Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1902-04-24

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house in which she had been born and
| reared was haunted by the ghost of
| her father who had died of yellow
fever somewhere in the early part of
| the nineteenth century. So she not only
| refused to live at THE Naples" her
| self, but also refused to allow others
| of her kith and kin who had not
| comfortable habitation to dwell there.
| AS Miss Susan Pennyfeather was rich
and could dwell in Egypt or the Phil
| ippines if she so wiIled, it was all very
well for her to leave the roomy old
| house to the ghost of her progenitor.
| 1t seemed very hard to the family OF
| Peter Crosley, her cousin, who had no
| place to lay their heads save as Mr..
Crosley sold a poem or song or a
| piece of fiction by the error of some
| publisher and rented them place. In
other and more frequent intervals the
family scattered to relatives and stored
| their few bits of furnishings.
But it has all got to STOP" declared
| Arabelle, the oldest girl, one summer
day. 81 shall go and live at The Ma
ples,' and when Cousin Susan returns
| from India and finds it out she can
eject me-"
But the ghost?" protested Peter, the
| father. Cousin Susan says it is there
| and walks about the house as in life"
THAT is highly probable returned
| Arabelle, impudently winking her left
| eye, but the ghost must expect the
| friendly visit of relatives. How original
it all is! First cousin to a ghost!
Why, is it not delicious? Anyhow, I'm
| going. II Cousin Susan had not wanted
! me to do something desperate, she
| should have travelled me, taken me
with her, and thus added to the long
list of international marriages"
| I'VE certainly must do something"
said Mrs. Peter, land that quickly. We
have no money"
II shall move to The Naples and
invite you all for a long visit" said
Arabelle decidedly. is there enough
in hand to buy me railroad ticket,
or must l sacrifice that hideous idol
Cousin Susan Just sent me to show me
that there was crying need of mis-
sionaries to Whangpur or some such
province?"
II wonder what Lionel will say?" put
in Sophronia, the second girl.
Arabelle swept her hooking cour-
tesy.
"As young Englishman he will re-
joice in ancestral ghosts. AS dis
carded second son trying to live on
nothing but work in America, he may
say, oh, what rot"
Peter Crosley looked up from a bun
die of papers fretfully.
81 don't see why Mr.. Lionel Cars
name is brought in at all. Arabelle
has promised me to give him no en-
couragement."
Arabelle's rosy mouth quivered.
Me encourage Lionel? Far be the
thought from me. Why, papa, have
told you a thousand times that he
doesn't need-or get-any encourage
ment from me. There, are you salts
fed? Now, shall sell my idol and go
to The Naples 1 will prepare the
way and you will pack up and follow at
once. Don't mind parting with a few
airy nothings in order to get there
Because, once there, we are housed, at
least"
She sailed forth, light of heart, gay
of speech and smile. No one ever
knew whether Arabelle Crosley felt all
she acted or not, but she was the life
preserver that held up the whole fam
lily in their dark hours.
The idol was rather a cumbersome
fellow and Arabelle looked strange
enough carrying the awkward bundle,
head first. to the elevated road
81 hope he will sell WELL" she was
thinking. Hes a very holy idol,
Cousin Susan wrote. 1 know that he
is unearthly ugly and that his green
eyes make me shudder. 1 wish 1 had
half dollar to take a cab
But she had not the half dollar and
struggled up the steps bravely. She
was a shrewd bargainer and was going
to the best curio store in the city. She
was sure she might get as much as
ten dollars for the thing, maybe more.
She would go down TO THE Naples -
scare out the ghost and take posses
sion. In her heart she did not believe
in the ghost. The adventure had zest,
however.
But Arabelle proposed and could not
dispose. AS she stepped from the steps
of the train station onto the pavement
hurrying man jostled her and she
staggered with her burden. There was
sharp crack against the nearest post
and Cousin Susan's idol lay in several
fragments. A crowd at once gathered