The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-02-02

ing TEA
III wish Dr. Cross had telegraphed
old DR. Deering to meet us at the sta
ton. 1t would have been little less
lonesome, grumbled Loo, later on,
when Bess had been left comfortably
asleep in the wide, low ceiled room on
the ground floor, the only one that had
been got ready, Anne explained
''I think DIR. Deering has been put to
enough trouble for us, renting the house
and all that, . was beginning to re-
monstrate when Anne Duty coming in
interrupted me.
miss Katherine, " she began in what
Loo calls her graveyard voice, Miss
Katherine, don't want that what / am
going to say should brighten you, but l
can't noways reconcile it to my con-
science not to tell you. A ghost walks
this old rattletrap of house.
could not help laughing-her tone
was SO sepulchral-but she went on
without noticing my levity, while Loo
listened with wide eyes.
"The man that brought me out with
the boxes this morning said he had seen
it, and you couldn't hire him to come
near the place after dark; that lots of
folks out late of dark stormy nights had
seen blue lights burning in the room up
stairs, and he said he wasn't the only
one that had seen white figure fitting
through the dark hall, though nobody
has lived in the house since, two years
ago, wicked, swearing young fellow
died here, crying out at the last that he
had sold his soul to the devil for drink,
and it was burning him up.
"And Miss Katherine, honey, would
you believe it, every blessed bit of fur
niture that had been sent on ahead was
piled up out there on the porch, just as
they dumped it down, not stick put
in out of the weather? And blessed
thing it hasn't rained."
Anne paused at last for breath.
Loo looked fearfully around the
cheerful but rather dilapidated little
room, and, moving her chair nearer
mine, she said in low tone, as if afraid
of the ghost overhearing her:
81 can't imagine what induced old
DR. Deering to send us to this horrid
old haunted house anyway. He might
have Known
Loo interrupted sternly, for her
voice was beginning to tremble, and l
have all d mans horror of Mysteries,
"you know well enough DR.. Deering
has been kindness itself. What claim
have we upon him, should like to
know, except that we are friends and
patients of old Dr. Cross? And you, as
well as !, saw the letter in which he
described this old house and said it's
location made it the very place for Bess
to recover her shattered nerves, quiet
and so near the sulphur water DR..
Cross has sent her here to drink.
"And now, Anne" turning to our
faithful old servant and friend, 'you
have too much sense, know, to utter
word of this nonsense where Bess can
hear it, and advise you to get it out of
your own stupid old head as quickly as
possible. AS for me, yawning, II am
too tired and sleepy to sit up any longer,
ghosts or no ghosts" And in short
time the old house was wrapped in
darkness and silence.
had beel asleep don't know how
long when suddenly felt a rush of
cold air and heard sound like low,
sobbing sigh.
sob, Kitp' walled Loo under her
breath and clutching my arm convul-
sively, 'did you feel it? Did you hear
itP What was it?''
ST felt the wind blowing in through
broken window" answered coura-
geously, for, though was only 20 and a
girl, had not been the head of the
family so many years for nothing.
Anne Duty came rushing in with
sheet wrapped about her and lighted
candle in her hand, just as Bess awoke,
asking In her weak voice what we were
all doing up in the middle Of the night.
While slipped on my dressing gown
and lighted candle ON the stand near
the bed, I told her as calmly as could,
for my heart was beating violently,
that 1 thought door or window up
stairs had blown open, and Anne and
were going up to see while Loo remain
ed with her.
Then I went out, Anne following
bravely, though could hear her teeth
chattering, and the candle shook so I
had to take it from her AS we shut the
door behind us I heard the scrape of a
match, and bright light flashed out
from a room at the head Of the stairs.
"Ghosts don't usually carry matches
about them, said to poor trembling
Anne in a would be sarcastic tone which
my own terror kept from being sue
cess. Better dozen ghosts, T" thought,
Ethan one live burglar"
Slowly we mounted the creaking
stairs till just as 1 reached the top a tall
man, clad in a light gray suit, stepped
out from the room, confronting me. A
smothered shrek from Anne was for
moment the only sound that broke the
stiffness.
The light from my candle shone full
upon the intruder's face, and saw that
he was young, good looking and unmis-
takably gentleman Anne, too, must
have seen as much, for l heard her scut-
Ting down the stairs behind me much
faster than she came up, evidently
mindful of her costume.
CuIiously enough, did not think of
my own appearance, but stood stock
still, staring at the man, who stared
back at me for fully two minutes, then
lifted his hat and said courteously:
81 beg your pardon, but have 1 the
honor of addressing Miss Blake?'
bowed dumbly, wondering what on
earth he would say next.
Then, he went ON pleasantly, Il
owe you an apology for my unceremo-
NOUS intrusion, but have been absent
from the village for several days. l
reached home only few hours ago and
had not heard of your arrival. You
must have changed your plans suddenly,
for was not expecting you until next
week." this with an inquiring glance.
He expecting usl Was the man crazy?
eyes, u stammered, ''the physician,
DR.. Cross, thought it would be best to
get Bess. my sister-she has been sick