Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-02-25

out sne only SHOOK ner nedu sduly.
why, of course she's dead!" said
the old woman. Don't you know that
all of us here are dead?"
Indeed, yes; we are all dead"
cried the other guests I'm general
chorus.
'This is getting beyond patience!"
exclaimed You. too, are pleased to
joke with me, but tell you frankly
that / fail to see the fun of 1t. Per-
haps, since you possess such fund Of
humor, you will be telling me next
that am dead, also"
Then came that laugh again. I
never shall forget 1t. Beginning with
cackling litter, II spread until the
whole table was in roar making my
very flesh creep. Then all at once It
ceased, and again there was dead
silence.
Certainly you are dead" said the
old lady with the camellias. She's
dead, and all of us are dead. She died
this morning OF acute congestion OF
the lungs, but l have been dead for
these 20 years, and he, too" indicat-
ing with her fan the elderly gentleman
with the pink nose. MY own COM
plant was cerebro-spinal meningitis"
My legs gave way under me and
sank into my chair. AS ! did so my
hand touched Mabeps and | grasped
hers tightly. 1t was cold as ice. Lean
ing toward me, she whispered In my
ear:
Don't make a scene! 1t Is all quite
true. You were run over an hour ago
by trolley car"
Not daring to believe my senses,
replied:
And this house,"
"Sh-h!" said Mabel. 'It is only
the ghost of house-the phantasmai
reproduction of an old mansion that
used to stand on this spot, where there
has been an empty lot for Is years
past"
II think / understand" gasped.
Then, though my brain swan. l made
tremendous effort to summon up my
courage and face composedly this
dreadful situation Addressing myself
to the old woman opposite, said:
"Perchance you were acquainted
with the former occupants of this
dwelling?"
"Oh, yes" she answered pleasantly.
Il am somewhat distantly related to
our host and hostess of this evening.
They were drowned-lost on the ILL
fated Vile de Paris. This house be-
longed to them, and not very long
afterwards it was torn down.
But suppose that the present own
er of the lot were to build upon it?'
| suggested. at would be necessary
to hold these charming entertainments
elsewhere?"
mot at all. she said, laughing and
waving her fan. THE occupancy Of
the site by a real house would not in
terfere. 1t frequently happens, Of
course, that a building is put up on
ground previously occupied by another
dwelling. You must understand,
though l might have supposed you
knew it, that, while the material parts
of tenement may be removed at any
time, it's astral shell remains in per-
petuity. Thus the ghosts of half a
dozen or more dwellings may remain
on the site occupied by a new and sub
stantial structure They are none the
less real for being invisible to living
eyes. The most remarkable instances
of haunted houses that you have heard
about are due to conditions of that
sort-several families OF phantasms,
perhaps, tenanting premises topo-
graphically coincident with a mansion
which affords physical accommodation
to people in the flesh. / trust make
myself clear?'
Quite So" / replied politely.
This conversation was interrupted
by the elderly gentleman with the
pink nose, who seemed to be dissatis-
fed with something. Having poured
out a water goblet half full of sherry
from decanter, he called for brandy.
and with those strong spirits filled it
to the brim. Then he took caster or
red pepper and sprinkled its contents
literally on the surface of the mix
ture. Raising the goblet to his lips.
he drained it's contents to the last drop
and set it down with a sigh.
All he exclaimed, ut has no
strength If only could get schooner
of real beer"
The old lady regarded this perform
ance attentively, with a lorgnette held
TO her nose. Said she alphabetically
That is the way with all pleasures
in the after world. They seem to have
no SAVIOR. Even the milk is chalk and
water"
II suppose that is why this mince
pie tastes so insipid," I responded,
toying absently with BIT of pastry on
my plate.
"Of course II is" she said. Don't
you see it is only the ghost of mince
pie"
Then It seems that"
But at this point the banquet was
suddenly interrupted by convulsive
swaying and creaking of timbers. Tbs
table rocked, the lights in the silver
candelabra flickered. and all was
darkness. Then, through a ray OF
brilliant sunlight. ] saw the strange