Part 26 (1/2)
”No one here? What do youto say!”
”Of course therethe s there”
Thus spoke Mollie, Grace and Aested:
”Just hearken for as”
Then all listened intently There was not a sound save that caused by the stor
”There is no one here,” went on Betty positively ”We are all alone in this house”
”But where can the people be?” asked Grace ”Theyhere,” and she looked around at the well-kept, if somewhat old-fashi+oned, parlor
”Of course the house is lived in--and the people must have left it only recently,” said Betty ”That's evident”
”Why did they go off and leave it?” asked Mollie
”That's the mystery of it,” admitted Betty ”It's like the ot to solve it”
”Perhaps--” began Aly
”Maybe the lady was upstairs shutting the hen she saw the stor like that”
”That's so!” exclaimed Mollie
”We'll look,” decided Betty
”Betty!” chorused Grace and Aot to get at the bottom of this”
”But suppose we should find her--find some one up there in a--faint,” and Amy motioned toward the upper roo them,” said practical Betty ”They s in the hall, and, rather timidly, it must be confessed, ascended the stairs But they need not have been afraid of seeing soht The upper chambers were as deserted as the roohout the house failed to disclose a living creature, save a big Maltese cat which purred and rubbed in friendly fashi+on against the girls
”The house is deserted!” declared Betty again ”We are in sole and undisputed possession, girls We're in charge!”
”For how long?” asked Ao out in that downpour,” and Betty glanced toward theagainst which the rain was dashi+ng furiously ”We must close down the sashes here, too!” she exclai in