Page:Lynch Williams--The girl and the game.djvu/324

 his to a thing," as one of the elders remarked, "something's bound to come." He bade them hide that night, which was Saturday night, in the organ loft. They had frequently done that before to no purpose, but they had such confidence in the quiet- mannered young man that they determined to try it.

So that night they lay low in the dust and darkness, which was disagreeable and mysterious; the lights from the street coming through stained glass only made it more mysterious. But they were used to that and did not feel it until suddenly at midnight, just as the clock in the tower overhead was announcing the beginning of another Sabbath day to be kept holy, a tall figure came down the aisle. It was covered with some sort of ghostly gown, and seemed to be carrying a flickering candle and a bucket. They saw the mysterious form cautiously approach the pulpit. Upon it, to their horror, they now saw appear in phosphorescent paint the letters R-a-t-s. Then the intruder turned and began tearing leaves from the