The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-06-24
MISS MILDRED's WARMING.

There, girlsp --=----
Eifrida Moore held aloft before us q
dreadful image. "a house-made ghost, I"
she called it, laughing at the terrific re-
suit of her haf-hour of sedulous occupa-
ton.
It aods horriblel
We had been reading, that afternoon,
about the Princess Amelia, the ill-fated
sister of Frederick, King of Prussia.
One thing brought up another. And
when an aIlusion was made to the
woman with the Broom, who was said
to have haunted the Prussian palace, at
that time, Elfrida sought carpet brush,
with q long handle, In the closet at the
head of the stairs, and standing in the
outer chamber alone, began to dress it
artistically In a sheet, by way of showing
us her own idea of the phantom that
troubled the rest of Prussia's Kings.
We girls were alone in the wing
chamber, which had been allotted for our
occupancy by Miss Mildred Fay, the
owner of the lovely farm, and the COM
Portable, old-fashioned farmhouse IN
Western Pennsylvania, where, with our
BaF and other friends, we were
Spending the early vacation months of
the opening summer.
One other girl, Elfrida's first cousin,
Evelyn Moore. shared the wing chamber
with us.
She had now gone to the village, two
miles distant, for the evening mail.
And Elfrida, who was somewhat enyi-
ousof Evelyn's scholarship, social position
and good looks, declared that she would
leave her woman with the broom % so
near the door of our chamber, and in
11al,- fl,ok
fall against Evelyn, as soon as she en-
tered, to bring our letters.
'fShe Says that she is afraid of nothing
that she does not believe in ghosts and
apparitions, she said to us. "Now
let's try her courage. We win hide in
the unfinished chamber, outside. where
we can see and hear all that passes be-
tween her and my phantom. J"
While we were eying the image from a
respectful distance, and feeling half
afraid of the hideous face and the fam
ing eyes, which Elfrida had drawn with
few touches of her crayon and q little
phosphorous on the white surface of the
sheet, rustling sound and movement in
the outer chamber made us all huddle
together and strain our eyes fearfully to-
ward its dusky entrance
We all felt relieved, / think q own
thatI did, for one), when our hostess.
Miss Mildred, emerged from the gloom
and entered our room without pausing to
knock
Elfnda tried to thrust the homemade
ghost into corner, quite out of sight.
But 1t was useless to try and conceal
from Miss Mildred's searchingly-com-
prehensive glance the helpless apparition.
(Which of Won girls made this9 WIN
QUO you maze ltf she asked, holding It
ouS T1s ns arm rs, iehgtn.
irioa ooid her.
ana please, MISS Mildred, don't tell
Evelyn, sne SAID coaxlngly we only
wish to lind out whether she Is really
PRAYER about such things than we are.
ene says she Is; and she declared the 70,
other evening that the real woman with
. broom would not have frightened her
IN the least-If she had seen and heard
her sweeping, mean, In the passages OF
the royal palace.
"And did you believe herr" asked Miss
Mildred, bending her keen, gray eyes on
Elflda's eager face;
No; 1 did not, confessed Ehnda.
"Did your
Miss Mildred addressed us.
owned that had my doubts.
Marian Hurst, with a half-averted,
tmid look at the dreadful object, that
was still held by our hostess, declared
that she had no doubt whatever.
mo one could help feeling terrified at
sucha sight coming suddenly upon them"
she averred.
"You are none of you without YOU fair
share of common sense" said Miss NIL
dred- "And you can deliberately plan