The closet door was ajar, and a purple garment seemed suddenly to swing into view as if impelled by some wind.

“Why, here is something left in this closet,” Sophia said in a mortified tone.  “I thought all those things had been taken away.”

She pulled down the garment with a jerk, and as she did so Amanda passed her in a weak rush for the door.

“I am afraid your sister is not well,” said the school-teacher from Acton.  “She looked very pale when you took that dress down.  I noticed it at once.  Hadn’t you better go and see what the matter is?  She may be going to faint.”

“She is not subject to fainting spells,” replied Sophia, but she followed Amanda.

She found her in the room which they occupied together, lying on the bed, very pale and gasping.  She leaned over her.

“Amanda, what is the matter; don’t you feel well?” she asked.

“I feel a little faint.”

Sophia got a camphor bottle and began rubbing her sister’s forehead.

“Do you feel better?” she said.

Amanda nodded.

“I guess it was that green apple pie you ate this noon,” said Sophia.  “I declare, what did I do with that dress of Aunt Harriet’s?  I guess if you feel better I’ll just run and get it and take it up garret.  I’ll stop in here again when I come down.  You’d better lay still.  Flora can bring you up a cup of tea.  I wouldn’t try to eat any supper.”

Sophia’s tone as she left the room was full of loving concern.  Presently she returned; she looked disturbed, but angrily so.  There was not the slightest hint of any fear in her expression.

“I want to know,” said she, looking sharply and quickly around, “if I brought that purple dress in here, after all?”

“I didn’t see you,” replied Amanda.

“I must have.  It isn’t in that chamber, nor the closet.  You aren’t lying on it, are you?”

“I lay down before you came in,” replied Amanda.

“So you did.  Well, I’ll go and look again.”

Presently Amanda heard her sister’s heavy step on the garret stairs.  Then she returned with a queer defiant expression on her face.

“I carried it up garret, after all, and put it in the trunk,” said, she.  “I declare, I forgot it.  I suppose your being faint sort of put it out of my head.  There it was, folded up just as nice, right where I put it.”

Sophia’s mouth was set; her eyes upon her sister’s scared, agitated face were full of hard challenge.

“Yes,” murmured Amanda.

“I must go right down and see to that cake,” said Sophia, going out of the room.  “If you don’t feel well, you pound on the floor with the umbrella.”

Amanda looked after her.  She knew that Sophia had not put that purple dress of her dead Aunt Harriet in the trunk in the garret.