Blackford. "It will do no harm to look about in it again, and then
we can search up and down the road."
Rather gingerly the girls entered the old house again. The light was
flashed in all the rooms downstairs, but the girls balked at going to
the upper floors, though Mr. Blackford proposed it.
"Mollie would not go up there," said Betty, positively.
"Perhaps not," admitted Mr. Blackford.
"I think we ought to go back to where we left the auto," said Mrs.
Mackson. "That would be the most likely place for Mollie to go."
"I agree with you!" exclaimed the young man, quickly. "We'll go to the
stalled auto."
As they were leaving the place there burst upon them a shrill, weird
cry, like that of some animal, and it was followed by that deep groan
that vibrated through the vacant rooms.
"The ghost! The ghost!" cried Grace, clutching Mr. Blackford's arm.
CHAPTER XX
SEEKING THE GHOST
They all stood still for a moment. The eerie noises gradually died away,
and then they all became conscious of a strong smell of sulphur.
"What is that?" asked Betty, in an awed whisper. She was more impressed
than she had been.
"Smells as if some one had lighted old-fashioned brimstone matches,"
answered Mr. Blackford.
"And it isn't the lightning, now," spoke Amy, looking at Mrs. Mackson.
"It's the--ghost."
"A very material ghost, in my opinion," said the young man, who had so
providentially come along.
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