Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-03-06

'On, that Is delightful, said ECuy,
81 shall have good, quiet, lazy, dreamy
day of it, just such a day as one should
have after an episode with a ghost"
Though the rain battered sootbingly
upon the windows, and the warmth and
glow within were conducive to day
dreaming, Polly soon found the hours
of idleness growing tedious
II shall try again, she said, at last,
''to see if I can open the little door
which I am sure leads to my ghost
Polly was light and graceful and agile,
so to scramble from the back of the big
chairsto the top of the bookcase was but
the work of a moment. The little door,
which was sunken in the wall above,
was of black oak, richly carved. Polly
searched it closely to see if she could
find any possible way to open it. Sud-
denly, almost by chance, her fingers
touched little spot in the eye of one
of the carved griffins, a spring clicked,
and the door few open in her face.
Polly gave a scream, and sank down
upon the top of the bookcase. She
waited a moment; no sign, no sound re-
suited from her successful effort, and
she stood up and peered through the
doorway. Gradually, as her eyes be-
came accustomed to the semi-darkness,
she began to distinguish the objects in
the little room beyond. There was
case of books, large square table, and
one chair, big and coy and comfortable
looking.
POlly's father had always called her .
plucky girl, and now she hesitated only
a 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 a dead generation"
said Polly.
On the tables were papers, sheet after
sheet of manuscript, pencils, pens and
ink. The chair was sitting before the
table as if some one had just been
writing, and upon the hearth were fresh
embers.
"My ghost is certainly sensible
creature-humanly so,'' said Polly, as
she seated herself in the chair. and be-
gan to look over the papers on the table.
There were many notes and scraps,
meaningless and disjointed, but finally
she came to packet containing quite
long manuscript, closely written, much
folded and fingered.
''The ghost is an author" said Polly,
''and his manuscript has been rejected.
Proved unavailable for our columns
Poor fellow! Well, I shall read his
story. The plot thickens. Think of
being able to read ghosts story!"
She began to read, turning the leaves
over slowly at first, but gradually her
eyes flew over the closely written pages;
the words and thoughts were filling her
with an interest that she had seldom
felt.
eff only the woman had not been such
a stick" she said; ''if she had not said
such stiff, silly things, one could feel
that the story was perfect"
She sat moment in deep thought.
81 believe l can do it; at all events 1
shall try; but not now" She got up,
arranged the papers and chair just as
she had found them, and crept down
through the little door into her own
room.
The next day. Miss Paschall surprised
the fashionable stationer on the corner
by ordering a whole ream of ''foolscap."
Richard Blount opened the door of his
bare little study, put down the arpful
of wood he was carrying, and knelt
down upon the hearth to kindle fire.
He was what casual observer would
call an ugly man, but he had good,
well-knit figure, fine head, and strong
though irregular features.
There was a tired, troubled look on
his face, as he sat down to his writing
table and bent his head upon his folded
hands. He was weary in mind and body.
His days had been always days of toll;
30 70 ~ 10
With the heritage of a good name that
had come to him from his forefathers,
there had come from his father legacy
of debt which he had been striving for
years to pay.
''My task is almost done," he said to
himself. 'If I could only get my story
accepted! If 1 only knew how to make
it go! 1 feel sure there are good things
in it; but if 1 only knew what to make
the girl say! When fellows acquaint-
knowledge of his own grandmother,
he can't have a very clear idea of what
q young girls conversation would be
like. Well, I'll try once more and see
what can do with it."
He picked up the MS, which was
folded carefully, and still in the place
where he had left it.
Slowly he turned over the first few
pages. listlessly reading them. rs
Suddenly he held the paper up close
to the lamp. The handwriting had
changed There was no break in the
story, but as he read on he found whole
pages which he had not written, and
gradually it dawned upon him that
these additions were giving his story a
life, sparkle that it had not had be-
fore.
"Who can have done it?" he said,
when he had finished. ''No one knows
of this den but myself-not even grand
mother. Perhaps it is a ghost come
back from out our past grandeur" he
said, with smile, land very witty
ghost she is, too" looking at the beauti-
full womanly writing that was mingled
with his own. Il feel deeply indebted
to her for her interference. Well, shall
send the story off again, and, if it is
published, that will make my assistant
show up, if she be not ghost in very
truth I" he said. by and by