The Irish standard., 1909-07-24

the alleged joke that we purposed
practicing on the driver of the "ex-
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 ghost story when she first came
here purely in 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 off the
place"
WELL" replied, "she ought to be
satisfied now, at any rate Miss Car
ney gave her good bit of money in
a lump sum, and provided her with a
comfortable house and generous plot
of land around it. l 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
We'll, it's plain enough" continued
MacArdel. You gave her the money
in 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"
1--WE do, in way" returned I'VE
give her the use Of the house aud
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 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
her place into golf links"
What of it," replied. I'VE are
going to provide for her elsewhere
and she will be better off than she
is now"
"You know that, but she doesn't"
continued MacArdel, land 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"
mo reason why they should want it
open," said. practically all the serv-
ants are brought from the city and al
most nothing is purchased in the viii
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 up
and never missed from one years end
to another when the house is unoccu-
pied and no Waterman or caretaker is
about. I tell you, Ware, these people
don't want the Carneys to come back,
and they are playing this ghost game
for all there is in it to frighten them
/ away -,-,.-,. ~
They'll have fine time doing IT,
I said. Miss Carney isn't afraid Of
anything under the sun, and even If
she returns before we are able to
make out a case against them, she'll
stay here and fight it out to the
last"
Hope she likes to do housework,"
said MacArdel."
whats that got to do with it?". I
snapped ,...
Well" he returned, grinning.
she'll have to live here without serv.
ants until you get this business clear
ed up. She may be satisfied that there
Is nothing supernatural about these
midnight visitations, but she won't
get a servant to stay on the place
while there's any hocus-pocus going
on"
We were on our way back from the
railway station, and, coming to the
brow of the hill, we could look down
across the valley and see the grim
gray walls Of the Carney mansion
through the occasional openings in the
foliage as it waved in the gentle morn.
ing breeze. To one side, and less than
a mile away, was the Widow Bruces
cottage, and pointed 1t out again to
MacArdel.
Lets go over there" he said, brief
ly. II want to see her."
! We tramped across the fields and
over the fences of stone and brush,
soiling our boots, tearing our clothing,
and decorating ourselves with a gen.
erously distributed collection of burrs,
which chung to our garments with a
tenacity wonderful to believe.
A sharp knock at the cottage door
was answered by pleasant-faced,
motherly appearing woman Of about
As, who spoke with marked English
accent. MacArdel took the initiative
and introduced us without delay.
"This is Mr.. Ware" he said, 1.-The At.
torney Of the Carney estate, and am
his friend, DR.. MacArdel."
The widow bobbed up and down like
q duck In puddle and invited US into
the house with great show of cere-
mony.
mo, thank YOU" said MacArda,