I did not suppose that anything serious had occurred, for the bear’s jaws were securely strapped, but with anxious haste I went into the other part of the house.  Across a hallway I saw an open door, and from the room within came groans, or perhaps I should call them long-drawn wails of woe.

I was in the room in a moment, and the others crowded through the door-way behind me.  It was a good-sized bedroom, probably the “spare-room” of the first floor.  In one corner was a tall and wide high-posted bedstead, and in the very middle of it sat an elderly woman drawn up into the smallest compass into which she could possibly compress herself.  Her eyes were closed, her jaws were dropped, her spectacles hung in front of her mouth, her gray hair straggled over her eyes, and her skin was of a soapy whiteness.

She paid no attention to the crowd of people in the room.  Evidently she was frightened out of her senses.  Every moment she emitted a doleful wail.  As we stood gazing at her, and before we had time to speak to her, she seemed to be seized by an upheaving spasm, the influence of which was so great that she actually rose in the air, and as she did so her wail intensified itself into a shriek, and as she came down again with a sudden thump all the breath in her body seemed to be bounced out in a gasp of woe.

“It’s Susan McKenna!” exclaimed Walter.  “What in the world is the matter with her?  Miss Susan, are you hurt?”

She made no answer, but again she rose, again she gave vent to a wild wail, and again she came down with a thump.

Percy was now on his knees near the bed.  “It’s the bear!” he cried.  “He’s under there, and he’s humping himself!”

“Sacking bottom!” cried the practical Genevieve “There isn’t room enough for him!”

Stooping down I saw the bear under the bed, now crowding himself back as far as possible into a corner.  No part of his chain was exposed to view, and for a moment I did not see how I was going to get him out.  But the first thing was to get rid of the woman.

“Come, Miss Susan,” said Mr. Larramie, “let me help you off the bed, and you can go into another room, and then we will attend to this animal.  You need not be afraid to get down.  He won’t hurt you.”

But the McKenna sister paid no attention to these remarks.  She kept her eyes closed; she moaned and wailed.  So long as that horrible demon was under the bed she would not have put as much as one of her toes over the edge for all the money in the world!

In every way I tried to induce the bear to come out, but he paid no attention to me.  He had been frightened, and he was now in darkness and security.  Suddenly a happy thought struck me.  I glanced around the room, and then I rushed into the hall.  Genevieve followed me.  “What do you want?” she said.

“I am looking for some overshoes!” I cried.  “India-rubber ones!”

Instantly Genevieve began to dash around.  In a few moments she had opened a little closet which I had not noticed.  “Here is one!” she cried, “but it’s torn—­the heel is nearly off!  Perhaps the other one—­”