The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-01-16


the patio a spook Of taste would
freeze TO-"
why is It haunted:"
"Now you have me. I amt on to
such dream stuff. Gimme five 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 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 q pleasant land. Its
position on a corner and the unusual
size of the grounds about it gave the
mansion an effect of space. OF almost
rawly recent erection though 1t was,
the kindly climate had so fostered the
growth of the pines, acacias and live
oaks, the eucalypti and the orange
trees, which made a rich blur of color
on the hillside, had 80 lavishly tended
the creeping ivies and Bougainvilleas
which masked the rounded lantern
arches of the stern gray facade. and
SO sumptuously blazoned the flower
beds in the garden on the one hand.
yet. on the other, had SO cunningly
dulled the greenish gray Of the cobble.
stones from California arroyos in chin
ney and foundation, and had so softly
streakea the marble of the garden
statues and the plaster Of walls and
mansion with tiny f1laments of lichens
or faint green moss. that the beholder
might fancy the house to be the an.
cfent home of some Spanish hidalgo,
handed down with hereditary curse,
through generations, to the last Of his
race. One was tempted to such
flutter 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 pane Of glass
flashed back at the sunlight; even
those easements not suffered turned
blank dark green shades. like band.
aged eyes. on the court and the beau
tfful terraces and the lovely sweep Of
hillsides where the wonderful shadows
swayed and melted.
The bent figure of 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 no
answer a hail until 1t was repeated.
Then he approached the car. Birdsall
was in the roadway trying to unlock
the gate. The man, whose Japanese
features were quite distinguishable,
bowed; he explained that the honor.
able owners were not at home; his
insignificant self was the only keeper
of the grounds. He spoke sufficiently
good English with the accompaniment
of deprecatory, amiable smile. Bird
sail. in turn, told him that his own
companion was q very great gentle!
man from the east who belonged to a
society Of vast power which was in.
vestigating spectral appearances, and
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 ghost?"
asked Col. Winter.
"No, me Clistian boy, no believe
not'ings."
"All the samee," said the colonel,
laboriously swinging himself from
his underground OF the motor seat
to the fiat top Of the wall, thence drop
ping to the green sward below, "allee
samee. like 60 in house hunt ghost"
He cracked bank note in the palm
Of the slim brown hand, smiling and
nodding as IL 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 be-
cause he perceived himself outnum-
bered. or because he was really void
Of suspicion, he accepted the money
with outward gratitude and preferred
his guidance through the garden and
the orchards. He slipped into the role
Of cicerone with no atom Of resist
ance; he was voluble; he was gracious;
he was artlessly delighted with his
senors. In spite of this flood Of suavi-
ty, however, there seemed to be no
possibility Of persuading him to admit
them to the house.
Assured of this, the two fell back
for second, time for the merest eye
fash from the detective to the soldier,
who at once limped briskly up to the
Jap, saying: 1--WE are very much
obliged to you: this is beautiful
house, beautiful gardens; but we want
to see the ghost; and II you can give
me young Mr.. Arnold's address will
see him-or write, and we can come
back"
The gardener, with many apologies
and smiles, did not know Mr.. Arnold's
honorable address, but he drew out q
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