The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-02-03
To Bed unuashed.


ats probably fancy, whetted by q
realistic telling OF the .time.worn tale
by such a your Aunt Mary Ann" in
John Sloan. and consequently
the good old homestead is an insight
" landmark in an otherwise beautiful
town. ,.y i ar=s5 sH5 s-a1se a
All Of which doesn't get us any
nearer to the issue Of this evening""
suggested a club member who had
seemed not at all interested in the
review.
True" admitted Helen.
.'I'm for having the party this yearin
the so-called haunted house," said
John Sloan. cit will be a novelty
the atmosphere will be spooky enough
for any Of you and it might tend to
dispel the idea that it Is haunted and
thereby do a civic good"
Suppose We decide that way" &C.
guessed the young man who was not
interested in ghosts. land impose a
penalty on any member who refuses
to come. He who does not Join the
crowd at the Halloween party at the
haunted house is a coward!" declared
the youth, waxing eloquent.
Here! Herel" shouted the crowd.
But the Halloween party was plan
ned and the night rolled around when,
one and all, the members assembled
at the foot Of the hill in sheets and
ni110w oocou IN mount IN tho old homo.
stead beneath the trees. The moor
shone brightly and the boys carried
lantern on their heads, lanterns fash
toned Of pumpkins.
The Whitehead figures wendell their
ways slowly, silently up the narrow
pathway that had once been a drive
way to the house. Now it was over.
grown with brush and weeds and tan
giles Of wild vines. Katydids and tree
toads chirruped and all the night
noises sounded weirdly near as the lit
the band climbed step by step closer to
the house they had known all their life
to be haunted. If fearful hearts beat
beneath the white garments, no n
said so. The spirit of Halloween was
upon them.
Arrived at the old gardens, they
stood and gazed at the ancient ruin,
for that it looked, indeed, in the
queer light that sifted through the
heavy tres.
I see no spooks but ourselves"
laughed the girl, indistinguishable in
her enveloping white robe.
If your Aunt Mary could look
up here now she might see ghosts"
said John Sloan to the little lady near
him.
He believed 1t to be Helen Ware.
Whether 1t was or not, she did not
say. -t
One by one the little group found
courage to seek the old verandas and
explore the premises. And. at. last,
when they had made merry in the old
fashioned manner at Halloween
sports. they assembled for the picnic
supper they had carried with them.
With the weird faces of the pump.
kins to light their way. they climbed
through the only unlocked window and
spread their feast on the floor. Then
they seated themselves in a circle
around the food and proceeded to make
merry in the long silent halls.
When the last nut had been cracked
there fell over the group, SO oddly az.
sembled. a silence. Then, some one
asked for a story-a ghost story.
'Ill tell you one," said a girl, the
voice of whom few of the young people
recognized. That 1t belonged to none
Of the members Of the club they were
certain; but there were several guests
present at the gathering. -
Adjusting her pillow cas- the nor
easily to. speak, the strange voice went
y 4A'''-'> = 11'
This, is q true story-though .
ghost story to some" she said.
When my; mother was an infant, her
parents died and left her entirely alone
in the world; but some kindly people.
having known her parents. took her
into the house and treated her like q
member Of their own family. AS she
grew up she learned to. love them. but
she had been told that she was an
orphan, and that 1t had been the pleas.
ure Of these. friends to adopt her. The
man and his two sisters-it was not q
4 and wife who had taken her into
their home-were growing old when
my mother fell in love with q young
man who lived In the town.
The old people never married them.
selves. and they always discouraged
any such idea my mother might put
forth. She did not want to hurt them
they had grown very old by the
time she was $3.50 she said nothing
70 them; OF, the man she loved and
who loved her in return. Night after
aight she climbed out of her little
bedroom window after the old people
had gone. to bed, and met her lover.
Then, in an hour or two, she climbed
back, and the good old people never
knew she had been gone. rs.
My mother knew It was deceitful,
hit ahe knew. too. that the views Of