The next day Esther remained in bed until about nine o’clock, when she arose, seemingly all right again, and got her own breakfast.  As her appetite was not as good as usual, all she could eat was a small piece of bread and butter and a large green pickle, washed down with a cup of strong tea.  She helped Olive with her work as usual, and after dinner took a walk past the post office, around the block and back to the cottage again.  At supper the usual conversation about the strange sounds took place, all wondering what had caused them.  As no one could ascertain the cause they gave it up as something too strange to think about, and all agreed not to let the neighbors know anything about it, because they argued, that, as no one would be likely to believe that such strange sounds had been heard under the bed, the best thing to do was to keep the matter quiet.

About four nights after the loud reports had been heard, Esther had another similar attack.  It came on about ten o’clock at night, just as she was getting in bed.  This time, however, she managed to get into bed before the attack had swelled her up to any great extent.  Jane, who had already retired, advised her to remain perfectly still, and perhaps the attack would pass off, but how sadly was she mistaken.  Esther had only been in bed about five minutes when, to the amazement of the girls, all the bed clothing flew off and settled down in the far corner of the room.  They could see them going for the lamp was burning dimly on the table.  They both screamed, and then Jane fainted dead away.  The family rushed into the room as before, and were so frightened that they did not know what to do.  There lay the bed clothes in the corner, Esther all swollen up, Jane in a dead faint, and perhaps really dead for all they knew, for by the glare of the lamp, which Dan held in his hand, she looked more dead than alive.  Olive was the first to come to her senses.  Taking up the bed clothes, she placed them over her sisters.  Just as she had done so, off they flew again to the same corner of the room.  In less time than it takes to count three, the pillow flew from under Esther’s head and struck John Teed in the face.  He immediately left the room, saying that he had had enough.  He could not be induced to return and sit on the edge of the bed with the others, who in that way managed to keep the clothes in their place.  Jane had by this time recovered from her swoon.  William Cox went down to the kitchen for a bucket of water to bathe Esther’s head, which was aching terribly.  Just as he got to the door of the room again with the bucket of water, a succession of reports were heard, which seemed to come from the bed where Esther lay.  They were so very loud that the whole room shook, and Esther, who had a moment before been swollen up, commenced to assume her natural appearance, and in a few minutes fell into a pleasant sleep.  As everything seemed now to be all right again, everybody went back to bed.