“Mrs. Duke.”

“Oooooooo,” moaned Carol, diving deep beneath the covers.

David sat up quickly.

“Who is there?”

“It is I, Miss Landbury,” came a frightened whisper.  “Can’t I stay with you a while?  I can’t go to sleep to save me,—­and honestly, I am scared to death.”

This brought Carol forth, and with warm and sympathetic hospitality she turned back the covers at the foot of the bed and said: 

“Yes, come right in.”

David nudged her remindingly with his foot.  “Since there are two of you to protect each other,” he said, laughing, “suppose you go in to Carol’s bed, and leave me my cot in peace.”

This Carol flatly refused to do.  If Miss Landbury was willing to share the foot of David’s cot, she was more than welcome.  But if she meant to stand on ceremony and go into that awful big black room without a minister, she could go by herself, that was all.  Carol lay down decidedly, and considered the subject closed.

“I don’t want to sleep,” said Miss Landbury unhappily.  “I am not sleepy.  I just want a place to sit, where I—­I won’t keep seeing things.”

“Turn on the light, Carol,” said David.  “You ought to be ashamed of yourselves, both of you.”

“That’s all right,” defended Carol.  “You are a preacher, and ghosts don’t bother—­”

“Don’t say ghosts,” chattered Miss Landbury.

“Well, what is the plan of procedure?” inquired David patiently.  “Are you going to turn my cot into a boarding-house?  You girls stay here, and I will go in to Carol’s bed.  Give me my bath robe, honey, and—­”

“Oh, please,” gasped Miss Landbury.

“And leave us on this porch with nothing but screen around us?” exclaimed Carol.  “I am surprised at you, David.”

David turned his face to the wall.  “Well, make yourselves comfortable.  Good night, girls.”

The girls stared at each other in the darkness, helplessly, resignedly.  Wasn’t that just like a man?

“I tell you what,” said Carol hopefully, “let’s bring the mattress and the blankets from my bed and put them on the floor here beside David, and we can all sleep nicely right together.”

“Oh, that’s lovely,” cried Miss Landbury.  “You are the dearest thing, Mrs. Duke.”

Hurriedly, and with bated breath, they raided Carol’s bed, tugging the heavy mattress between them, quietly ignoring the shaking of David’s cot which spoke so loudly of amusement.

“I’ll crawl right in then,” said Miss Landbury comfortably.

“I sleep next to David, if you please,” said Carol with quiet dignity.

Miss Landbury obediently rolled over, and Carol scrambled in beside her.

“Turn off the light,” suggested David.

“Oh, yes, Miss Landbury, turn it off, will you?” said Carol pleasantly.

“Who, me?” came the startled voice.  “Indeed I won’t.”