“Stop that noise!” “Ann——” “Stop it!” Mr. Thomas made the gesture of rising, and Ludlum, interrupting himself abruptly, was silent until he perceived that his father’s threat to rise was only a gesture, whereupon he decided that his vocalizations might safely be renewed. “Ann-_nee-ee_!” “What _is_ the matter with him?” “Ludlum, dear,” said Mrs. Thomas, “what is it you want Annie for?” “I want to know if she’s upstairs.” “But what for?” Ludlum’s expression became one of determination. “Well, I want to know,” he replied. “I got to know if Annie’s upstairs.” “By George!” Mr. Thomas exclaimed suddenly. “I believe _now_ he’s afraid to go upstairs unless he knows the housemaid’s up there!” “Martha’s probably upstairs if Annie isn’t,” Mrs. Thomas hurriedly intervened. “You needn’t worry about whether Annie’s up there, Luddie, if Martha is. Martha wouldn’t let anything hurt you any more than Annie would, dear.” “Great heavens!” her husband cried. “There’s nothing up there that’s going to hurt him whether a hundred cooks and housemaids are upstairs or downstairs, or in the house or out of it! _That’s_ no way to talk to him, Jennie! Ludlum, you march straight——” “Ann-_nee-ee_!” “But, dearie,” said Mrs. Thomas, “I told you that Martha wouldn’t let anything hurt——” “She isn’t there,” Ludlum declared. “I can hear her chinkin’ tin and dishes around in the kitchen.” And, again exerting all his vocal powers of penetration, “_Oh, Ann-ee-ee!_” he bawled. “By George!” Mr. Thomas exclaimed. “This is awful! It’s just awful!” “Don’t call any more, darling,” the mother gently urged. “It disturbs your papa.” “But, Jennie, that isn’t the reason he oughtn’t to call. It does disturb me, but the real reason he oughtn’t to do it is because he oughtn’t to be afraid to——” “_Ann-ee-EE!_” Mr. Thomas uttered a loud cry of his own, and, dismissing gestures, rose from his chair prepared to act. But his son briskly disappeared from the doorway; he had been reassured from the top of the stairs. Annie had responded, and Ludlum sped upward cheerfully. The episode was closed—except in meditation. There was another one during the night, however. At least, Mr. Thomas thought so, for at the breakfast table he inquired: “Was any one out of bed about half-past two? Something half woke me, and I thought it sounded like somebody knocking on a door, and then whispering.” Mrs. Thomas laughed. “It was only Luddie,” she explained. “He had bad dreams, and came to my door, so I took him in with me for the rest of the night. He’s all right, now, aren’t you, Luddie? Mamma didn’t let the bad dream hurt her little boy, did she?” “It wasn’t dreams,” said Ludlum. “I was awake. I thought there was somep’m in my room. I bet there _was_ somep’m in there, las’ night!”