Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-08-13


if she was going to Oh, no il
wouldn't do at all.
"Why do you ask, Miss Hum
phreys?''
"f will tell you frankly. There is a
very strong inclination on papa's part to
buy the stone house."
"Yes, know there is"
"And I don't want him to-"
May I ask why not p
because it's haunted.
81 don't see how that affects Mr..
Steele-he isn't haunted"
Mabel laughed. 81 don't suppose he
is. But that isn't what Imean. l want
to know if he is courageous enough Co
go there and see if it is really haunted. "
"Oh, 1 guess he's pretty brave; he
says he is, and Mr.. Humphreys thinks
so, too, believe"
Yes, papa is so enthusiastic over
Mr.. Butt mean Mr.. Steele's kind
heart and religious feeling he thinks
he must be good man, and not easily
frightened. She looked at me square
ly. "And / want to know if he's man
fully to be trusted"
with untold wealth ?"
"No; to see a ghost.
"Ah I see !"
you're brave too, aren't you, Mr..
Wolcott ?"
you're very kind to say so, but as
sure you there never was n worse coward
than / am. I've no courage at all-Tm
all brain Now there's the difference
between Mr.. Steele and myself.
Mabel rose. eyes, see the differ
ence," she said. "I am very much
obliged to you, Mr.. Wolcott, for your
good advice. | wasn't sure whether he
would undertake it. Brain is good
thing, so is courage prefer happy
mixture" And with a pleasant little
nod she sailed off,
l never saw until afterward what a
comparison had made-one all courage
and no brain, and the other all brain
and no courage. l had muddled things
badly, that was evident, and the worst
of it was that she never gave me an
opportunity to let her know / had not
intended disrespect to her future liege.
All this time Sol. Humphreys never
ceased talking about buying the stone
house At last Mabel made the PROPOSE
ton that some night we three, Ned,
Butter-Scotch, and myself, should go
there and stay until morning, and if our
report was "no ghosts" she would not
say any more against the purchasing
scheme but if anything diabolical or
mysterious happened, that her father
was to give up the idea. Our consent
being asked, we cheerfully gave it, and
as one time was as good as another, we
decided to make the experiment that
night.
Armed each with a stout stick and a
pillow, we advanced upon the haunted
dwelling about nine o'clock, and were
admitted by the man in charge, whose
headquarters were in an adjoining
building, which communicated with the
house by a long entry, at the end of
which was an iron door. This door was
closed and bolted after us, and we were
left to make our explorations III our own
way.
for one did not expect to see any
thing supernatural, but Mabel's stories
were very vivid, and would have liked
to oblige her by seeing something un-
canny. We had brought lantern with
sacrifcingly taken charge of it. So we
assembled the stairs, and made tour of
the upper floors, then descended, and
made another tour of the ground floor
and cellar, and Butter-Scotch considered
the exploration so thorough that he
strongly advocated going home and to
bed, and bringing in sealed verdict,
"No ghosts" But we wouldn't hear
of it. So, having made sure that the
front door was unlocked on the inside,
and could be opened instantaneously if
the proposed ghost were disposed to be
violent, or use language unfit for Gears
polite" we made ourselves as comfort
able in the hall as the circumstances of
no bed and an indefinite ghost would
allow.
Ten o'clock-no ghost. Eleven-not
sound. Eleven-thirty-"Ned, you're
snoring"
"Oh no; was thinking how"
"Great heavens % whispered Butter
Scotch.
"Where? where ?" we asked,
simultaneously.
Butter-Scotch wiped moth off his
cheek.
81 thought you saw something" Ned
said to him, irritably.
He went in my eye. / guess you d
cry out if bug went in your eye."
"That's all right, Scotchy. You're
game, eh, old man ?"
"This is sheer nonsense" Mr.. Steele
explained.
Whirr-rr-rr, fizz, thupp!
Butter-Scotch yelled, and started up.
"Sit down. Don't you know a June
bug when you hear one?''
"Was it, indeed?" and Butter-Scotch
wiped his forehead.
Suddenly there was a crash some
where In the house.
"By Georger' gasped Ned, "we're
in for it, boys, and don't you forget it p
don't know how long we waited,
but then it began again-frst a sneeze,
then a kissing sound, then pail roll
ing down stairs, followed by an assort-
ment Of dust.pans and fire-irons.
This was first class. After the storm
ceased, Butter Scotch, in a committee
of one, proposed that we should alte,
the verdict to GHOSTS emphatically, u
and 60 home. It was entertaining, but,
to tell the truth, he was sleepy.
; In q few minutes there was another
crash, and we saw something white or
! the stairs, slowly and solemnly approach