As
the movements of the pointer grew more rapid her mouth dropped
open--wider and wider--prepared for an ear-piercing scream.
"Keep quiet!" said Miss Cornelia tensely. There was a pause of a
few seconds while the pointer darted from one letter to another
wildly.
"B--M--C--X--P--R--S--K--Z--" murmured Miss Cornelia
trying to follow the spelled letters.
"It's Russian!" gasped Lizzie breathlessly and Miss Cornelia nearly
disgraced herself in the eyes of any spirits that might be present
by inappropriate laughter. The ouija continued to move--more
letters--what was it spelling?--it couldn't be--good heavens--
"B--A--T--Bat!" said Miss Cornelia with a tiny catch in her voice.
The pointer stopped moving: She took her hands from the board.
"That's queer," she said with a forced laugh. She glanced at Lizzie
to see how Lizzie was taking it. But the latter seemed too relieved
to have her hands off the ouija-board to make the mental connection
that her mistress had feared.
All she said was, "Bats indeed! That shows it's spirits. There's
been a bat flying around this house all evening."
She got up from her chair tentatively, obviously hoping that the
seance was over.
"Oh, Miss Neily," she burst out. "Please let me sleep in your room
tonight! It's only when my jaw drops that I snore--I can tie it up
with a handkerchief!"
"I wish you'd tie it up with a handkerchief now," said her mistress
absent-mindedly, still pondering the message that the pointer had
spelled.
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