The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-10-14
DORIS COURT GHOST.
Tux SKELETON IN TIE CLOSET
CL07HED AGAIN.
Chicago Doctors SumWer College Has =
Ghess Thai Ciaims Ktnsbip
wi n th. Fami y

mamma and started down stairs. II wai
nothing new for the baby Hhler OF Doris
Court 10 take such stand. 1t had be
come q most forcibie habit with ner e
rebel at bedtime. But this time her re
bclton went further than usual, and the
fittle rebel marched down stairs TO the
deserted parlor 10 assert her indepcnd
encc where no one would bother ber.
The doctor had said that there was nc
better way TO cure Doris or her dcsrt
not to 20 10 bed than TO leave ner alone
when All the others retired. But ] was
curious 10 see what the little miss WouIu
do, and after time 1 slipped do"I
stairs. There she was in d big cnalI
happy over her victory.
The evening fire in the big fireplace
was in picturesque ruins with coais,
charred chunks OF wood, and ashes tum-
bled together IN front of the elm back
log which had succe ssfully resisted the
attack of the blazes and was sun siz-
cling In the beat. IL was quaint hTe-
pace, on an old New England model,
and had been one of the main objects
In building the cottage. some Oh tne
visitors said that IL was fireplace WIN
cottage attached. However that Tmsh'
be. this fireplace with It's inscription
Pile on more WOOD,
The wind grows chlii,
was center Of attraction 10 an, anu
In the cool August evenings IL was gen,
orally kept wed piled up with dry "oSu
that cracked and biazed up about ths
e!rl back logs to MAKE as cnerry a WOOD %
fire as ever Ike Marvel dreamed oFeI ."
his "Reyeries OF Bacheior' IA
There was another old and QUO
fashion about the fireplace. In iroNI
~ n stood a pair of andifons that had
come down from the colonial PtIlou'
me ornamental fronts OF these IRONS
were Continental soldiers IN feu ca
and with drawn sabeTs. Ihese Two "a.
lie soldiers on each side OF the IRE VIZ
relics from an old colonial house, ana
were priced above an modern co"''"
fences In Doris Court 49,. xoo,,-
Doris had pulled up the biggest lOO .,,
ing chair in the room 10 p'"e Wartime
near the hearth and she was eHei tlile
every muscle In her lite bouy 10 hse9
tho chair in motion, while she chatleie"
10 the little iron soldiers oo..a me
AS entered the room she sreeteu my
u,itb sorake a char, Busbey, ana WOch.
j oheved pulling up another large rocAei
before the fre ana dropping mo i''ports
"Wock Busbey, and wock nara ~ - -
wock and Doris want Bubsey TO Woch,
was the , command ,si,a Of shg pro oS
The child WIS In the happlest nloo9
] had seen he9 for days, ana she Iausneu
as she said: Mamma don TO peu, P1P pep.
don TO bed. granny, don TO bed bed ~ not bed
cent my and Busbey. MY don't want to
so to bed. No My want to woc lS anu iie
tell Bubsey story. Then she l0in t, h,v
and laughed until 1 Thought she woulu
arouse the whole household
THE SKELETON IN THE CLOSET.
We talked OF the dolls and Of the lit
lie Continental soldiers In their red coats
who stood guard over the fire. we iound
pictures In the Goals, ana the DaDy tolu
me about the rusted sword that huns
over the mantel with the photograph OF
a skeleton under IT, She did not Know
what fear meant, and wondered What
shirt had taken possession OF the papy
OF the household to make her so fearless
and SO happy IN iones0 ohody roo else oh had
gone TO bed and all the lights mad beeh
put out. ,b,a,
gave the only light In the room, l could
not help feeling strangely as j listened
80 this baby pratle, mingled with the
gurgling and wheeling from the green
back log frying there In the Goals IKE
one In a death struggle, ana heard me
rocks just under the window and tne
eroan OF the wind In the branches OF the
great oaks which surrounded DORIS
Court. 1t was an unusual experience,
with lust a touch of the unnatural and
mysterious. The pickering freight came
and went with n red glow In one part
of the cavernous fireplace and then in
another. giving lie and motion TO the
very SHADOWS. especially iHOSe VI in'
sober little soldiers on the hearth. These
shadows marched up and down like
guardss-on picket duty. watchful that
mo enemy should break through the
lines.
The old Scotch grandmother OF Doris
had arrived that day and l had been
much interested In her "reminiscences of
her early life in bonny Scotland and her
experiences as an emigrant to America
forty years ago, when Alec was baby
tng 90 trA lie 1tf -t,afv rod md
mother carried her four score years with
n primness that indicated q Puritan will
in perfect keeping with her views on
religious and moral questions as guided
by the shorter catechism. While she was
D strict Calvinist, believing only In the
aristocracy Of the church and its elect,
the old lady pointed with something akin
10 pride TO her family tree, by which
she traced her lineage back 10 the Duke
OF Hamilton, one Of the greatest Of
Scotch families, And her husband, too,
had been a descendant of a noble house.
but both lines had long since diverged
so as TO leave her family far from the
estates which went with the names,
and several generations had tasted the
contentment of toll. j was thinking Of
the "other granny" as Doris called her
when the child broke into my reverle
with n remark wholly Irrelevant to the
talk about the dolls and the little iron
soldiers.
''The skellngton Is in the closet" an
nounced Doris in a solemn tone such
as she might have heard others use to
frighten her to bed. fnvofuntariiy my
eyes turned to the photograph of skele-
ton with long sword ciasped to its
bony breast with its long, bony arms,
and then they turned to the curtains
of the closet beside the fireplace, behind
which l knew was a box containing the
trenches when the little cottage was
built 1 was in that mood to half ex-
pect TO see the skeleton stand forth
Just as he appeared In the photograph.
THg oHosr OF DORIS COURT.
But instead / saw another relocated
soldier. as like the two little iron guards
as they like each other but taller than
their long shadows which lay upon the
floor He was In full uniform as We're
they. but he carried no sword. But what
startled me most was the instant i'm
preston that l had seen the man before.
There was something familiar about the
erect form. the handsome face, and the
noble presence of one born TO COM
mand. AS l studied for moment this
stranger my mental telescope adjusted IT,
self for long range 10 sweep the past,
and then l saw that these suggestions
OF familiarity came from resemblance
10 some features and traits had noticed
In the doctor.
The stranger might have been the
doctor himself twenty years ago, before
his bushy hair had grown white, and
a gray beard TO cover the almost boyish
face OF the man before me would have
made him the Doctors double | had
never seen the doctor as q young man,
but this stranger suggested a younger
brother As stared at him the stranger
reached up with his long, right arm and
took down from the wall the rusted old
rapier which hung high up over the fire.
place. Doris was as friendly and famll-
lar with this third soldier as she was
with the little iron soldiers on the
hearth, and she chirped out. Take q
wocking chair. big soger and wock"
mot tonight. my little Lady Lindsay
said the stranger. ION this night l must