"Then that proves she's foolin' us! How could there be thieves in there, an' the door locked?" "Well, get it open. I'm plumb scared," and Polly's round face was pale with fright. "But I can't. Do you want me to break it in? We'd get what for in earnest if I done that!" "Run around and look in the windows," suggested Polly, "and I'm going to call Miss Iris. I jest know something's wrong, this time." "What is it?" asked Iris, responding to the summons, "what was that noise I heard?" "Mrs. Pell screamed out, Miss Iris, and when I went to see what was the matter, I found the door locked, and we can't get in." "She screamed?" said Iris. "Perhaps it's just one of her jokes." "That's what Purdy thinks, but it didn't sound so to me. It sounded like she was in mortal danger. Here's Purdy now. Well?" "I can't see in the windows," was his retort, "the shades is all pulled down, 'count o' the sun. She always has 'em so afternoons. And you well know, nobody could get in them windows, or out of 'em." Ursula Pell's sitting room was also her storehouse of many treasures. Collections of curios and coins left by her husband, additional objects of value, bought by herself, made the room almost a museum; and, in addition, her desk contained money and important papers. Wherefore, she had had the windows secured by a strong steel lattice work, that made ingress impossible to marauders. Two windows faced south and two west, and there was but one door, that into the living room. This being locked, the room was inaccessible, and the drawn shades prevented even a glimpse of the interior. The windows were open, but the shades inside the steel gratings were not to be reached. There was no sound now from the room, and the listeners stood, looking at one another, uncertain what to do next. "Of course it's a joke," surmised Purdy, "but even so, it's our duty to get into that room. If so be's we get laughed at for our pains, it won't be anything outa the common; and if Mrs. Pell has had a stroke--or anything has happened to her, we must see about it." "How will you get in?" asked Iris, looking frightened. "Bust the door down," said Purdy, succinctly. "I'll have to get Campbell to help. While I'm gone after him, you try to persuade Mrs. Pell to come out--if she's just trickin' us." The old man went off, and Polly began to speak through the closed door. "Let us in, Mrs. Pell," she urged. "Do, now, or Purdy'll spoil this good door. Now what's the sense o' that, if you're only a foolin'? Open the door--please do--" But no response of any sort was made. The stillness was tragic, yet there was the possibility, even the likelihood, that the tricky mistress of the house would only laugh at them when they had forced an entrance.