The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-01-21

1 An unmistakable odorof birthstone
greeted her nostrils as she opened the
kitchen door. She sneezed, strangled
and exclaimed in half-suffocated
voice:
! MARY, what have you been fumiga.
sting the house for?'
/ Mary turned upon her mistress in
wrathful disgust.
her nose out here for?" she stormed,
"and upsetting me SO that I mistook
a can OF sulphur for baking powder,
and put two spoonsfuls in in the bis
cuit?"
| Della gave one glance at the dingy,
heavy mass in the big tin on the table,
and sank into a chair helpless with
laughter
"Phew-w" exclaimed Rich and
Charley in a breath, as they paused
at the open door. ''What internal
compound are you girls brewing in
tkere?' ....
Della, with gasps for breath between
the peals OF mirth, managed to en-
tighten them, and drawing O. vivid pic
ture OF Aunt Trib covering in mortal
terror in one corner of the parlor, soon
rendered the young men us helpless as
herself. -@....s a..
"What a Jolly lark!' gasped Char
| ley, as soon as he could speak, II
say, Della, don't let on to her that it
was only mistake OF Mary's and I'll
wager a box Of French candy against
ditto OF cigars that your greatest trib-
ulation will leave you before three
days" -. ... .sE -.5
"DoneH' said Della promptly.
''Here, Dick, go and give these biscuit
to the pigs-quick! hear her com;
ing" ...... a...-.
"All right" and Rich seized the tin.
He vanished, and Mary closed the
oven door on a fresh tin of biscuit just
as Aunt Tribs tremulous hand lifted
the latch, and her frightened face look
ed in. -.-.
"Come in, Miss WARREN" said Char
ley. reassuringly. lit is nothing
nothing. You know Elm Creek boasts
of a ghost, and this is only precur-
sor OF his usual visit. You will per-
ceive the odor is dying away. Don't
be alarmed. You will get used to it il
you remain here long"
"Wh-what do you mean?" asked
Aunt Trib, family, as she took his
proffered chair. Are you-are you
acknowledgements"
did you never hear the story?"
exclaimed Charley, in apparent sur
prise. "That is strange!" with Il
glance full OF reproach at Della.
"1ou know Rich bought this place of
a physician-Doctor Delorme. Well,
in the first palmy days of his practice
Doctor Delmore attended a poor
1rishman through a long illness, sup
plying him with every luxury He
died in the end poor fellow, and left
his bones to the doctor as the only
testimonial ofgratitude he was able to
render. So Delorme brought the
skeleton home. One night thieves
broke into the house-or, at least,
some OF the outraged neighbors, who
objected to any man in, the commun-
lty keeping q skeleton in his closet.
They broke the skeleton up and
scattered the bones over the place,
leaving the skull nailed to the gate
post. The doctor tried to gather UP
the bones, and buried all he could
find, many were missing. The people
hereabouts say the place is haunted,
the poor Irishman being unable to
rest in his grave with part of his
bones missing. l have never seen his
ghostship myself, but the smell OF
sulphur IS certainly mysterious"
80, Charley!" broke in Della, pity
ing Aunt Trib's white face. >|You
know this is an idle tale The spirit
OF the dead never come back. He is
trying to frighten you, Aunt Trib;
don't mind him."
'Della," said the old lady, huskily,
els this story true?-about DR.. Del
orme, l mean, and the neighbors
breaking up the skeleton?"
eyes" Della admitted, reluctantly;
"but about the place being haunted
that is but a superstition in the neigh
borhcod."
'Della," said Aunt Trib, eff any of
the bones of the dead are missing, they
do come back to the place where they
were lost. I firmly believe this is a
haunted house. The fumes of sulphur
still linger. If you have any regard for
the baby, you and Richard will move
at once" ..-..''-
A warning glance from Charley re-
minded Della, just in time, of her
promise She closed her lips firmly,
and: giving Mary orders to Serve sup
per, left the room.
At the table Aunt Trib, fairly
IN her element, beguiled the hour
with the most blood-chilling
tales Of haunted homes and
ghosts who walked their halls clank-
ing a chain behind them; OF corpse
lights in the chdrch-yard, and groans
OF souls that could not rest in their
graves. ..'...t.r
Vainly Della expostulated. Rich
and Charley showed such flattering
| and c-edulous interest in her words
that the ancient maiden continued to
air her beliefs IN the supernatural.
One thing alone troubled the bows.
She advised her nephew to sell Elm
Creek Farm, but gave no intimation
| OF her own departure, and Charley
began to fear he had lost the cigars.
Immediately after supper he gather
ed up all the empty spools he could
find, and taking ball OF binding
Irvine repaired to the granary and
was seen DO more that evening.