Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-02-17
THE GHOST THAT DIDN'T

Through a hundred chnks In the old
walls of Bleakleigh Towers the wind
shieked dismally. 1t was the one night
in the year when, it was rumored on the
countryside, the ancestral ghost appeared
to the reigning duke and revealed some
dreadful secret OF his family.
And the young Duke of Bleakleigh sat
waiting for it. With a n-shilling cigar
between his fingers, fifty guinea dress
ing gown wrapped loosely round him, he
lounged OF the two hundred guinea sofa
and waited
Not that he was frightened. He was
too much prcoccupied for that. For this
was the last night of his ownership of
Bleakleieh Towers. All was lost. The
ducal income had shrunk to a mere five
hundred thousand a year The hundred
thousand necessary for the annual up
keep of the castle-the painting and up
holstering essential for the barest COM
forts of life-could no longer be spared.
The stud cf motor cars had been cut
down to twenty. Retainers had been
dismissed one by one until but sixty hung
about the estate.
The moment ruin had set in the duke
had offered to break off his engagement
with the young Lady Stoneleigh-for he
was q gentleman of honor, and could
not bring a helpless. delicate girl to share
the privations OF a narrow income-and
go out into the cold world as company
ambassador, or colonial gov
emor on pittance of few thousand a
year: for a Bleakleigh never thought it
dishonor to throw off his coat, if need
should arise, and work side by side with
any archbishop or prime minister
And she-for she had become engaged
to him for his money-nobly and frankly
released him from his engagement.
And so it came about that it was his
grace's last night at Bleakleigh. From
the jeweled decanter he poured out a
glass OF the forty shilling liqueur brandy
and lit another half-sovereign's worth of
cigar. Heigho! it would soon be only
Heidsieck and AIumm and common
rented house in Park Lane!
What was that?
Above the rising storm and the beating
of the rain sound of footsteps could be
heard in the corridor.
The ghost!
1t was! The door slowly opened of its
own accord, and closed again, but not
before it had admitted a silent, shadowy.
thin white figure, which right through its
body showed the pattern of the wall
paper.
1t moaned.
But blase. well educated man of the
world like the Duke of Bleakleigh, trained
every hour of his life to repress his feel.
ings could hardly be expected to show
excitement.
He laid down the liqueur glass, rose
politely, and, adjusting his cravat, OBJ
served:
Il imagine presume you're them
fact, the ghostI It's your night, isn't it ?"
Here the apparition shrieked and waved
its right arm.
You always do that. DOM your" said
the duke. What the object of it is
never could see; still, suppose you've
got to go through it,"
The spirit howled again.
Il don't want to seem inhospitable,"
remarked his grace, but I'm rather busy
tonight. I'm giving the place up and all
that sort OF thing; SO if you could"
Soul" spoke the apparition solemnly,
Il have a message for thee. On this night
in the year it is my task to leave the
tomb and come"
Il know what you mean" said his
grace, looking slightly bored in spite of
his polite efforts not to show it. Il read
it up in the family records some time ago,
though Eve forgotten it since, don't you
know; it was so awfully dull"
Apparently in surprise the ghost let fall
his dead white cloak and revealed re-
markably handsome young man clad in
armor.
Why, you're not frightened" he ex-
claimed.
why should l be-" asked the duke.
sinking back on the sofa again and re.
lighting his cigar. You haven't done
anything yet. As for waving your arms
about and shrieking, you can do that as
much as you like"
"All the others tainted or went out of
their minds" argued the ghost, "and the
family gave out l had told them some
horrible secret"
Probably to improve their position in
society" added the duke. Nothing like a
secret of some sort for that However,
sit down, won't you? Blythe bye, | don't
know who You are"
Your great-great- grandfather Do you
mind here he began to take off his
Iormor-"it's So hot with these things on
near the tire-and l never wear them ex-
cept in business hours. l was shot in
that quarrel over cards with the Marquis
of Cheate. I've been waiting for chance
/ like this for century"
A chance?"
Yes; I've been trying to see one of
the family about something, and I can't
get near them Socially, ghosts are alb.
solutely boycotted," he said. YEARLY. as
he sank into an easy chair with a rattle
of bones
1T must hurt YOU rather?"
1T does. If n man can't haunt his
own castle, | ask, where is British law
and iusticey'
1T would hardly do to have a crowd