The San Francisco call., 1908-10-31

aunt as they entered the breakfast room
next morning.
From Uncle Phil at San Franciscov'
exclaimed the girl as she opened it and
found inclosed an invitation for herself
and sister, which read like this:
Your presence is requested at
GHOST PARTY
To be given by Mr.. and Mrs. Phil Curtis
On All Halloween.
Please come en- masque.
How delightfulr' cried Jessie, "and
we have not seen Uncle Phils folks
for SO long May we go, Aunt Carrier
Il would be glad to have you, dears,
but don't see how we can manage 1t.
Your uncle has to go east this week
and 1 can not leave the children. You
know you have never travelled alone,
and 1 do not wish you to do so.''
So, after more discussion, and with
much reluctance. the girls gave up the
thought of going and sent g. letter of
regret. Time passed and a few days
before halloween Mrs. Lane, near
neighbor, dropped in and said she was
going to San Francisco the next day,
and could she do any errands for them.
May we go with you, Mrs. Lane
Do say yes quick, quickl" and impul-
sive Dolly seized the good lady's hands
and danced around the room.
Certainly, my dear" replied Mrs.
Lane as soon as she could get her
breath, and the matter was arranged
without delay and in due time the
happy girls We're on their way.
Mrs. Lane had told them that her
sister lived but a block or so from
their uncles, so it was arranged that
they should dress at her house. They
wore long black dominos, white masks
covering the upper part of the face,
with small curtain over the lower
part, and large white cotton gloves,
and arrayed in these complete dis
guises, they reached their uncle's.
As they were about to ring the bell
the door noiselessly opened and a tall
figure in white robes, with a white
head dress and white mask, silently
ushered them in and pointed upstairs.
At the head of the stairs they were
confronted by an appalling apparition
with pumpkin head, grinning mouth
and wide open eyes lighted from with
in by candle. The body part was
robed in bright yellow, and in one hand
it held a pipe and in the other big
red apple.
Another door silently opened and a
second spectral figure motioned them
on to the dressing room.
The parlor was lighted by candles in
grinning pumpkin heads in the corners
On wires hung overhead. and which in
the half light We're almost invisible
Were suspended all kinds of gruesome
things, small skeletons, great spiders
lizards, bats and other curious imita-
tions, which the Japanese make so life
like, and which the slightest draft OF
air or jar of the room set in motion
producing a weird effect
The alcOVe or "den" was shuf oA
with heavy black curtains and on this
background appeared in white letters
the inscription, THE Chamber of Hor-
rors. Leave hope behind. all We who
enter here" 1t was some time before
the girls could muster up sufficient
courage TO enter this forbidding look
ing place, and when they did so they
were greeted with fearsome sight
The walls were hung with black and
on this drapery were fastened human
skulls and bones and snakes and all
manner of fantastic things. A Japa-
nese sword, a Spanish stiletto, an In
dian tomahawk, bows and arrows and
other curious articles were disposed in
motley array.
But what struck them with awe was
a full sized human skeleton, sitting In
a big armchair in the center of the
room, it's fieshless bones cleaning in
the dim light and it's bony hands ex-
tended in a mocking welcome. The
girls were not nervous, but they could
hardly repress a scream and they
quickly left this abode of uncanny OBJ
jects.
OF course everybody was trying to
discover who the maskers were and
there were much merry laughter and
joking as one after another was recog-
nized in some way. The girls were
SnIr
fired at them, but to all they replied
merely by mods or shakes of the head
or by mysterious signs with their fin
gers. They must be dumb said some.
mo, they belong to some secret So
ciety," said others. Finally the girls
took the center of the room and gave
one of the old down south patter
dances, keeping time with their hands
as the darkies do. This made a great
were enjoying immensely the ex-
citement they had created when
the clock struck IL, and the or
der was given to unmask Every
one else obeyed, amid much laughter
and expressions of surprise, but the
girls were not yet ready to reveal
themselves, and as they made no move
ment to do so, one of the guests whis-
pered to Mr.. Curtis: Those persons
have no business here, and I believe
one of them is a man. / am going to
find OUT He seized Dolly by the arm.
saying: Take off that mask. You are
impostors.''
Quick as a flash both girls sprang
to their feet and dropped their
dominos and their masks, and then
there was a genuine surprise and much
kissing and shaking of hands by uncle.
aunts and cousins, with hearty well
comes from the entire party and
nanny added another one to her host
of stories of All Halloween.