The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
Jim. said I In ahu.hed voice. ut wns on that

he, and ," pulled a brown towel from some
ming IN The centre of the sidebOard. sur
packs. should think. ut the lcnst- which hn,
lain there ever since that mncIc game wliicl
-! wonder where TINT stair leads said linn.
Ilon : 60 NJ there. JIM ! cried: clutchini
the murder
The vicar said that they saw on the ceIlinI
lie held up his cnndlc. aud there was a Vren
dark smudge mon HE white plaster above US
Il believe you're right. said he, but, any
how, I'm going up to have u look ut IT,"
Ion 7 Jim. don't" I cried.
tut teddy. You can stay here II ynl ar
no usc going on u ghost hunt unless my God
thgteS a3'n"ihinH coming down the stairs;
above. and then a crcak from the steps, nnt
then another cre9k, and another. saw Jim,
his parted lips aud his staring eyes fixed upol
the black squnrc of the. stair opening, lie stH,
he'd he'll, the iish!, bpt hts gmxers twitchod' ans
the walls 10 the ceiling. As. to myself. ms
knees gave way under mo, and ! found mysclt
a scream frozen In my throat. and still the
step came slowly from stair TO stair.
Then, hrrdly daring to look and yet unable
outlined In the corner upon which the stair
opened. There wes q silence in which I could
hear my poor heart humping. and then when
low crcak, crcnk was heard once more. upon
WV NNll blIl rUINIlE HlltT T. ulu 1 wa
left half ~fninting in the moonlight.
But " was not Tor lorg. He, was down again
arm rM nfhS he hmir H ped ohTT f' hniF d n,T .dn me " n%t Of t ins
house. II was not until we were In the fresh
night air again TINT he onened his mouth.
can you stand. ltOddyt"
Yes. but I'm shaking.
50 am l." said he. passing his hand over
his forehead. ~ ask your pardon. Roddy.
was n fool to bring you On .lch an errnnd. But
] never believed in such things. l know bet.
."Conld II have been a man. Jiml" I asked.
rlucking up my courage, row that | could hear
the dogs barking on the farms.
1T was, a spirit. Roddy.'
How do YOU know"
"Becarsc | followed it and saw It vanish into
E Ro Tsil % vi G@si nn as O an eel into sand Why
My fears were all back upon me, and every
nerve ]GT[Sepins with horror h Take me away.
was glaring down the avenue, md his eyes
followed mine. Amid the gloom of the oak
Quiet, Koddy!" whispered Jim. ''By
heaySni come what may, my arms are going
We crouched ms motionlcss as the trunks be.
hind us. Heavy steps ploughed their way
through the soft gravel, and a broad figure
upon 1t like a tiger. You're not II spirit.
any. way" he cried.
a gre grSw H'" Of f rHse. q" ' Hwfa G' tS seFPGE enecm and 'hf Se
roared; and then. I'll break your neck If you
The threat might not have loosenGd inns
cried! !ko,, r,n ,,os,,. ,.n., por lin, .ns
what's s, thi.1 ' WSy. II i t! } isn R Master Snm Rod heS
Stone, as I'm a living sinner! hat in the
, TGsld 1,m ARE q yq ni! 1TG doing up at ciiho Royal at
We had all moved out into the moonlight.
and there was Champion Harrison with a big
ment upon his face, as would have brought q
smile back unto mine had my heart not still
been cramped with fear.
We're exploring" said Jim.
Exploring, are your Well, I don't think
you were meant to he Capt. Cooks. either of
nip faces. WHY. Jim. what are you afraid off"
I'm not afraid. uncle. never was afraid.
"SpiritsY"
I've been in Cliffe Royal, and we've seen the
The champion gave a whistle.
That's the game, is itS" said he. did you
have speech with IL"
1T vanished first"
The champion whistled once more. "Ive
heard there is something g. I che sort up yon,,
advise you to NEEDLE with. There's enough
trouble with tho folk of this world. Boy Jim.
without going out of your way to mix up with
those OF another. As. to young Master Rodney
stone, II his good mother saw that white face
of his she'd never let him come to the smithy
NOR W4ik slowly on and I'll see you back
We had gone half a mile, perhaps. when the
serve that the Tundie, was no longer under his
arm. We were nearly at the smithy before
Jim asked the question which was already in
what took You UP 10 Clitfe Royal. uncle?"
well, as II man gets on in years" said the
champion. there's many n duty turns up that
the likes OF you have no idea of. When you're
near forty, yourself you'll maybe know the
truth of what ] say"
So that was all TINT we could draw from him.
hut young rs was | had heard Of coast Snug
Cling and of packages carried to lonely places
at night. So that from that time on If ! had
heard that the preventivcs had mndc a capture
] was never easy until l saw the face OF Cham
pion Harrison looking ont of his smitly door.
CHAPTER III.
THE PLAY ACTRESS OF ANsTEy CROSS.