Here's a short story:

Wide awake in Aunt Bet's Southern house, Annie Van Lew shivered at the sounds of distant guns. It was bad enough that America was at war, but the young Virginia girl was not used to battles being fought this close. _ .Annie sat up in bed and listened.Had a stranger broken in? Earlier, the family had heard that captured officers recently escaped from a prison nearby. 

Quietly opening her bedroom door, Annie walked out. A figure in a black gown was walking down the hall. It was Aunt Bet, carrying a candle in one hand and a plate of fried chicken in the other. 

Annie followed her aunt to a stairway at the far end of the house. Aunt Bet climbed to the top, and opened a door leading to the attic . Annie followed closely behind. 

In the attic, Aunt Bet stopped at a chest of drawers, moved it aside, and felt along the wall behind it. Slowly a door sprang open, revealing a hidden room. A thin man stepped out of the opening. As Aunt Bet handed him the plate of food, the young man saw Annie in the doorway and froze. 

Desperately shaking her head "no", the girl raised one finger to her lips. The officer understood and shifted his look. Quickly Annie went back downstairs and hid, waiting until after Aunt Bet left to return. Back inside the attic,Annie called softly to the man inside, who told her where to find the hidden spring. 

Soon the young officer stood in the open doorway. A small candle burned on a table behind him and, in its soft light, Annie studied his face. Clear eyes reflected the calm of one who faced death bravely. 

Smiling, he said,"What trouble you should have gotten into if your aunt had turned around!" That night, Annie learned Aunt Bet was one of many daring Southerners whose hatred of slavery drove them to risk their lives by spying for the North. The girl chatted as she dared, wishing her new friend luck when he said he would leave at dawn. 

Back in her room, Annie felt proud and was determined to guard her family's secret to the end. (End of story)

Provide your best guess for the following question. Give ONLY the guess, no other words or explanation.

For example:

Guess: <most likely guess, as short as possible; not a complete sentence, just the guess!>

Here are a few examples of questions and answers:

Question: What made Annie shiver?
Guess: sounds of distant guns

Question: Where was she staying?
Guess: Aunt Bet's Southern house

Question: What rumor had they heard?
Guess: captured officers recently escaped

Question: Where had they fled from?
Guess: a prison nearby

Question: Who was in the hall?
Guess: Aunt Bet

Question: What was she holding?
Guess: a candle in one hand

Question: anything else?
Guess: fried chicken

Question: where did she go?
Guess: attic

Question: what was up there?
Guess: A thin man

Question: where was he?
Guess: a hidden room

Question: what covered the entrance?
Guess: a chest of drawers

Question: what did the man do when he saw Annie?
Guess: froze

Question: when did she go back?
Guess: after Aunt Bet left

Question: how did she find the secret latch?
Guess: The man told her where to find it.

Question: did he seem afraid?
Guess: No

Now answer the following question in the same format.

Question: what was Aunt Bet doing?

spying