle of the night,” suggested Walter.
The girls went upstairs together, casting quick, nervous glances over their shoulders as they ascended. They locked their hall doors as soon as they were inside. But as the four chambers communicated, it was as if they were in one large apartment.
“Oh dear!” exclaimed Cora, as she was taking down her hair. “I’ve forgotten it.”
“What?” asked Bess, who was taking off her shoes.
“My flashlight,” Cora answered. “I left it on the table in the living room. I meant to bring it up, for I like to see what time it is if I awaken in the night.”
“I’ll go down with you if you want to get it,” offered Hazel.