“A feeling of impending trouble?” questioned Penny.
“Nothing like that,” said Mr. Hodges.
“No, it was as if one almost could feel a foreign presence in the room,” Mrs. Hodges declared, lowering her voice. “A supernatural being.”
“Surely you don’t believe in ghosts...?” Penny began, but the seamstress did not hear. Unheeding, she resumed:
“Pa rubbed my back to ease the pain I get from working too long at the machine. Then we went to bed. Neither of us had gone to sleep when suddenly we heard it!”
“Six sharp raps on the outside bedroom wall,” supplied Mr. Hodges. “It was like this.” He demonstrated on the table.
“We both heard it,” added Mrs. Hodges. “It scared me nearly out of my wits.”
“Possibly it was someone at the door,” suggested Penny.
“No, it wasn’t that. Pa got up and went to see.”
“Could it have been a tree bough brushing against the wall?”