Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-06-28
CHAHPTER XII.
The Ghosts Captured.

: Replacing the parcel under the
blankets in as nearly as possible the
same condition and position as when
" found it. We drove rapidly back to
Hoskins stable and were successful
In safely housing the horse and wag-
q on before jerks put in his appear.
, Ance
Now" said MacArdel, all we have
to DO 10 to tip OF that man at the sta
ton, and We can keep jerks in the
dark until we are ready to bring him
Up with q round turn"
We walked the short half mile to
the railway and found no difficulty
d hdbing the fellow to silence con-
ssrning the trunk, laying stress On
The alleged joke that we purposed
Dracticing on the driver Of the Tex
press"
"You see," said MacArdel, as we
strolled leisurely along the grassy
roadside the whole business is plain
enough now. This Bruce woman start.
ed 4 ghost story when she first came
here purely in Z spirit Of idle gable
and to impress the wondering natives
with the knowledge Of the homes Of
the nobility in England. Then, when
her boy was killed, she tried to make
trouble by again circulating these
yarns and frightening the men of the
place
We'll" l replied, she ought to be
satisfied now, at any rate. Miss Car
ney gave her a good bit Of money in
9 lump sum, and provided her with
comfortable house and a generous plot
Of land around it. ! don't see what
more she wants or what she hopes to
gain, and, to tell the truth, I'm about
as much in the dark as | was at
first"
well, it's plain enough" continued
MacArdel you gave her the money
In a lump sum, you say, so she has
nothing more to expect in that direc-
ton. You'd have done better if you
had given her an annuity instead, and
kept the control of her funds in your
own hands,"
I'VE do, in a way" l returned. 1--WE
give her the use Of the house and
land, you know"
That's where the whole trouble
lies now" exclaimed MacArdel. Don't
you see, Ware, she and this fellow,
jerks, are going to be married. She's
got a good house and farm on the
estate, and, just as they are about to
settle down for better or for worse,
you come along with a scheme to
Gust her. bag and baggage, and turn
Q her place into golf links"
What of it," l replied. 1--WE are
going to provide for her elsewhere
and she will be better of than she
q Is now
you know that, but she doesn't"
continued MacArdel, and there may
be other reasons why she does not
want to move. This seems to be a
pretty prosperous community, and ap
parently no one about her is espe.
cially anxious to have the house
open"
No reason why they should want II
open" said Practically all the serv
ants are brought from the city and al
most nothing is purchased in the vii
lage, so the natives don't derive any
material benefit from the place"
But they may when it's closed up,'
MacArdel insisted There's fruit and
nuts and game and grass and timber
and other things that can be picked W
and never missed from one years enc
to another when the house is unoccu
pied and no Waterman or caretaker i.
about. ltell you, Ware, these people
don't want the Carn6ys to come back
and they are playing this ghost game
for all there is in it to frighten then
9 away"
They'll have fine time doing it,
/ said, Miss Carney isn't afraid O
anything under the sun, and even i
she. returns before We are able t
make out a case against them, shell
stay here and fight it out to tn,
last"
Hope she likes to do homework.
said MacArdel"
What's that got to do with it,"
snapped
Well he returned, grinning
Shell have to live here without sery
) ants until you get this business clear
ed up She may be satisfied that Their
is nothing supernatural about thes
midnight yisitations, but she won
get servant to stay on the plac
while there's any hocus-pocus goin
on"
We were on our way back from tn
railway station, and, coming to tn
sbrow Of the hill, we could look dow
across the valley and see the girl
gray walls of the Carney mansio
through the occasional openings in tn
foliage as it waved in the gentle NOR
ing breeze: To one side, and less tina
a'mile away, was the Widow Bruce
cottage, and l pointed it out again |
MacArdel.
Lets go oyer there" he said, brie
". Il want to see her."
We tramped across the fields an
over the fences of stone and brusl
. soiling our boots, tearing our clothin