The progress., 1904-06-25
: lonely road. whore everythins voul1


the Imagination that had spun 20 man!
impossible stories for your entertain
ment suggest some scheme for gettini
rich with the few thousand had o.
hand, came upon the most bictur
esquely situated residence that l eve
saw. The plan ! was after came to mi
In a moment. II could only securt
this place and draw the attention o.
some wealthy city resident to 1t q
desirable for country house. could
probably double my money IN sis
months.
"This was not such Z mad scheme
as you may suppose, for the locality
had wonderful natural beauty and pos.
sibilities. l shall not stop to tell you
about that, however, but get along in
the direct line Of my story. turned
into the driveway to see what could
learn. and found that the place was
without inhabitant Inquiry at houses
in the vicinity brought to light the fact
that no one wished to rent or buy the
property, because 1t was haunted. This
was stated in sober earnest by the ru-
ralites. and served to give zest to my
pursuit, for 1t would tend to cheaper
the price. As 1 had no faith in any
other ghosts than those Of my own
creating. that part of 1t did not trouble
me.
1T took me several weeks to get the
deed. Then l believed that a little
tidying up would add to the STABILITY.
so hired some men and directed them
in the work. As this would take up
the time until late in the fall. and since
it would be necessary for some one to
be on the ground to give information
to anyone who might answer my ad-
vertisements. I moved in. Board was
obtained at a neighbor's. but roomed
in the house, which was quite old
fashioned and substantially built
"Time slipped by, and had several
possible purchasers. Finally one man
took an option on 1t until spring. He
paid me 500. provided l was willing
to remain and look after 1t. agreed.
as l had nothing special to take me
elsewhere. 1t was now the middle Of
November.
AFTER the sale was thus practically
made. timc hung much heavier on my
hsnds. no longer had the stimulus
of expectation. and often felt lonesome
and tired of the situation. Such
state was inclined, as 1t always had
been. to excite my imagination. and l
occupied much of my leisure in con-
cocting the most unlikely. vagaries that
ever came to anyone. This was my es-
pecial occupation during the long even
ings.
"One winters evening made fire
In the CRATE, which was not one of the
modern kind. but built of brick. Then
I sat down before it in an armchair,
ready to let fancy direct my thought.
Taking the solitariness of the location
into account, and the rather ancient
appearance of the room in which sat,
it was not difficult to have the imagi-
nation run.
"In this way was soon able to see
that the fire blazing in front of me
was in an old-time fireplace heaped
high with logs and fianked by andirons.
Playing about the floor, too. were the
of years ago in their dress so
quaint, while at my right the open
pantry was stocked with an abundance
Of pies and doughnuts and cakes whose
peers are now so few and far between.
$50 l unused until finally bedtime for
The youngsters came.
after they were gone I sat little
while in the quiet that came to my
mind, and just as was ready to rise
he clock on the mantel struck IL. !
continued to sit still, listening for the
asst faint echoes, when saw the shad-
ow of an arm on the brick at the right
side of the chimney. 1t was a peculiar
shadow, at once arousing my curiosity,
and really startling me a little. Up
% this time had not seen or heard
he slightest indication of any visitant
,r occurrence that could ever have
given the reputation Of being haunted
% the house. Might not this be Of that
character?
"The popularity in this appearance
was its extreme thinness, as nearly as
can express 1t. There was no him
trance whatever to sight. looked
light through 1t, and saw the divisions
If the bricks. I recognized this much
It the first instant that it came before
he, but as it moved l was attracted
'till further to the side, where the arm
hat made the shadow was to be seen
The moment my eye fell on
his saw at once why the shadow had
he popularity mentioned-that from
which it came was precisely like 1t in
his respect could see through the
Irm itself as readily as I did>through |
he shadow!
Nov. never having met any ghosts |
,ut those in my own mind, l was for
he moment awed and subdued. Natu- |
ally glanced to get look at the per-
on who owned the arm. You may |
inow that ! was still more startled
vhen saw that there was no per-
on. The arm from the finger-tips to
he shoulder, and its shadow. made up
II that was visible. Truly this was
ncanny. and virtually stopped
as l saw that shoulderless
rm move slowly toward the chimney.
Il watched 1t with an utter absorp-
ion, and saw the fingers begin to work
I the bricks. I could not see the
ricks move, but the arm suddenly
disappeared up to the elbow.
hivered. There before my eyes was
hat part Of an arm from the elbow
o the shoulder attached to no body.
nd from the elbow to the hand II was
hoved out Of sight into solid brick
FORK!
"A moment after the hand entered
be wall heard a 'chink. chink, chink,'
even times. as distinct as II I were
ropping silver dollars into q pile.
When the noise ceased the arm was
and disappeared as sud
enly as IL came.
Il sat quite still for several minutes.
need not blush to say that the spirit
I investigation was not very strong
4 me beyond looking over my shoul-
rr and glancing into the corners Of