Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-07-14
Miss mildred's Warning.

There, girIs!'
Elfrida Moore held aloft before us A
dreadful IMAGE. "A homemade ghost. -
she called il, laughing al the terrific result
4 her half hour Of sedulOus occupation.
Il lCds bOUiDlei
We had been reading, that afternoon.
abOul the Princess Amelia, the ill-fated
sister Of Frederick, King Of Prussia.
One thing brought mp another. And
when an aliusiOn was made % the ''WOmsn
With sIe Broom" who was said 10 have
haunted the PrIssian palace, a. that time.
Ellrida sought carpet brush with a long
handle, In Tie clOset al the head Of the
stain, and, standing IN the outer chamber
alone began 10 dress Il artistically In a
sheet, By way oi showing u her own idea
.; the phantom that troubled ,he ret Of
Pfussia's king.
We girls were alone IN the wing chamber,
which had been allotted for our occupancy
by Miss Mildred Fay, the owner Of the
lDye.y farm. and the comfortable. old fash
i)Ded farmhouse, ia Western Pennsylvania.
Nhefc, with Our parents, and other friends,
Newcre spending the early vacation months
= the opening summer.
Ons other girl, Elfrida's first cousin,
Evelyn Moore, shared the wing chamber
Hitb ~.
She had now gone % the village, two
miles Gis.sut- for the evening mail.
And E!frida, who was somewhat enviOus
Of Sn.%%eeiiyB's superior scholarship, social
pJStiOn and good looks, declared tina: she
would leave her ''woman with the broom"
- near the door Of our chamber, and in
such O position, that Il would inevitably
fall against Evelyn, as soon as she entered
70 bring our letters.
''5nc sdys that she - afraid Of nothing
that she does Eot beiieUe in ghnsts and
apparitieHs," she said 10 Us. Now let's
Try her courage. We will hide in the un-
finished chamber, outside, where we can
see and hear al that passes between her
and my phantom"
While we were eyeing he image from
respectful distance, and feeling half afraid
Of the hideOus face and the flaming eyes,
which Elfrida had drawn with a, few
touches Of her crayOn and a little phOs-
phDrus on ihC white surface Of the sheet,
rustling sound and movement in the outer
chamber made us all huddle together. and
strain our eyes fearfully toward its dusky
entrance.
We all felt relieved, think Q own that
! did, for one), when our hostess, Miss
Mildred. emerged from the gloom, and en-
tered our room without pausing 10 knock
ElfrIda tried 10 thrust the homemade
ghost into a corner, quite out OF sight. But
il was useless to try to conceal from Miss
Mildred ssearchi- y-comprehensive glance
the hapless apparition.
(Which Of you girls made this Why
did you make ii z" she asked, holding 1t
out at arms length.
ElGrida told her.
''And please, Miss Mildred, don't tell
Evelyn" she said, cOaxingly. ''We only
wish TO find out whether she IS redtty
drawer about such things than We are. She
saws she is: and she declared the other
evening that the real woman with the
broom would not have frightened her IN
the least-if she had seen ard heard her
sweeping. mean, in the passages OF the
royal palace"
And did you believe her y asked Miss
Mildred. bending her keen, gray eyes on
Elfrida's eager face.
s.No: / did not" confessed Elfrida.
"Dld youN
Miss Mildred addressed US.
/ owned that | had my doubts.
Marion Hurst, with half-ayerted, timid
look at the dreadful object, that was still
held by our hostess, declared that she had
no doubt whatever.
..No one could help feeling terrified at
such sight coming suddenly upon them,
she averTed.
'.You are none of you without your far
share of common sense, said Miss Mildred.
And vet you can deliberately plan and aid
and abet deed like this J"
She tossed the image out into the dark,
open chamber
With an angry exclamation, Elfrlda was
sprinpinp after il: but she found herself
held back by q strong hand.
''No, girls! that same thing mas M DeeL !.
done in this very house once before wan
till | tell you what came OF IL DeIore you
Try agln to carry it out,
At the thought OF hearing story, Eiiriua
forgot her momentary anger, and crowueo
in beside us, near the chair at the Winuo"'
where Miss Mildred had now seated hef-
elf -.
She looked at us very sadly. The nan.
light NAV have deceived me, but ihougn'
then, and | still think, that her Keen gray
ewes we're full of tears, as she Degan u
speak. y,
~ did not alway live here by myi:i
girls. in the old homestead, she saiu
Five and-twenty years ago, my oeal
mother and father were here; ana L h'iu
darling brother, one year older than my
self. named Oliver, and a sister, youhse
than either of us, who was caiieo lsauue
aftel the heroine of story that my n'sne
had read, and liked very much, just DEBUT
her birth.
81 was always tall, and thin, ana gaun, IN.
as YOU see Inc now, girls. ltook alter NY H
father. He looked well enough ior nia;, an
mind YOU. But his features and ngure a' ua'
not suit a girl, and l was always c'iie'
sbomely' from a child ,,- ,,z
"But Oliver was handsome, ike my
mother. He had great blue eyes ano cur, un,
ing brown hair, and the brightest Color an. un'
the sweetest smile. And lsadore was m In
him. only far more beautiful: You nav
seen her portrait, down stairs.