Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-02-07
POLLY'S GHOST.

fusion abo,t her bare white throat, her
brown eyes as wide us if she had not
been i'll bed and asleep for hours. The
and shonc with dim, soft radiance over
all the richly furnished ROOM
Polly stared about her. The chairs,
| the tables, the little quantity carved stand
| by the window, and which held her
precious pilgrim bottle, were all just us
she had lett them. What could the noise
have been! Suddenly her eyes fell upon
tho little square door in the wall high
above the bookcase.
"My ghost at last" said Polly, clasp.
ing her pretty little palms together She
waited Il moment in brcathlcss silence,
but, hearing no repetition of the noise
which had awakened her, she sprang out
of bed, put on her slippers and dressing
gown, threw some bits of wood upon the
still glowing cmbcrs, and turning out the
lamp she sat down before the fire to await
thc ghost, whose coming she had been
expecting for 10. these many days.
The Paschalls, father, mother and
daughter, had moved into their present
abode to await the erection of their own
house, and upon the very first day of
their coming Polly had spicd the little
"sccrct door" rs she called it, and Sc
lected this for her room.
''Just think of the possibilities for a
romance" she said to her father, and lie
had gotten upon the louscccancr's step
ladder aud found the door fastened hard
and fast.
sit is NIL safe he said.
go, want it to he safe from mortal
hands" Polly said; "but ghosts stand
not back for bolts and bars"
"If it is II ghost you want" said her
father, ''you may get it, This house be-
longs to one of the oldest, and Mt one
time the wealthiest, families in the State.
1t has stood here for years, and has
known many changes, and, presume,
could tell many stories and perhaps give
up good many ghosts rented it
from swcct-faced, grand-looking old
lady, who lives somehow aud somewhere
Ill those dark apartments next door to us.
l think she is the only surviving member
of the noble family whose glory and
wealth have departed. No. | believe
she told me that there was boy, her
grandson, who is working at-shc told
me what he does, but don't remember"
GLOW interesting" exclaimed Polly.
al am sure | shall find ghost"
But so many uncvcutful months had
passed since she cnsconccd herself in the
rooms that she had almost forgotten to
expect Il ghost until tonight, when n
noise as Of slippcred feet walking over
hprI l,ar. nnn, t.l 1 l.
She sat for a long time, her eyes fixed
upon the little door, expecting every
moment that Il ghostly hand would undo
the hidden lock, and ghostly form
would emerge from the darkness beyond.
But--her maid found l:llsEs still sitting and
fast asleep tie next morning when she
came % awaken her.
"My pretty Polly will have gloomcy
day of it, fear said her father when
he kissed her goodbye. at is raining
in torrents"
so, that is delightful, said Polly: Il
shall have good, quiet, lazy, dreamy
day of il, just such Il day rs one should
have after an episode with ghost"
"Iours was very tame episode, " said
her mother. al should want somcthin"
really exciting"
"Ncver you fear" said Polly; ''last
nights experience was only the beginning
Just the prelude, as it were the excite
mcnt is yet 10 come"
Though the rain battered soothinrly
upon the windows, and the warmth and
glow within were conducive to day
fIrcuriin,s D,ll,- a..
of idlcncss growing long and tedious.
al shall try for the hundreth time
she said ut last, 'to see if 1 can open the
little door, which | am sure leads TO INV
ghost"
Polly was light and graceful aud agile,
so to scramble from the back of the big
chair to the top of the book case was but
the work Of Il moment.
The little door which was sunkcn in
the wall above was of black oak, richly
covered. Polly searched it closely to see
if she could find any possible way to open
it. Suddenly, almost by chance, her
fingers touched II little spot in the eye of
one OF the carved grlilins, spring clicked
the door flew open in her face.
Polly gave Il scream and sank down
upon the top OF the book case. She
waited moment; no sigh, no sound re.
suited from her successful effort and she
stood up and pccrcd through the door
| way.
Gradually, MS her eyes become accus-
toned to the semidarkness, she began to
distinguish the objects in the little room
beyond. There was little case of books,
large square table and one chair, big
and cosy and comfortable looking.
Polly's father had always called her n
"plucky" girl, and now she hcsitated
only moment, then stepped up through
the opening into the room beyond
1t was very small room she found
when she had gotten in, and the only
door that led from it was locked. The
books on the shelves were old and rusty
looking.
They belong to dead generation, "
said Polly.
On the table were papers, sheet after