The morning call., 1892-10-17
POLLY PASCHALL'S GHOST.

Pretty Polly Paschall sat bolt upright.
her red-brown curls falling in rich confusion
about her bare white throat, her brown
ewes as wide as if she had not been IN bed
and asleep for hours. helamp was turned
low as she had left il, and shone with a
dim. soft radiance over all the richly fur
nished 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 as she had left
them What could the noise have been?
Suddenly her eyes fell upon the little
square door in tie wall high above the
bookcase.
"My ghost at IastP' said Polly clasplng
her pretty little palms together. she
waited a moment in breathless silence, but
hearing no repetition of the noise v hich
had awakened her she sprang out OF bed,
put On her slippers and dTesSins-gown,
threw some bits of wood upon the Still
glowing embers. and, turning out the lamp.
sat down before the ire TO await the ghost
whose coming she had been expecting for
10! these many days.
Tie Paschails-falheT, mother and daUgh-
teE-had moved into their present abode to-
await the erection OF their own house, and
upon the very first day CT their coming
Polly bad .spied the little secret door" as
she called ii. aud selected this for her room.
Just think of the possibilities for 70
nance" she said to her father. and he had
gotten upon the housecleaner's stepladder
and found the door fastened hard and fast.
at is all safe" he said.
''Oh, want 1t TO be safe from mortal
hands," Polly said: but ghosts stand not
back for bolts and bars"
IF it is gboSty0u want" said her father,
'you may get it. This house belongs to one
IL nr4d, ffFa,af ou1t i1fa 81
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 a good many ghosts.
/ rented ii from sweet faced,
grand-lOOking old lady, who lives some
how and somewhere in those dark apart
ments next door TO Us. think she is the
only surviving member of the noble family
whose glory and wealth have departed. No.
l believe she told me that there was boy.
her grandson. who is working at-she told
NE what he does, bnt don't Temem ber."
How Interestingly exclaimed Polly. u
am sure ! shall find ghost"
But so many uneYentful months had
passed since she ensconced herself in the
rooms that she had almost forgotten TO ex-
pect a ghost until tonight when noise as
of slippered feet walking over hard, bare
flor had awakened her.
She sat for a long time, her eyes fixed
upon the little door, expecting every mo-
ment that a ghostIy hand would undo the
hidden lock, and a ghostly form would
emerge from the darkness beyond. But
her maid found her still sitting and fast
asleep the next morning when she came to
awaken her.
"My pretty Polly will have gloomy day
of it, | fear" said her father. when he
kissed her good-by. 1T is raining IN tor
rents"
''Oh, that is delightful" said Polly; ST
shall have good, quiet. lazy, dreamy day
of it, just such day as one should have
after an episode with ghost"
Though the rain battered smoothly upon
the windows and the warmth ana glow
Polly soon found the hours OF idleness
growing long and tedious.
''l shall try for the huudredth time" she
said at last, 'to see if | can open the little
door which 1 am sure leads to my ghost"
Polly was light and graceful and agile, so
to scramble from the back of the big chair
to the top of the bookcase was but the work
Of q 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 1t. Suddenly
almost by chance, her fingers touched a
little spot in the eye of one Of the carved
grifiDs, spring clicked and the door few
open in her face.
Polly gave scream and sank down upon
the top OF the bookcase. She waited a
moment, DO sign, no sound resulted from
her successful effort, and she stood up and
peered through the doorway.
Gradually as her eyes became accustomed
TO the semi-darkness. she began to distin.
guish 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 6
"plucky girl" and now she hestated only 9
moment then stepped up through the open
ing into the room beyond.
1t was a very small room she found wheI
she had gotten in, and the only door tina
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 aftel
sheet of manuscript, pencils, pens and ink.
one had just been writing, and upon the
hearth were fresh embers.
my ghost is certainly sensible Great
ure-humaDly So" sai0 Polly, as she sea ted
herself in tho chair and began to look over
the papers on the table.
There were many notes and scraps, mean.
ingless and disjointed, but finally she came
TO packet containing quite lengthy man
uscript, closely written. much folded ant
fingered.
"The ghost Is an author" said Polly
''aDd his manuscript has been rejected
Proved unavailable 10 our columns. Poor
feilowl Well, shall read his story. if Ii be
one. The plot thickens. Think of being
able TO read a ghosts storyl One that the
eye of mortal has never beheldP
h. fn N fDN Ian xro