The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-10-03
OUR BOYS AND GIRLS

their own boxes stood In che middle OF
the room; but aside IRON that, nothing
was to be seen, and they hooked at each
other In silence.
Hold the lamp minute. Margie."
David said, at last and he went all over
the room, and looked more particularly
az its emptiness, and even felt its walls,
secret panels, you know" he said.
with smile, but 1t was puzzled smile,
indeed
Il don't see what Il could have BEEN"
Margaret said as they went down the
stairs.
NO I can't see, either, but I'm going
to see" said David. "rhat was chain.
and chains can drag themselves around.
you know. \ ghost could not drag
( chain, II ct were to try"
'The conventional ghost very often
arags clSains." said Margaret, as she
closed the door OF her room.
And then she lay awake and listened
fos the conventional ghost that dragged
chain, but IT seemed that the weight OF
the chain must have wearied ham. for
he was not heard again.
The mother had slept through II all,
and next morning they gave her vivid
account OF the nights adventures.
Perhaps 1t was some one IN the house"
she said in alarm. There were no ghosts
within the bounds OF possibility. so far
as she was concerned. bur burglars were
very possible indeed
Then Margaret and David laughed more
than ever.
what run it would be-" said David.
"for burglar to get into this house and
try to find something worth carrying
away"
So they went on to the next night all
three fully determined 10 spend the night
in listening for the ghcst. and running
him TO earth il possible.
But 1t was Margaret that heard the
ghost after all. She had been sleeping.
and was suddenly startled wide awake.
and there. overhead, was the sound OF
the chain dragging; and Just as she was
was on the point OF springing out OF
bed TO call her brother. she chain seemed
20 go out OF the room. She lay still and
listened; and in moment she heard
1t again.
II was coming down the stairs,
There was no carpet on the stairs and
she could hear the chain drop from step
to step. until it had come the whole way
down. There is was. almost at the door
OF her room. and something that was
strangely like fear kept her lying still.
listening in horriied silence.
Then II went along the han. dragging !
close to the door; and then further away:
and back and forth for awhile; and then /
il began dragging back up the stairs |
again. Step by step--she could hear II I
drawn over the edge Of every step-and |
by the time 1t had reached the top she I
herself and called David.
Again did the brother and sister make |
a tour OF the upper room with the lamp.
Not only that, but they looked into every
nook and corner Of the upper part OF the
house, and at last came back bafiied.
They had seen nothing extraordinary,
and had not heard a sound.
I'm going to see that ghost tonight"
David said to his sister the next evening.
"How?''
I'm going to sit up all night at the
81 sag- ]
about 1t to mother: II might make her
uneasy"
SO, after the household were all quiet,
David slipped into his place at the head
Of the stairs, and sat down to his vigil.
He had placed screen az the head of
the stairway so that 1t hid him from
,1ew-as If a ghost cared for a screen
and he established himself behind It
and prepared TO be as patient as he
,ould-
Il seemed to him that hours so long
had never been devised as those the
town clocks tolled on that night. He
bor4 ii until midnight moderately well,
because. he argued with himself, IL
there were any ghosts about they would
surely walk then; but they were not in
4 humor for walking; and still the hours
rolled on without any Developments. He
took the "fidgets,' and had nervous
twttches all over him; and at last he
could endure 1t no longer, and had leaned
his head back against the wall and was
going blissfully 10 sleep when
He heard a chain dragging just beyond
the open door Of the unused room!
In spite Of himself a shiver ran down
his back. There was no mistaking it;
it was a real chain IL he had ever heard
one. More than that, It had left the room
and was coming straight toward the
stairs. The hail was dark, and It was
impossible Tor him to see anything, al
though he strained his eyes in the direc-
tion Of the sound. And even while he
looked II had passed behind the screen,
end was going down the stairs, dropping
from step to step with clank.
Half way down a narrow strip Of
from a stair window lay d.
rectly across the steps. Whatever the
thing was. it must pass through that
patch Of light; and David leaned forward
and watched.
Down it went step by step; and pres
emily It had slipped through the light,
ard then was down; and little later It
came back again. through the light. and
up the stairs, and back into the unused
room.
And then David slaped his knees jubi-
antly, and ran down stairs to his own
room, and slept all the rest of the night.
Next morning he was very mysterious
about his discoveries Of the night before.
"Oh, yes, I saw the ghost" he said to
Margle. There, don't ask so many
questions; I'll tell you more about 1t to-
morrow, maybe"