136 THE SILVER LAKE STORIES.

point of seizing her by the neck, and
she begged that they would immedi-
ately shut and bolt the door. Her
mamma, and her brothers and sisters ©
laughed most heartily at her story,
which pained her exceedingly; but
they could not persuade her to show
them the place where she had seen this
terrible creature. She, however, direct-
ed them to the spot where she had seen
it, begging them all the time not to
expose themselves to danger by going
there; but she could not succeed in
frightening them, and they soon discov-
ered, that the monster with extended
arms, was nothing but the standard, on