Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-18
The Argus Daily Short Story
The Elmsbury Ghost-By Clarissa Maclde
Copyrighted. 1909. by Literary Press.

Going once: ---5,a sEnce! Going.
three times and sUId to Er. Ebenezer
Pollock for S1.9O0r
The auctioneer'S hammer fell with
a resounding thud and nearly grazed
the nose of the purchaser.
Didn't mean to damage good Gus
TONER" chuckled the man of the ham,
mer as he pulled down the red flag
above the gate and climbed into his
buggy. "CoIne down to Lawyer Fitch's
office bimeby, Meier. and we'll close
the deal right aud proper"
''Very WE'LL said Ebenezer gruffIy.
He watched the crowd of women tip
toeing ont of the house and waited I'M
Ill the last one had passed through the
gate. each with furtive glance at the
new owner. He was aware that they
marveled because he had bought a
ghost ridden house.
When he was alone in the shadows
of the tall oaks he looked up at the
house, dark and foi bidding in the midst
of rank grass and weeds. Whatever
had been its original color. it was now
faded TO 4 dingy mustard hue. blOtted
with the dark green of heavy wooden
shutters tightly closed.
There were years and years when
the shutters had never been closed.
Those We're the days before old Simon
Elmsbury's granddaughter had run
away with the Schoolteacher and had
in consequence been disinherited by
the old man. Simon had left the house
and land and furniture TO the Foreign
Missionary society. and now. five years
after his death, they had put it up at
auction. and Ebenezer had bought il
at much below its real value.
1t was well known that Simon would
have opposed his granddaUghter's mar
riage to any man. lie was selfish
enough TO wish TO keep her ut his side
to wait upon him. for she was the only
relative lie had.
let us come and live with you.
grandfather" Cornelia had pleaded
with her arms around his neck. You
will Ike Henry better when you know
him" But the obdurate old man had
angrily flung her aside. and the next
day the girl had been married to Hen
ry Stone and disappeared from Mel
vile.
After that Simon Elmsbury closed
the main part of the house and lived
in the east wing for ten years, and
then he died without one relenting
word to Cornelia. The Stones had new
er been heard from since their depar-
ture from Melville. No one knew
where they lived or even If they were
alive. Old Simon Elmsbury went to
the grave unattended by any relative
Since Simon's death gossip had it
that the house was haunted. On stormy
nights, the credulouS said the old
piano tinkled softly behind the closed
shutters. and Il woman's thin. sweet
voice was heard singing in low tones
Snatches of this weird music could b2
heard sometimes in the Iull of shrek
ing wind or dashing rain. On other
nights all was still Some claimed
that Cornelia was dead aud that her
sweet spirit came back TO sing in the
rooms of the old home where she had
spent happy girlhood.
In spite of ghostly rumors. Ebenezer
Pollock had suddenly made up his
mind to give up boarding in the vii
lage hotel and occupy home of his
own. The Elmsbury place suited him.
1t was near his harness shop. and the
east wing was just large enough to
serve his simple purposes. AS for the
main portion of the house. he gave it
over TO rats and mice and mold.
Now he walked up the path and en-
tered the front door. creaking rustily
on its hinges in the south breeze that
swept The yard. On the second floor
q door banged loudly. Ebenezer start
ed ard then. with an exclamation of
disgust. entered the house
A long. dark hall stretched away
into inky blackness. and to the right
and left open doors gave glimpses into
darkened rooms family Illuminated
with candles placed there by the auc-
tioneer.
Ebenezer creaked I'm and out of the
rooms stilied with decaying furniture.
carefully blowing out the candles Up
stairs the candles We're pickering
s'r9neelv. and tlnra was chill In
the large north bedroom as if from