“Nothing like that,” declared Amy cheerfully. “But I wish we had a radio sending set here and could talk to her——”
“Ow! What’s that?”
Even Henrietta stopped eating, looked upward at the dusty ceiling, and listened for a repetition of the sound. It came in a moment—a sudden thump—then the thrashing about of something on the bare boards of the floor of the loft over the kitchen.
“O-oh!” squealed Amy, jumping up from the table.
“What can it be?” demanded Jessie Norwood, and her face expressed fear likewise.
Henrietta took another enormous bite of sandwich; from behind that barrier she said in a muffled tone:
“Guess it’s the Carter ha’nt after all!”
CHAPTER IX
HENRIETTA IS VALIANT
Jessie Norwood tried to remember that she should set little Henrietta a good example. She should not show panic because of the mysterious noise in the loft of the abandoned Carter house.
But as the thrashing sounds continued and finally the cause of it came tumbling down the enclosed stairway and bumped against the door that opened from the kitchen upon that stairway, Jessie screamed almost as loud as Amy.