Plot: The story is a historical horror novel set in the Pennsylvania coal fields during the 1880s. Characters: Caroline Springer: A young and pretty orphan who marries a much older mine-owner. Jonathan Warren: A wealthy, self-possessed mine owner who is preoccupied with labor disputes and neglects his young wife. Aunt Harriet and Aunt Eloise: Jonathan’s aunts who live in the family’s mansion and mistreat Caroline. Aunt Harriet is obsessed and domineering, while Aunt Eloise is nervous and self-effacing. Themes: The novel explores themes of suspense, murder, and the dark secrets that unfold in the mansion. It climaxes with the historic Johnstown Flood of 1889, which ultimately settles the plot.