The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-19
THE GHOST
OF ELM CREEK.
BY MARIGOLD.

profound dismay, as he glanced up from the
letter he WAS peruSing.
at makes my head ache to think" said
his dark-eyed little wife. who was hushing
her baby to sleep.
Aunt Trib is coming!" in sepulchral
tones. Look out Della-don't let the boy
fall Yes, she will be here tomorrow.
Listen, my child and don't let your wits go
wool gathering"
He read aloud as follows:
Dear NephelC: l Shall be In Lyons on the
10Th at l O'clock aud look for you 10 meet me
with The carriage. Now that there is baby In
the house. my presence viii be INDISPENSABLE 10
Della, who is only child herself, so l shall stay
with you ali wiuter p'Ne Gods. forefendi" eX-
claimed Charley pously9 hear Della leaves
everything 10 the care Of the girl so The place
must be al skies and sevens. Here May gave
disdainInl sniff l will soon set things to
rights. C'lndeed you Will do no snch thing!'
observed Della, Indignantly shall bring the
baby some boneSet-it Is the best thing for chill.
dTen-
''Dick. don't read another linew broke in
the babv's mother. "Boneset, indeed The
idea! What does that old woman think she
knows about babies? She never had one
herself"
Della, what are we TO do? She is coming
with the full intention of remaining and
taking root"
Scare her away" said Della, promptly.
at can't be DONE" groaned Charley.
lell ner lhele is Smallpox or dlphtherla
in the vicinity. Tell her every one gets la
grippe who stays here through the winter.
Tell her anything, Dick, only induce her to
take herself and her boneset and her false
teeth back to Omaha"
Della, look at your brOther!" cried Rich.
suddenly. What have you done to him?
Speak, Charley! Where are you in pain?"
But Charley only grimaced and flung his
arms wildly above his head, while he
p Trithed ms If in the last agonies.
D. 81 fnh sod t.
speeches.. What direful misfortune has
befalen us! Shall we never hear those
dear. II Slightly .idiotic, utterances again =?
Try to speak, Charles l beseeeh you. They
say unlimited pinching is good for this sort
of attack" rising.
Charley waved him back.
Her teeth" he gasped family.
Rich and Della broke into fit of immod-
crate laughter, in the midst of which the
baby awoke and yelled like small savage,
thereby causing diversion.
The next day arrived; also Aunt TTib,
satchel, handbook, bag. bundle, parasol, lap
dog and parrot. Della held up both hands
In horror as the last two met her view.
"TrlbulatiOns never come singly," she re-
marked, soto yoee, 10 Charley, and hurried
TO welcome her guest, leaving that graeeleSS
young man in commissions.
Miss Tribulation Warren was tall and
angular maiden the shady side of 80
ishe owned to So with Ratchet face and
corkscrew ringlets. She wore glasses and
was literarily inclined, having a faculty.
like Mr.. Wegg, OF dropping into poetry"
upon all occasions Moreover she was fear
fully and wonderfully superstitious, as this
story will reveal.
In less than an hour after her advent into
The Robertson household paDdemonium
regned. She frightened the baby into fits
by ehucking him under the chin and calling
him IAN epitOme of his father" Baby, who
was used to being dubbed "a chip OF the old
BLOCK" walled long and loud, and refused
10 be comforted. Leaving Della to quiet
him as best she might, Aunt Trib sailed into
the kitchen to superintend Mary in her
preparations for tea.
Never stir biscuit, Mary" she admon-
ished. 1T makes them heavy. You should
beat them well Not too much salt and
baking powder with sweet milk-no soda.
Even full, Mary, even full I'm afraid that
is too generous measure"
Mary, who made beautiful bread and bis
cult when left TO herself, became exceed
ingly nervous and Inuidled with SO many
directions, and heaved a sigh Of relief when
the biscuit was at last in the oven.
In about ten minutes a strange odor be-
gan 10 peryade the kitchen, and Aunt Trib,
white as sheet, burst into the sitting
room.
Della" she cried. wringing her hands in
an agony Of fear. Della, child, your house
is hauntadp'
WHAT exclaimed Della, in utter amaze
ment
"Hauntedp' reiterated Aunt Trib. sink
ing into a chair. The kitchen Is fairly
blue with sulphur! | tell you, secret
crime has been committed in this house"
Nonsense! said Della, rising and going
ont to investigate.
An unmistakable odor Of birthstone
greeted her nostrils as she opened the
kitchen door. She sneezed, strangled and
ex laimed in half-suffocated voice:
Mary, what, have you been fumigating
the house for?"
Mary turned upon her mistress In wrath
"What did you let her come poking her
nose out here for2 she stormed. and up
setting me SO that mistook can of sui
phur and baking powder, and put two
spOOnfuls in the biscuit?'
Della gave one glance at the dingy, heavy
mass In the big tin on the table. and sank
into chair, helpless with laughter.
IPhew-wP exclaimed Rich and Charley
in a breath. as they paused at the open door.
What internal compound are you girls
brewing in there?"
Della, with gasps for breath between the
peals OF mirth, managed to enlighten them,
and drawing vivid picture of Aunt Trib
covering in mortal terror in one corner of
the parlor, soon rendered the young men as
helpless as herself.
What jolly lark!" gasped Charley, as
soon as ne could speak. 81 say, Della, don't
let on TO her that it was only a mistake OF
Mary's and I'll wager a box of French
candy against ditto of cigars that your
greatest trbulation will leave you before
three days"
'DOnep' said Della, promptly. Here,
Dick, go and give these biscuit to the pigs
quick! 1 hear her coming"
''All right" and Rich seized the tin.
He vanished, and Mary CLOSED the oven
door on fresh tin OF biscuit just as Aunt
Trib's tremulous hand lifted the latch, and
her frightened face looked in.
Come In, Miss Warren" said Charley.
- TesssuTingly, 1t is nothing nothing You
know Elm Creek boasts of ghost and this
is only precursor Of his usual visit. You
will perceive the odor is dying away. Don't
be alarmed. You will get used to it if Won
remain here long"
"Wh-what do you mean?" asked Aunt
Trib, family, as she took his proffered chair
Are you-are you actually-haunted?"
Did you never hear the story?" ex-
claimed Charley, In apparent surprise
THAT is strange~ with glance full Of re-
preach at Della. You know Rich bought
this place OF physicia9-Doctor Delorme
Well. in the first palmy days of his practice
Doctor Delorme attended a poor Irshman
through long illness, supplying him with
every luxury. He died in the end, poor
fellow. and left his bones to the doctor as
the only Testimonial of gratitude he was
able to render. So Delorne brought the
skeleton nome. One night thieves broke
into the house-oT, at least, some of the
outraged neighbOrs, who objected to any
man 10 the community keeping skeleton in
scattered the bones over the place, leaving
the skull nailed to the gate-post. The doc
tor tried to gather up the bones, and buried
all he could find; but many were missing
The people hereabouts say the place is
haunted, the poor Irishman being unable to
restin his grave with part of his bones miss
ing. l have never seen his ghostship N.Y.
self, but this smell of sulphur is certainly
mysterious"
30, Charley" broke in Della, plying
Aunt Trib's white face "You know this
is an idle tale. The spirit of the dead never
come back. He is trying to brighten you,
Aunt Trib; don't mind him"
Della" said the old lady. huskily. sis
this story true?-about DR.. Delorme, /
mean. and the neighb0rs breaking up the
skeleton?"
Yes" Della admitted, reluctantly; "but
about the place being haunted-that is but
superstition in the nelghborhood."
Della" said Aunt Trib, 'if any OF the
bones OF the dead are missing, they do come
hack Tn thu nlacp where thew ware lost I