Halstead seemed to have resigned himself to his task.

Addison's pencil ciphered away; and I grew absorbed in Colter's flight from the Indians.
Before long, however, a pungent odor, as of fat on a hot stove, began to pervade the house.

Addison looked up and sniffed.

Just then we heard Theodora race suddenly down the hall stairs, speed to the other door of the kitchen, then cry out and go flying back upstairs.

An instant later she and Ellen rushed down, with grandmother Ruth hard after them.
Evidently something was going wrong.