Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-07-20

! ANAr 0AlN 70 AEIaNo on Lfnc-
CARNEY"
This message was dated New York
and. apparently. had been transmitted
thence from the cable over the local
wtre to Carney-Croft. Il must have
been N response 20 my dispatch OK
the previous day and served 90 set
my mind az rest as % the where
sbouts and purposes Of John Carney,
which had been troubling nae IN an In
definite way for some time past
The only thing now left for me to do
seemed 20 be TO remain virtually pas
sive until he arrived. keeping a sharp
watch on things. but taking no posi-
tive steps ia his absence unless IN
toreseen circumstances arose 70 call
FOR immediate action. Ny chief desire
was % see Miss Carney and make
clear to her my feelings. but this
seemed 20 be out OF the question. as
she remained constantly with Miss
] Weston and no longer came TO any
meals or showed herself about the
house
The country was fast taking on the
mantle OF white under which Il was 20
sleep for SO many long weeks. and IL
was with a comfortable shiver that I
entered the library. just before lunch
con. and strobe Up 20 the are % warm
my hands and toast my shins and
back successfully.
found Miss Weston's physician
similarly engaged and asked him so
licitously concerning his patient
His face clouded and even thought
I saw tear ia the corner OF his eye.
for. Ike ell doctors with the right kind
OF stun IN them, familiarity with hui
man suffering had only warmed his
heart and softened his nature
| I had hoped" he continued. that
| young Carney's return would have a
] good effect on her but when we told
: her Of the message that came this
! morning she only drew the sheets over
her face aud broke down completely.
| There IS something more 20 this. Mt.
| Ware, than the mere absence OF her
sweetheart but what Il Is cannot
even imagine
Then you know nothing OF the nys-
terry OF Carney-Croft? I asked eau
tiously. closing tho door and speaking
! In Town tone
THE mystery OF Carney-Crofti" he
/ exclaimed In bewildered surprise and
then HIS face relaxed and he smiled
pleasantly as be said; obi you mean
| the ghost stories that were told about
here after Mr. Carney died 20
Well" I returned. ghosts OF some
| thing OF the sort were really seen
about the place. wero they not?"
His smile broadoned as he replied:
oh. yes, some OF the boys did rig
themselves Up IN sheets and play
spook Tor time. until / took a hand
In IL myself and drove them out
was going 20 send you word about II.
bat I found II was only lot OF boyish
pranks. and that they hadn't done any
harm beyond getting into the old tun-
mel by the river. and. OF course, that
| didn't amount TO anything
The old tunneli" I exclaimed IN
weilfeigned surprise rs there tun-
mel by the river?''
You never heard OF n. OF course
he went on. and fancy nearly every-
one has forgotten It By this time.
When MT. Carney began 20 build here
he located hts house some 200 yards
L ~--NA 0OWA NA6 SONuI0 me Va
ter. He had plan OK running a little
tunnel from the cellar 20 the river 30
that ashes and other refuse from the
house could be taken out that way and
no< clutter up tbs lawns or be seen
from tho vindowa
Just as this work was partially
completed the Old dam, some two
miles up the stream. was demolished
and new one built about g mile oe-
low. This raised the water ievei IN
I'll the far end ot bis tunnel was CON
pietely submerged and 30 be savo up
the scheme entirely and began a new
cellar quite a distance back from the
hrst The partly finished tunnel and
the excavation for the original cellar
were covered over and had practically
been forgotten by everybody except the
boys. who used to dive down and swim
into the hoae In the summer.
Then, as / say. they got the idea OF
playing ghost and would run down tho
hill In tho moonlight with nothing on
but sheet or piece Of old fish net
which waved ont far out behind them.
When they got 20 the edge OF the bank
they would emit some sort OF a ghost
~ yen and dive down out OF sight.
Finally. when all the young girls in
the neighsorhood began to get hys-
terics. discovered what was going on
and put q stop 10 II by giving two or
three OF the ringieaders a sound
thrashing and installing family OF
beavers IN the tunnel who vigorously
attacked al future intruders'
The doctor laughed heartily as he
finished HIS little tale and concluded
by saying:
There have been occasional rumors
OF ghost since then. / know, but I
fancy that Is the biggest mystery Car
ney-Croft ever had"
Doctor returned seriously. there
ts far greater mystery than that go
ing On here this yerx- minute. Tha.