At last, just as the watcher had begun to think some serious accident
had happened to her courageous relative and was considering starting on
a relief expedition, the lantern reappeared.

"Emily!" screamed Mrs. Barnes. "Emily! Come here!"

Emily came, fighting her way against the wind. She found her cousin
standing by the corner of the house.

"I've got it," cried Aunt Thankful, panting but triumphant. "I've
got it. One of the windows on the other side is unfastened, just as I
suspicioned it might be. I think one of us can get in if t'other helps."

She seized the arm of her fellow castaway and together they turned the
corner, struggled on for a short distance and then stopped.

"This is the window," gasped the widow. "Here, right abreast of us.
See!"

She held up the lantern. The window was "abreast" of them, but also it
was a trifle high.

"It ain't fastened," shouted Thankful; she was obliged to shout in order
to be heard. "I could push it open a little mite from the bottom, but
I couldn't reach to get it up all the way. You can if I steady you, I
guess. Here! Put your foot on that box. I lugged it around from the back
yard on purpose."

Standing on an empty and shaky cranberry crate and held there by the
strong arm of Mrs. Barnes, Emily managed to push up the lower half