Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-06-26
By Fred M. Ohte
XVI.
Margaret Sees a Ghost.

nSdTu WllltdInS returning. fteSlHdlu
Henson had not come down yet, and
the rest OF the ervants had retirei
scme time before. Williams came up
with a request as to whether he could
do anything more before he went 20
bed.
lust one thing said Enid. "Tha
good dogs have done their work well
tonight. nut they nave not quite fin
ished. Find Rollo for me, and bring
him here quick. Then you can hut up
the house, and / viii see that Mr.. Hen
o is made comfortable after his
fright
The big dog came presently. and fol-
lowed Enid timidly up stairs. Appar-
emily the great, blacS-muzzled brute
had been there before, as evidently he
knew that he was doing wrong. He
crawled along the corridor until h,
came to the room where the sick girl
lay. and here he followed Enid. The
lamp was turned down low as Enid
glanced at the bed. Then she smiled,
family. yet Hopefully.
There was nobody in the room. The
patients bed was empty
1T works WELL" Enid said. "May It
go on as II has been started. Lie
down, Rollo: lie there, good dog. IL
anybody cones In. lear him to pieces"
The great brute crouched down obe-
diently, humping his tail on the floor
as an indication that he understood. AS
IL a load had been taken from her
mind. Enid crept down stairs. She had
hardly reached the hall before Henson
followed her. His big face was white
with passion; he was trembling from
head TO foot with fright and pain.
There vas q red rash on his forehead
that by no means tended to improve
his appearance.
What is the nearing OF this?" he
demanded. hoarsely.
Enid looked at him coolly. She coul1
afford to do so now. All the danger
was past, and she felt certain that Ire
events of the evening we're unknown to
him.
IL might ask you the same question"
sh esaid. "You look white and shaiS-
en-; you might have been thrown vio-
lently INTO a heap of stones. But
please dent make a noise. 1t Is not
fitting o Chris"
Enid hesitated: the rrevarication did
not come as easily as she had expected.
"Chris has gone" she said. "She
passed away an hour ago"
Henson muttera ed something that
sounded like consolation. He could be
POLITE and shave enough on occasions,
bat not tonight. Even philanthropists
are selfish at times. Moreover. his
nerves were badly shaken and he want
cd a stimuIant badly.
81 am going to bed Enid said.
YEARLY. Goodnight"
She went noiselessiy UP stairs, and
Henson passed into the library. He
was puzzled OVER this sudden end of
Christiana Henson. He was half-in-
ciined to believe that she was not lead
at all: he belonged to the class OF men
who believes nothing without proof.
Well, ne could easily ascertain that for
himself. There would be quite time
enough In the morning.
For a long time Henson sat there
thinking and smoking. as was his usu
al custom. Like ether great men. he
he'd his worries and troubles. and that
they were mainly of his own making
did not render them any lighter. So
long as Margaret Henson was under
h pressure Of his thumb money was
no great object. But there were other
situations where money was utterly
powerless.
Henson was about TO give II up as a
bad job. FOR the night. at any rate. He
wondered bitterly, what his admirers
wou say If they knew everything. He
wondered-what was that?
Somebody creeping about the house,
somebody talking In soft. though dis
tinct. whispers. His quick ears de-
tected that sound instantly. He slip
red into the hall; Margaret Henson vas
there, with the remains OF what had
once been a magnificent opera cloak
over her shoulders.
How you startled me-" Henson said.
irritably. why don't you go to bed ?"
Enid. looked over the balustrade from
the landing. wondering. also. but she
kept herself prudently hidden. The
first words that h heard drove an the
blood from her heart.
ST cannot the feeble, moaning voice
said. 1.-THE house is full of ghosts; they
haunt and follow me everywhere. And
Chris Is dead, and I have seen her sprl-
81"
$50 I'm told" Henson said. with
brutal callousness. "what was the
ghost like?"
Like Chris. All pale and white, with
O frightened look on her face. And she
was all dressed In white, too. with a
cloak about her shoulders. n just
when I was going to speak to her she
turned and disappeared into Ends
bedroom. And there are other
ghosts"
Zone at a time, please" Henson said,
grimly. 80 Christiana's ghost passed
into her sisters bedroom? You come
and sit quietly in the library, while !
Investigate matters
Margaret Henson complied, in her
Gull. mechanical way. and Enid flew.
Hike a fash OF light, to her room. An
other girl was there-a girl exceeding
ly like her. but looking wonderfully
psle and drawn.
"rhat lend suspects" Enid said.
sHow unfortunate II was that you
should meet aunt like that. Chris, you
mast 20 back again. Fly 10 your own
room n compose yourself. Only let
him see you lying white and still. thsre,
and ne must be satisfied.
Chris rose, with a shudder.