Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-13

porch when Mabel came out. Mr. VOL
cott," she said, "are you going to be busy
for few minutes ?"
81 think not" l replied "Mr. Hum
;; phreys doesn't want to begin for half an
hour yet"
Over to the croquet ground we strolled,
and Mabel sat down on one of the rustic
seats. Without preamble of any kind she
began:
a know you have friendly feeling for
us all, Mr.. Wolcott, and l want to ask
your opinion and advice"
bowed, for she was unquestionably
right about my friendly feeling, but l Won
| dered what was coming.
She went on What do you think of
| Mr.. Steele?"
Well, that was a poserl What did l
think of Butter-Scotch? That he was a
fool, of course; but l reflected that it
wouldn't do to tell her so, particularly if
she was going to-. Oh, no, that would
not do at all.
"Why do you ask, Miss Humphreys ?''
~ will tell you frankly There is very
strong inclination on papa's part to buy
yonder house"
"Yes, ! know there is"
"And don't want him to-
May | ask why not ?"
Because it's haunted"
Il 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 | mean. | want to
know if he is courageous enough to go
there and see if it really is haunted"
GnL / Iara l,cj |,
says he is, and Mr.. Humphreys thinks Sc
too, believe"
'Yes, papa is so enthusiastic over him
[ mean Mr. Steele's kind heart and relig.
ious feeling; he thinks he must be good
man, and not easily frightened" She
looked at me steadily. "And | want to
know if he is a man fully to be trusted
"With untold wealth ?"
mo, to see a ghost"
"Ahl see!"
"You're brave too, aren't you, Mr.. VOL
colt ?"
"You're very kind to say so, but l as
sure you there never was worse coward
than / am. I've no courage at all-Pm
all brain Now, there's the difference be-
tween Mr.. Steele and myself"
| IldDSl TOSe see the
she said. 81 am very much obliged tc
you, Mr.. Wolcott, for your good advice. !
wasn't sure whether he would undertake
it. Brain is a good thing, so is courage;
prefer happy mixture" And with a
| pleasant little nod she sailed off.
/ never saw until afterwards what COM
parison | had made-one all courage and
no brain, and the other all brain and nc
courage. | had muddled things badly
that was evident, and the worst of it was
that she never gave me an opportunity te
let her know had not intended any dis.
respect to her future iege.
All this time Sol Humphreys never
ceased talking about buying the large
house. At last Mabel made the PROPOSE
ton that some night We three, Ned, But
ter-Scotch and myself, should 90 there and
stay until morning, and if our report was
mo ghosts" she would not say any more
against the purchasing scheme but i
anything diabolical or mysterious hap
/ pened, that her father was to give up the
idea. Our consent being asked, we cheer
| fully gave it, and as one time was as gooc
as another, we decided to make the expert
ment that night.
Armed each with stout stick and a
pillow, we advanced upon the haunted
dwelling about 9 o'clock, and were admit.
ted by the man in charge, whose head
quarters were in an adjoining building
which communicated with the house by .
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 ex.
| plorations in our own way.
|, for one, did not expect to see auv-
thing supernatural, but Mabels stories
were very vivid, and | would have liked
to obliged her by seeing something un
canny We had brought lantern with us
and Butter-Scotch had very self-sacrifc
ingly taken charge of it. So we assembled the
stairs, and made tour of the upper floors
then descended and made another tour O
the ground floor and cellar, and Butter
Scotch considered the exploration Sc
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, anc
could be opened instantaneously if the
proposed ghosts were disposed to be vio.
lent, or use language unfit for Gears polite,
we made ourselves as comfortable in the
hall as circumstances of no bed and an in
definite ghost would allow.
! Ten o'clock-no ghost. Eleven-not g
sound. Eleven-thirty-"Ned, you're snor
ing"
'Oh, no; was thinking how"
Great Heavensm whispered Butter
Scotch.
| HWLo-ao . 49, o, 80 .,I-ol :.,.l..
ously.
Butter-Scotch wiped moth off his
cheek.
Il thought you saw something" Ned
said to him, irritably.
He went in my eye. Probably you'd
cry out if beetle went in your eye"
That's all right, Scotchy. YOU'RE
game, eh, old man ?'
This is sheer nonsense Mr.. Steele ex-
planned
Whirr-rr-rr, fzz, thupp!
Butter-Scotch yelled and started up.
Sit down. Don't you know Jun,
beetle when you hear one?"
Was it, indeed ?'' and Butter-Scotcl
| wiped his forehead.
Suddenly there was a crash somewhere
in the house
"Ey George" gasped Ned, "ws're in
for it, boys"
don't know how long we waited, but il
began again--frst a sneeze, then kissing
sound, then pail rolling down stairs, fol
lowed by an assortment of dnst-pans and
fire-irons.
This was irst-class. After the storm
ceased Butter-Seotch, in a committee Of
one, proposed that we should alter the
verdict to ghosts emphatically," and &c
home. 1t was entertaining, but, to tell the
truth, he was sleepy.
In q few minutes there was another
crash, and We saw something white on the
stairs slowly and cola,pplv annroaal,;,r-