And Grandma Ford told the little ones the same thing, but they insisted that they wanted a cookie each, so she gave them one apiece, but they were rather small.

“Because,” said Grandma, “I want you to eat my nice, brown, roast chicken.”

And Mun Bun and Margy did.  For, when dinner time came, they had as good appetites as any of the others.  Every one seemed to be hungry, and, for a while, the sound of the clatter of the knives, forks and plates was louder than the talk.

After dinner they sat about the open fire on the big hearth in the living-room, and cracked nuts.  Or, rather, Grandpa Ford cracked them and the children ate them.

“Wouldn’t it be funny,” began Russ, “if we should——­”

And, just then, there suddenly sounded throughout the house that strange, groaning sound.

“O-u-g-h-m!”

It seemed louder than ever, and, for a moment, every one was startled.  Mun Bun and Margy ran to their mother.

“Come on!” called Grandpa Ford to Daddy Bunker.  “We must find out what that noise is.  It has been going on long enough, and now to have it come when we are all so happy at Christmas time is too much!  We must find where it is.”

“Can’t we help hunt?” asked Russ.

“Yes, let us, Mother, won’t you?” added Rose.

“But what is it?” asked Laddie.  “What makes the funny groaning noise?”

“Maybe Mr. Thompson is blowing his horn,” said Vi.

The groaning noise kept up longer this time than ever before.  Every few minutes it would echo through the house.  Sometimes it sounded as though upstairs, and again down in the cellar.

“We’ll try the attic,” said Grandpa Ford.

He and Daddy Bunker went up there.  Grandma Ford and Mother Bunker stayed in the sitting-room with Mun Bun and Margy.

“Come on!” called Russ to Rose.  “Let’s go and look.”

Rose followed her brother.

“Want to come?” she asked Violet and Laddie.

“Yep,” the twins said exactly together, just as twins should, I suppose.

Russ, Rose, Laddie and Vi walked slowly through the different downstairs rooms.  In each one they listened.  In some they could hear the noise more plainly than in others.  Finally they came to the kitchen.

“It sounds plainer here,” said Russ.

And, just then, the groan sounded so near at hand that Rose jumped and caught Russ by the arm.

“O-u-g-h-m!”

Again the groan sounded.

“It’s over in there!” cried Laddie, pointing to a large storeroom opening out of the kitchen.  The door of this room was open, and the noise, indeed, did seem to come from there.

“Let’s go in!” suggested Russ, and he started toward it.

“Maybe you’d better call Grandpa and Daddy, and let them look,” said Vi.

Just then Mother Bunker and Grandma Ford, followed by the two smallest children, came into the kitchen.