Middletown transcript., 1907-12-14
WHEN CELIA DECIDED
BY KEBLE HOWARD

81 y
That You have broken off your
engagement ?
Oh, said Celia hastily, it isn't
like as bad as that. But
We have come to q sort Of dead
Icck. lis all about a house
Has lie said anything TO you
about IL?
n / lied.
Well. I'll explain. I've discov
cred a dear little house at Rich
mond that ! want him to take.
It's one OF the sweetest little
places you ever saw in your life,
and know I could make it sim
ply charming with old fash
ion-d furniture and pretty cur
tains and all that sort of thing.
But Austin has no Imagination.
He simply sees it as it stands,
all bare and empty, with the
paper peeling off the walls, and
h4 absolutely refuses to live in it.
Tie consequence is that We have
moi spoken for more than a week,
and it looks as though we should
never speak again He won't
give way, and Of course / can T
and there you are!
What about the plan2 1t doesn't
seem to be-
Oh, this has nothing to do
With the plan. At least, it has,
only you must see how unfair it
would be if I had to live in a
house that I detested. 1t doesn't
so much matter for Austin, be-
cause he would be out all day.
Besides, he wouldn't detest it
when he came to live in it.
Is it an expensive house?
Oh, no. Austin admitted him.
self that the rent was low. AS Q
matter of fact, it's ridiculously
low for such quaint, pictures
que place. The agent told me he
couldn't understand himself why
the owner was letting it SO cheap,
especially when every body is try
ing TO get gabled cottages COW
cred with ivy.
sat up, and stared at Celia
with an expression of feigned
enlightenment.
Is it, ! asked, a gabled cottage
with ivy all over it ? And old.
fashioned windows? And low
ceiling ? And funny old chimney!
Yes /! said Celia, staring back.
Do you know it?
v hats the name of it?
Ferry Nook.
BY Jove!I gave a long, low
whistle. No wonder it's going
cheap!
Why What do you know
about it !?
looked around. Approaching
us along the tow path ! distin
guished a youthful, straw-hatted
person who was certainly Aus
tin. Celia was not looking al
the tow path.
Oh, nothing, I replied, dip
ping the sculls.
i.lt there is something. I in
eist on your telling me!
Don't press me, | pleaded. i
you're going to live at Ferry
Nook it's far better that you
should be entirely ignorant o
he he history Of I the the cottage.
If you don't tell me everything
you know about it, I'll neve.
speak to you again.
Very well, then. But don
blame me afterward. We shoult
be level with Austin in two min
utes. Ferry Nook, I said sol
emnly, is haunted.
Haunted cried Celia. VIII
tod you so2 How do you know
| I've known it long time, an
every body in the neighborhoot
kno~s if. That's why the ren
is SO low. The agent ought t
have told you, the rascal.
What haunts 1T? faltere
Celi..
/ The ghost Of a young brid
who was murdered by her hus
band. It happened nearl
Twenty years ago, and nobod
has been able to live
A sudden shout from the ban
interrupted our thrilling, convel
sation.
Why, it's old Austin! ] e.
CLAIM ed, pulli0g hard with u
right. Let's take him aboard.
He can have ny place, sal
!. Celia coldly. Id rather wal
home, If you don't mind.
just as you like.
Tt chanced that the bank at thi
point was particularly steeI
Geld could not disemba witl
out help. Before she had mao