Treasure in much distress.
"Maybe it's a warning of some kind or another!" opined the postman, who
had been passing and had joined the party.
Whatever might occasion the noises, they continued with great regularity.
The postman, continuing his round, spread news of the strange happening,
and soon quite a number of people came into the wood to listen for
themselves. No one was in the least able to account for the sounds, and
the general opinion was that the tree was haunted. Superstition ran rife,
and most of the neighbours considered it must be a portent. Poor Mrs.
Treasure began to be quite sure it had some intimate connection with her
mother's illness. Several girls were weeping hysterically, and one of
them asked if the end of the world was coming. Meantime, more and more
people kept crowding into the wood, and the idea spread that some
disaster was imminent.
"My John's out with the trawler!" wailed one woman. "I wish I'd not let
him go! As like as not he'll be wrecked!"
"You never know!" agreed a friend.
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