The door gave way under their assaults, and
the three little ones stood peeping in, wait-
ing for permission to enter. But it did not
seem to be their grandma -- their own dear
grandma -- who arose and tottered toward
them in fierce haste, crying:

"Away, away! Out of my sight! Out of
my sight before I do the thing I want to do!
Such a terrible thing! Send some one to me
quick, children, children! Send some one
quick!"

They fled with feet shod with fear, and
their mother came, and Grandma Hanscom
sank down and clung about her skirts and
sobbed:

"Tie me, Miranda. Make me fast to the
bed or the wall. Get some one to watch me.
For I want to do an awful thing!"

They put the trembling old creature in bed,
and she raved there all the night long and
cried out to be held, and to be kept from
doing the fearful thing, whatever it was -- for
she never said what it was.

The next morning some one suggested tak-