"Good heavens!" exclaimed Mr. Ducklow. "Why, what, father?" "It's Thaddeus! He's been walkin' in his sleep. That's what we heard. And now he's got the matches and set the house afire!" He bounded out of bed; he went stumbling over the chairs in the kitchen, and clattering among the tins in the pantry, and rushing blindly and wildly up the kitchen stairs, only to find the matches all right, Taddy fast asleep, and no indications anywhere, either to eye or nostril, of anything burning. "'Twas all your imagination, mother!" "_My_ imagination! You was jest as frightened as I was. I'm sure I can't tell what it was I smelt; I can't smell it now. Did you feel for the--you know what?" Mrs. Ducklow seemed to think there were evil ones listening, and it was dangerous to mention by name what was uppermost in the minds of both. "I wish you _would_ jest put your hand and see if they're all right; for I've thought several times I heard somebody taking on 'em out." Mr. Ducklow had been troubled by similar fancies; so, getting down on his knees, he felt in the dark for the bonds. "Good gracious!" he ejaculated. "What now?" cried Mrs. Ducklow. "They a'n't gone, be they? You don't say they're gone!" "Sure 's the world!--No, here they be! I didn't feel in the right place." "How you _did_ frighten me! My heart almost hopped out of my mouth!" Indeed, the shock was sufficient to keep the good woman awake the rest of the night. Daylight the next morning dissipated their doubts, and made both feel that they had been the victims of unnecessary and foolish alarms. "I hope ye won't git so worked up another night," said Mr. Ducklow. "It's no use. We might live in the house a hundred years, and never hear of a robber or a fire. Ye only excite yerself, and keep me awake." "I should like to know if you didn't git excited, and rob me of my sleep jest as much as I did you!" retorted the indignant housewife. "You began it; you fust put it into my head. But never mind; it can't be helped now. Le' 's have breakfast as soon as ye can; then I'll run over and see Reuben." "Why not harness up, and let me ride over with ye?" "Very well; mabby that'll be the best way.--Come, Taddy! ye must wake up! Fly round! You'll have lots o' chores to do this mornin'!" "What's the matter 'th my breeches?" snarled Taddy. "Some plaguy thing 's stuck to 'em!" It was Mrs. Ducklow's apron, trailing behind him at half-mast,--at sight of which, and of Taddy turning round and round to look at it, like a kitten in pursuit of her own tail, Ducklow burst into a loud laugh. "Wal, wal, mother! you've done it! You're dressed for meetin' now, Taddy!" "I do declare!" said Mrs. Ducklow, mortified. "I can't, for the life of me, see what there is so very funny about it!" And she hastened to cut short Taddy's trail and her husband's laughter with a pair of scissors.