The Holly chieftain., 1901-06-07

PAPA Aeafd -1t ~: 4f1e StGAt we,eAma.
ard ~ - Moa1 - Qwsy, thiak
he b q little frightsasA. bst hs tan
ciss that people win hSsh at him II
hs ooss away. And so"
g"And - Il viii % - all We are all
carried Oh bodily By these horrible
cradle-rocking crsaturls. and then
your father will BE- satisnea," broke in
Mrs. Cowiey, more In sorrow than In
anger.
Her nephew broke ost laughing.
"Ah, you may laush, Charlie; but
can assure yoa Il Il No 1oks to live IN
. place that gives yoa the cold shivers
every. time you stop 70 think what It
really Il. And NJ. Cowiey actually
talks Of spending, his Chriatmas here:
HHt nothing shall tempt me to stay,
even II he doea. AZ any other time
can stand II: but win ntA eat turkey
and plum pudding p company with
half dozen Srown!sp hobgoblins TO
please any man alive!s
you arc quite right, aunt. But I
really was mot laughing at your trou-
blss. only At your fuAay way Of telling
them. But, Joking apart. what IL this
story about . cradle? Because have
heard something IN Australia, which
think relates to this house" 81,
"In Australia? Why. how could
any one know Of II there!" asked
Rose opening her eySs very wide.
who owns this house!"
"A Nr. Vernon"
"Exactly 80. Do you know what
his nrst name is!"
Alfred" said Mrs. Cowley. Her
nephew looked psrpisxed for mo-
ment; then his face cleared again.
"Oh, see! George was his brother.
How long ID 1t since they have lived
in this house-the Vernons, mean!-
"oh. a great many years! Twenty or
twenty-five. think
THAT makes the story clear. You
must know that met a Mr.. Georss
Vernon In Australia-A man about for
ty years old. He drank to excess and
eambled desperately; and, in fact,
there were a great many queer stories
told of him one way and another.
One night he was In my tent With
several of his friends, and the con-
versation turned upon the reality Of
ghosts, and the amount of credulity
required to believe In them. Vernon
said little ut hrst. but later In the
evening he suddenly looked up at me
and exclaimed. -'It is true, every syl-
liable Of 1t. Thsy do come back. I
have seen and heard them, too. BY day
and night. for twenty years past. They
can come in any shape They can turn
their hands to anything. Why. l have
known one TO rock : cradle four-and-
twenty hours without ceasing and sing
all the while into The bargain!"
What . useful ghost to have in
the house with 1 tsIaall family said
some one. lausAing.
7 .svsr =. ~ one tara y pale
Useful! You would not crack your
jokss about then II yout staid night
alone in my old house It Banlsy,' hs
exclaimed. Cad! What With the but
ler's pantry and the ttirrst-room. It's
little like laughing you'd feel by morn
ing. am thinking! Pass me the
brandy and let me get It out of my
head ~
And sure enough he did get 1t out
of his head; for 1t took two men to see
him safe home when he left my tent
at 10 O'Clock that night"
And what do you infer from that,
Charles?" inquired his wife.
why. my dear. this is near Baa-
ley. and the only house that l have
ever heard of where cradle rocks.
To make assurance doubly sure, Mr..
Vernon's brother owns the place now.
I would be willing TO take my oath
that the rocking Of the cradle has
something to do with one of thess
men; but which Of the two am not
prepared to say"
Il saw George" exclaimed Rose,
who had been deeply interested In the
story.
"Ald should like to hear the era
dle." remarked Mr.. Cowley.
"Oh, don't think Of such thing!
It's too horrible!" exclaimed both the
girls.
II only want to convince myself that
1t does rock"
But We all heard It."
Then I confess am like the young
lady whose grandmother. told her that
she had found out W hef own expert
ence that love-makine was very dan
gefoas work, I want to md out by my