The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-25
The GHOST IN The BUSH.

Once week Ed Clark went TO town and
regularly, as soon as his business was
done. he took himself to the one-story
frame with q '.Lagaar' sign over tho
door In front of the wooden building
| Eds horse was brought and tied during
the early part Of the evening by the
| town marshal. Ed sat by a table and
looked alternately upon greasy pack
| of cards and into a glass of something
more wicked than '1agaar' is reputed 10
| be. As a consequence Mr.. Clark would
come out OF the place at midnight scarce
| " able TO walk, mount his horse with
| the help of the barkeep and roll IN the
saddle from side TO side ike small boat
! in a heavy sea. Usually the horse went
! straight home, but enc night in the fall
| insisted on turning into road that an
1 gled off past house long before aban-
/ doned 10 the winds and rain This house
| got the reputation Of being the rem
devious of ghosts with rafting chains
and unearthly voices.
| Lamplight streamed from a wayside
doorway upon the path to the gate for
the benefit of half a dozen young people
who turned from this country residence
I toward the deserted house Just then the
| tottering figure came into the inumina-
| ton swaying from side TO side on horse
back.
Lets have some fun with Ed Clark"
Sam Kelly said, slipping up to the side
Of the Krawl girl.
Howl
1.-The hant"
"Can he catch it?'' the Krawl gifl
laughed at her own idea, for, to tell the
truth about this old rusty house, every
one in the country round about was
afraid OF il. and many were the stories
told of faces seen and cries heard at the
open door windows and in the tenant
less passageway.
where you all goin'?" hiccoughed
Clark. refining his horse and tipping for
ward against his saddle.
After the liant. Ed said Sam in sol
emn voice. The girls snickered and the
boys looked at one another without un-
Outstanding. Yes" continued SAM TAX
ing the horse by the bride. 1.-The spirits
dows and trapdoors and holler down the
stairs. We have just been at Dixon's
waiting for the hour"
Coin along. Amt afraid OF no ghost.
Not Edward Clark. Hear? I'm goin
along. You can't scare Edward!
So they came TO the broken posts that
marked the road in front of the red
house and tied the horse. Then all were
still
.H-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o dying
away as the wind dies. Sam turned his
frightened eyes upon the krawl girl, up
on Clark and upon the others making
up the midnight party.
Lets CO." whispered the Krawl girl
siding up 10 Sam. They told me to be
home by 10 O'Clock"
"H-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- again
came the hollow voice. Ed Clark braced
against what had once been post Of
the gate. He drew himself to his full
neight-and he was a tall man, measur-
ing six feet in his stockings-and cried
out in the night to the strange voice:
''Sedward Clark That's who. And IL
you don't know Edward and If you want
to meet him all you've got to do is to
come into the road. I'm the best man In
the country, and can prove
Again that voice was calling in mono
tone: "O-o-o-o-o-o-oi' There was
sound of hurrying heels and a little
cloud of dust in the road, as a general
stampede stripped all re-enforcements
from Ed Clark, Sam Kelly and the
Krawl girl. Probably Sam and the girl
would have run, too, but Clark stood in
the way at the gate. And Clark was too
drunk to be scared. He edged toward
the hall door, unsteady. TO be sure, but
straight enough to stay in the path. He
muttered TO himself as he pushed open the
door, and stood for a moment looking
or trying to look into the dark space be-
fore him. Somewhere from the depth of
the blackness came the cry of the tor
tured spirit as though some one had
thrown a blanket over the head of the
victim-'-O -o-o-o-o-o-o-o." Clark STROBE
into the hallway. From between his feet
rushed a stream of scurry-ing leaves. rat
ting in the wind and striking with hOi-
low sound against the side of the porch.
Sam Kelly took a step after his friend,
when the Krawl girl caught his arm and
swung in front, barring the passage.
Lets CO." she whispered, no louder
than the rustic of the leaves.
mot till Ed goes Sam whispered
back. trying to follow his leader who
had passed on TO the open window in the
opposite end of the hall. The voice SEEM
ed TO come from somewhere on the out
side. Clark thrust his head out of the
fTameless and glassless window and held
il there for a long time. The noise came
in, regardless of his presence or Of the
young folk at the other end of the cor
ridor with the stair. broken and dusty,
rearing Itself al the side. Then Sam
thrust his companion toward the door
hesitated. caught her by the arm and
dragged her toward the open window.
Beneath waved a rose bush. devastated
by the season, signing like all shrubbery
will in the wind that came around the
house. Clark turned about, making rapid
strides toward the door. which was dinly
outlined in the distance by the stars
Sam and the krawl girl were close be-
hind and when they all reached the open
Ed Clark stood with clinched hands-but
he stood straight. sobered by the expert
ence he had just been through.
I'm get that ghost yet" he said, turn
Ing TO his two companions sam, you
go round that end Of the house and
watch at the corner. I'll go this way.
When he goes by you lay him"
So Sam went, the Krawi girl went with !
him around the left end Of the house and /
waited developments. There was no de- /
nying that it was a grewsome night and /
they were doing a grewsome thing. The Z
young moon was covered with clouds. /
but gave light enough for Sam 10 distin- /
guish Clark's form as he crept around I
the corner and approached the rose bush /
under the window. Again the demon be- /
gan to cry his shivery tale. but slowly I
Clark crept on. At last he reached tbc !
bush and thrust in his hand rather gin /
gerly toward the source Of sound which 4
came on undated. With an exclamation /
OF fear mingled with that OF pain and !
made for the corner Of the house. Before 4
he got around he met Sam and the krawi I
girl.
ITS there" Clark declared. holding up I
his hand 10 catch a ray Of moonlight Il i
~as bloody. The krawI girl whipped cut i
her handkerchief and wrapped Up the /
bleeding member for across the back I
we're several long scrotches Tt there.
repeated Clark. as the noise began again. /
oand it's smooth and cold guess i;s i
bald head But Sam had gone They i
looked for him at the end Of the bouse. 4
and found him under the window. push I
ing steadily into the bush The hooking 4
crT OF .0-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o suddenly i
stoned with guip. Something dashed 4
h. the girl and scurrled awaT thruuga /