Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-10-10
EVENING SHORT STORY.
THE SPOOK.
BY $. E. K1sER.

time TO atLenQ a real StduCte Oue pOS-
sessed a half-confessed belief in spritu-
alism, but she had never found an OPP
portunity to satisfy the longing that
was in her for proof that people might
return from the grave or send back mes
sages from that mysterious realm which
is supposed to lie beyond the gates of
death. 1t was with undisguised eager
ness, therefore, that she accepted Mrs.
Winterset's invitation to attend the
demonstration which was to be given
at her home by DR.. Thursby, the cele-
brated medium from Boston. Harry
Pritchard sneeringly said it was all fol-
de-rol and tommy-rot, but his wife was
not to be stopped by his sarcasm.
THE trouble with you" she said, "is
that your mind is filled with material
things. When you read, the sporting
page and the news about the theaters
are all that o care Cor. You never
take up a book that deals with the mys-
tories of the soul. You cling too closely
to earthly affairs to be able to find an
interest in the psychological forces that
are forever working around u.s."
Gee whiz, Madge, if l ever lose my
job maybe yo.il be able to support us by
lecturing. All right. Go to your Sc
ance and fool with all the spooks you
please-only l want you to be careful
not to let them work in any ringers on
you. I'm going to put up a vociferous
holler if | zeal of you romping around
with any of these buck spooks that say
ouch when you pinch them"
When Harry Pritchard called for his
wife at IL o'clock he found her in a state
of nervous excitement. She had received
a message from Molly Seabrook, who
had been her chum at college. 1t was
wonderful, and established beyond all
question the fact that the grave was not
the end.
What was the message you got?"
asked Mr.. Pritchard.
ut was: DO you remember the old
buttonhook?' Harry, what are you
laughing at? 1t was perfectly marvel
Gus. She used to borrow my button
hook when we were at Wellesley to-
gether, and then there was the spirit
of a little Indian girl that rang bells
and thumped on a banjo, and did a lot of
other extraordinary things"
Her husband whiStled softly, but "a
generous enough to make no disrespect-
full remarks.
1t must have been about three o'clock
in the morning when Harry Pritchard
became vaguely conscious of some
thing pulling at his shoulder. At first
he had an idea that it was the spirit of
an Indian papoose, but later he learned
that it was his wife.
DO you hear them?" she tragically
whispered.
He sat up in bed and listened.
Eyes" he replied. Sounds as If there
was somebody in the house."
Its spirits!"
I'm more inclined to think it's a
burglar"
They were both silent for a moment,
during which time sounds of several
distinct taps came to them from the fioor
below.
81 can't understand" said the man,
why a burglar would be making that
kind of a noise. There's no safe or any
thing down there that he would have to
break into"
Harry, it isn't a burglar. Haven't
you ever heard of spirit rappings? It's
that"
"If I had a gun I'd go down and see.
What would spirits be doing down
there?"
ut may be that somebody was MUIR
dered in this house once, Or"
"Say, l don't want o to go to any
more of these confounded III il this
is the way you're to be affected. Now
I'm just going to show you that your
spook theory is all bosh. Hey, there!
I've called the police. Get out of here"
Having given the burglar fair warn
ing Mr.. Pritchard got hold of his shoes
and dropped them heavily upon the
floor, after which he lit the gas. Then
he and his wife listened again.
Tap, tap, tap came the same old
sound from downstairs.
That's mighty strange, Madge. 1t
can't be a burglar, after ALL"
Its the soul of n who has gone be-
fore. Oh, if we only had a medium with
us, 1t would be-"
lou surely uOH mean INA you'd
want a medium with us, the way we're
dressed!"
Harry, you don't realize how solemn
a thing this is. Listen! There it goes
again!"
1t was going again, as she said, and
without waiting to make any further
guesses about it Harry grabbed a hand
full of matches and started downstairs,
striking fire as he went along.
The crisis was reached at the first
landing. Fl. Pritchard emitted a yell of
terror and got back upstairs at one leap,
knocking down their costliest etchini I
as he went and thereby causing a ter
rife shattering of glass.
When he reached his wife she was
completely hidden beneath spreads ane5
quilts, while crouching in a corner oil
fb0 o1,@N~ -oc +h1 oof -1o1-.---s-a n