One evening Jannet wrote somewhat later than she had intended, for she was telling Miss Hilliard all about the mystery and the excitement. Could it be, Jannet thought, so short a time since she left the school and came to Uncle Pieter's? But so much had happened! And she had made herself such a part of the family, in these last days especially. Jannet felt very happy and told Miss Hilliard so, though she took care to say that not even her own family could ever take Miss Hilliard's place in her heart.
"Perhaps I'll even find my pearls," she thought, as she slipped between her sheets and drew only a light blanket over her. She fell asleep thinking of school affairs, for Lina had just written that school closed a little later than usual and would not be over till the second week in June. Uncle Pieter had said that she might have Lina to visit her and she "would write to L"--, and her purpose drifted off into a dream.
But a more gentle ghost was drifting toward Jannet, one as ignorant of Jannet as Jannet was of the ghost.
It was about the hour for ghosts, midnight, when an automobile turned into the drive from the main road and rolled rapidly up and around the house and even into the back part not far from the barns.
"I can't see a light anywhere," said the lady who sat with the driver and who was peering out with the greatest interest. "If it were not for the trees and certain landmarks, I would think that we had driven into the wrong place."
"Perhaps we have," suggested the other lady who sat behind.
"No, indeed. I am not mistaken, but I scarcely know what to do. If we had not been so delayed,--I just meant to call, since I was so near,--and I wanted to see--one or two things."
"If this were _my_ old home, I certainly would see what I wanted to, even if I waked somebody up. You are hopeless sometimes, my dear!"
The first lady laughed. "So I am. Well, I see that they have left the old house intact anyhow. Pieter said that he intended to do so. But you can scarcely understand how I want to see it and how I do _not_ want to see it. Come on, then, Francis, see me to the door, please, and Lydia, it is goodnight if I can get inside, though I may sit up until morning, thinking. I hope that you may be able to sleep in the village hotel. I appreciate your sacrifice. But call for me after breakfast, unless I telephone for you earlier."