Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-11-04
GHOSTS AND FUN.

ty girl carried out novel entertain
ment, says Chicago News.
Invitations were issued for "ghost
party" and each person was warned
that he would be expected to tell a
good ghost story. When the evening
arrived the house presented none of the
usual signs of festivity. Instead, the
guests arriving found not one solitary
CLEAN of light, and stumbling up the
steps received their first shock. Be-
fore they had time to ring the door
swung open without sound, and STEP
ping into the hall they confronted,
looming ghostly in the darkness, tall,
white hooded figure, which, without
words, solemnly pointed to the stair
way. Passing up this, with nerves be-
ginning to assert themselves, shock No.
communicated himself through an
open doorway which had to be passed.
Through it, from some unseen source,
throbbed and pulsated pale blue light
and lying on the floor, in the middle
u,
was white figure which moved in a
peace destroying fashion to a ghostly
symphony Of clanking chains. On the
landing above was stationed another
tall, white figure, to serve as usher to
the dressing room, and, in order that
the ladies might be distinguished from
the gentlemen, some slight infraction
of the rule of absolute darkness was
necessary. Accordingly, in front of the
white figure stood smoldering brazier
and when stumbling steps or nervous
giggles announced the arrival Of more
guests, the figure threw a pinch Of
some powder upon the brazier, produc-
ing momentary flare of blue flame,
by the light of which the ladies were
solemnly and wordlessly waved into
one room and the gentlemen into an
other. Here. at the hands of two
hooded attendants, and by the light of
dim, blue burning braziers, the guests
themselves became spectral, being in
vested with long white hooded gar
ments, and in this guise reaching the
drawing room, they were received
wordlessly by white figure with
conspicuously cold and clammy hand,
which assigned them to seats arranged
in an irregular semi-circle before a log
fire, which burned with green, blue and
red flames, and afforded the only light
in the room.
Then the story telling began, each
speaker being apprised of his turn by
a solemn pointing gesture Of the CEN
trail sDook, and it is possible that such
an eerie collection of ghost stories has
never been retailed in one place before.
One tale produced hair raising sensa-
tion,. describing as it did the feelings
of watcher in haunted house. who.
having sprinkled the floor with flour
to detect and trace footsteps, and sit
sing, waiting, revolver in hand, heard
all the doors fly open at the stroke of
~ and saw footsteps printing them
selves off in the flour directly toward
him, no other sign of the ghostly print
er being visible. One of the best
stories was told to the accompaniment
of soft, weird music and each speaker.
keyed up to concert pitch by the sur
rouEdirgs, did his or her best to pro-
;,uce that creepiress of the flesh which
was so much desired by the fat bow in
- ickWick, while all nerves were kent
in high strung condition by a chorus
Of wild laughter, shrieks and chain
c!ankings, which broke in upon the
stories at appropriate points,
When all the stories had been told
the company uDmasked and becoming
once more matter-of-fact, EVERYDAY
people, INDUCED in material refresh
ments, but the ghostly part of the on
tertainment was pronounced a great
success and several guests confessed tn
half formed fear entertained through
out the evening lest, with a stage set-
ting so much after their own heart,
some bona-fide, unbidden spooks mipht
not have dropped in to keep them com
pany.