Was
Sarah being murdered? She was half-way down the stairs before the
thought that sent her was plain to herself.
The house seemed unnaturally still. At the top of the kitchen stairs she
called aloud to Sarah--as loud, that is, as a certain tremor in her
throat would permit. There came no reply. Down she went to face the
worst: she was a woman of true courage--that is, a woman whom no amount
of apprehension could deter when she knew she ought to seek the danger.
In the kitchen stood Sarah, motionless, frozen with fear. A candle was
in her hand, just lighted. Hester's voice seemed to break her trance.
She started, stared, and fell a trembling. She made her drink some
water, and then she came to herself.
"It's in the coal-cellar, miss!" she gasped. "I was that minute going to
fetch a scuttleful! There's something buried in them coals as sure as my
name's Sarah!"
"Nonsense!" returned Hester. "Who could scream like that from under the
coals? Come; we'll go and see what it is."
"Laws, miss! don't you go near it now. It's too late to do anything.
Either it's the woman's sperrit as they say was murdered there, or it's
a new one.
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