The door opened wider. Then an old woman, an old woman with a wrinkled face and straggling gray hair, looked out. In one hand she held a small flashlight.
She glared at Harry and Dorothy in their masquerade costumes, and then a look of deadly fear came over her face. She uttered several wild and piercing screams and turned back into the room, still gibbering and gasping.
A second later there was the sound of something wooden moving inside the room--a sound followed by a resounding blow, as though the heavy lid of a chest had fallen.
"Oh!" gasped Dorothy. "What is it? Who is she?"
"Must be that Viney Tucker, cousin of Granny's," exclaimed Harry. "But what was she doing up here? We must have frightened the wits out of her. And I'm afraid something has happened."
He hurried into the room, followed by Dorothy. The closet door was open and their lights, flashing within it, revealed a square hole in the floor--a square hole opening into a smooth wooden chute that curved downward and into the darkness. And from that darkness now came up faint moans.
"This is awful!" cried Dorothy. "What have we done?"
"We haven't done anything, but I think we have made a big discovery!" said Harry. "This trapdoor explains how Jim got into the cellar and I think that's where we'll now find Mrs. Tucker. She has been caught in her own trap!"
By this time the Christmas guests in the room below had come running out with their flashlights, calling up to know what was going on.
Harry hurried down the stairs, followed by Dorothy.
"The ghosts!" screamed Terry, pointing a trembling finger at them.
"No!" Harry shouted for he wanted to prevent any more hysterical outbursts. "It's just a little joke Dorothy and I started, but I'm afraid it is far from a joke now."
"What do you mean?" asked Granny Howe in a strained voice. "And where did you get those clothes?"
"We'll explain it all in a moment," answered Harry. "But just now I think we had better see about your cousin, Mrs. Howe."
"You mean Viney Tucker? What's the matter with her? Who did that awful screaming just now?"
"Mrs. Tucker; and I am afraid she has fallen down a secret passage into the cellar."
"But what does it all mean?" Sim exclaimed.
"I think," said Harry, "it means the end of the ghosts in the old Hall. Come along, any of you who wish to--if you aren't afraid--but perhaps Dick and I----"