The next morning the two girls met, as though absolutely nothing unpleasant had happened. These little differences were, as a fact, of frequent occurrence, and neither of them ever cherished the least toward the other when they were over. Not a word was said in reference to it by either, but Cynthia noticed Joyce looking at her rather several times. Finally she asked:  
"What are you staring at me so for, Joyce?"
 
"Oh, nothing! I wasn't staring," Joyce replied, and began to talk of something else.
 
"By the way, Cyn, why wouldn't it be a good idea to wait till next week before we have our illumination? Perhaps we could get more candles by that time, too. I vote for next Saturday instead of to-day."
 
"I can't see why you want to wait," replied Cynthia. "To-day is just as good a time as any. In fact, I think it's better. Something might happen that would prevent it next week. No, let's have it to-day. My heart is set on it."
 
"Very well then," Joyce. "But, do you know, I believe, if this time is a success, we might have it again next Saturday, too."
 
"Well, you can have it if you like, and if you can raise the money for candles," laughed Cynthia; "but you mustn't depend on me. I'll be 'cleaned out' by that time!"
 
That morning they carefully dusted the drawing-room and library of the Boarded-up House.
 
"We'll put the candles in the drawing-room, in the big candelabrum. That will take about forty—and we'll have enough for the library too," said Cynthia, planning the campaign. "And the rest of the candles we'll put in the 'locked-up room.' Let's go right up there now and dust it!"
 
"Oh, what do you want to light that room for!" cried Joyce. "Don't let's go in there. It makes me blue—even to think of it!" But Cynthia was .
 
"I want it lit up!" she announced. "If you don't feel like going up, I'll go myself. I don't mind. But I want candles there!"
 
"Oh, if you insist, of course I'll go! But really, Cynthia, I don't quite understand you to-day. You want to do such queer things!"
 
"I don't see anything queer about that!" retorted Cynthia, blushing hotly. "It just seemed—somehow—appropriate!"
 
But Joyce, in spite of her protests, accompanied Cynthia up the tiny, stairway, the entrance to which they had not blocked by restoring the book-shelves.
 
"What a strange thing it is,—this secret stairway!" she marveled aloud. "I'm sure it is a secret stairway, and that it was long unused, even before Mrs. Collingwood left here. I even feel pretty certain that she never knew it was here."
 
"How do you figure that out?" questioned Cynthia.
"Well, in several ways. For one thing, because it was all closed up and papered over. That could have been done before she came here, and you know she only lived in this house eighteen years. But mainly because there wouldn't have been much sense in her locking up the room (if she did lock it) had she known there was another easy way of getting into it. No, I somehow don't think she knew!"
 
They did their dusting in the locked-up room, and tried to make it look as ship-shape as possible, carefully avoiding, however, the vicinity of the desk. Cynthia arranged six candles in , ready to light, and they went down stairs again to arrange the others,—a task that was with some difficulty, as the candelabrum was rather high, and they were obliged to stand on chairs. At last all was ready and they hurried home to , agreeing to meet at two for the "great illumination"!
 
When they returned that afternoon, Cynthia had over the gas-lighter, which they found a indeed in so many candles[Pg 158] at such a height. When every tongue of flame was sparkling softly, the girls stepped back to admire the result.
 
"Isn't it the prettiest thing you ever saw?" cried Joyce in an of . "It beats a Christmas-tree all hollow! I've always heard that candle-light was the loveliest of all artificial illumination, and now I believe it. Just see how this room is transformed! We never saw those pictures properly before."
 
"Now it looks as it did fifty years ago," said Cynthia, softly. "Of course, houses were lighted by gas then, but only city ones or those near the city. I know, because I've been asking about it. Other people had to use oil-lamps. But there were some who kept on having candles because they preferred that kind of light—especially in country-houses. And evid............