Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-19

"It looks good to me. And under
stand my men have got around 1t on
the quiet all right How's your man
Haley got on. hiring out to the Jap in
charger"
We'll enough; the Jap took him on
to NOW, but either Mr.. Caretaker
doesn't know anything or he won't
tell. He's bubbling over with conyer-
sation about the flowers and the coun-
try and the Philippines where he used
| to be; but he only knows that tho hon
orable family are all away and he is to
shun the house. Aren't we almost
there?"
Just around the corner. guess
when you sec 1t you'll think it's, Just
the patio q spook Of taste would
freeze to-"
why is It .haunted?"
NOW you have me- l amt on to
such dream stun Gimme Ave cards.
Mrs. Arnold died of in Europe. so
faint her; and the house has only
been built two years; but the neigh
bors have seen lights and heard
groans and a pick chopping at the
stones. Some folks say the land be-
longed to an old miner and he died
before he could tell where he'd buried
his mazuma; so he is taking little
buscar after 1t. There's the house.
general"
The street climbed gentle hill, and
on its crest large house, in mission
style. looked over pleasant land. It's
position on 4 corner and the unusual
size Of the grounds about It gave the
mansion an effect of space. OF almost
rawly recent erection though It was.
/ the kindly climate had so fostered the
growth Of the pines. acacias and live
oaks. the eucalypti and the orange
trees, which made rich blur of color
on the hillside, had so lavishly tended
the creeping ivies and Bougainyilleas
which masked the rounded lantern
arches Of the stern gray facade. and
30 sumptuously blazoned the flower
beds in the garden on the one hand,
yet, on the other, had 10 cunningly
dulled the greenish gray Of the cobble-
stones from California arroyos IN chin
ney and foundation. and had so softly
streaked the marble Of the garden
statues ana the plaster Of walls ana
mansion with tiny flaments Of liehens
or faint green moss, that the beholder
might fancy the house to be the an
Gent home Of some Spanish hidalgo.
handed down with hereditary curse,
through generations, to the last Of his
race. One was tempted to such .
hutter Of fancy because Of the impress
sion given by the mansion. A sullen
reticence hung about the place. The
windows, for the most part, were
heavily suffered. Not q pane Of glass
flashed back at the sunlight; even
those casements not suffered turned
blank dark green shades, like band.
aged eyes. on the court and the beau
tiful terraces and the lovely sweep Of
hillsides wherc the wonderful shadows
swayed and melted.
The bent figure Of q man raking.
distorted by the perspective. was Wis
ible just beyond the high pillars Of the
gateway. He paid no attention to the
motions Of the motor car. nor did he
answer q hail until It was repeated.
Then he approached the car. Birdsall
was In the roadway trying to unlock
the gate. The man, whose Japanese
features were quite distinguishables
bowed: he explained that the honor.
able owners were not at home; his
Insignificant self was the only keeper
OF the grounds. He spoke sunciently
good English with the accompaniment
Of deprecatory, amiable smile. Bird
sail, In turn, told him that his own
companion was very great gentle
! man from the east who belonged TO .
society of vast power which was In.
vestigating spectral appearances, and
that he had come thousands Of miles
to see the ghost.
The Japanese extended both hands,
while the appeal Of his smile deep
ened. TOO bad. velly," he murmured.
''but not leally any g'lost. no new"
Don't you believe In the ghosts"
asked Col. Winter.
"No, me Clistian boy, no believe
not'ings."
Cali the samee," said the colonel,
laboriously swinging himself from
his vantage ground of the motor seat
to the fiat top Of the wall, thence drop
ping to the green sward below, "allee
samee, like go in house hunt ghost"
He cracked bank note In the palm
Of the slim brown hand, smiling and
nodding as II TO break the force Of his
brusque action. Meanwhile. Birdsall
had safely shut OF his engine before
he placed himself beside the others
with an agility hardly to be expected
OF his rotund build.
As for the caretaker, whether 10
cause he perceived himself outnum.
bered, or because he was really void
Of suspicion, he accepted the money
with outward gratitude and pronered
his guidance through the garden and
The Ia 1>%z ~.