The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-08-09
| er's Island. the Glouchester people tell
about ! saw that myself night after

about / saw that myself night after
night. >
1t was impossible for Hartley TO under
estimate the earnestness Of Thorne; he
liked 1t, but his own feelings were not
shaken. He had travelled extensively; he
loved all legends for their poetic imagery,
and he liked to read without trying to be-
heve. In his travels he had seen many
examples OF occult mysticism, had seen
them exposed or heard them explained
ne was convinced that every apparent
visitation from the spirit world was capa-
bic Of materialistic Interpretation.
Thorne understood thorourhly these
views of his friend without sharing them.
and 80 was loath to 60 more fully into the
tale Of the " Gray People as he had heard
and understoodi It. To man OF his nature,
however, the indifference, amounting al
most to ridicule, of Hartley was irritating.
wish could convince you," he be-
gan. 1t seems 30 much easier to believe
q tale that many tell than to think people
gullible and foolish"
Hartley reached for the decanter, slowly
and methodically mixed himself drink,
and then asked:
" II there is yarn that will not strain
your imagination in the telling, tell It, but
do not pin me down to any belief in TT"
didn't invent It, Thome answered
quickly. can only tell you the common
talk amongst the settlersl Shall +?
Would it really interest you?"
Fire away! I'll be interested II uncon-
WINGED"
1t was probably forty years ago, when
q Scotchman travelling through this coun-
try first noticed that the Downs were q
natural golf links. From the day DuRal
Macferson saw them they have not been
touched as to formation; in fact, but q
little cutting Of the bushes and seeding Of
the putting green's was needed to make the
perfect course It is to-day. You can Inn
agine, therefore, the impressions Of the
man, born golfer, when his eyes lit upon
an undoubted golf course 80 far from his
home green's.
There wasnog Collin or about these parts
ct that time. The game had made no start
IN this country. 1t was some years later
that golf took hold upon the American
people. But Macferson was, as have
said, golfer, one of the Tom Morris
school, and the sight of this natural course
stirred in him all the blood of generation
OF golfers. 1t was not long before he had
holes made In the smoother greens for put
ting, and with driver and brassie and cleek
was making solitary rounds, to the wonder
OF the native element who watched, but
would not play. One day he went back to
the village with strange tale of other
players, man and q woman The PLAYERS
had come out of the mist when he was look
ing for lost ball in the gully at the second
hole. He had called to them and they had
not answered. Then he had gone toward
them and had seen that they were not Of
his day or of his people. They were
dressed in gray, but it was not style Of
dress he knew. The man had loose cloak
that opened with the swing Of his stride
and showed frilled shirt, topping
breaches, with buckles at the knee
buckles which glinted in the wet fog.
The woman, who followed, had bonnet
hanging over her shoulder by broad
ribbon. A mass of tangled hair hid her
face and she wore mantle of gray SO long
It dragged the bracken as she passed.
They played golf, but with shapeless clubs,
and balls that cleaned duly in the air with
pale phosphorescence"
1t was old Nathaniel Curtis, the inn
keeper, who sounded the deeps of the
Scotchman's tale.
Who were they?" he asked, sternly.
Then without waiting for reply con-
tInued, looking about him at the little
crowd about the big box stove: aye can
not tell! No man canl But / say I've
we've seen the Gray Peopler Ye've seen
the same as many man hez afore we, but
there's no man afore this as hes said they
this?''
Man." It is said the Scotchnan an
aWQrod hm1fII r,o - An -
O .gowf2 | dinna ken who the Gray
Folks are, but brassiel LadI An a
Draw approach tae tn green-Hootl"
"Tuti Tuti" the innkeeper broke IN.
The Gray People have walked the
Downs for years. Many farmer has seen
'em, aye an many man KEEP away from
them same Downs for fear o the sight o.
them. 'Tis said by some that they never
go west o the meadow that leads to the
green pit, but that they go into the pitt
There's cries bin heard, cries that scairt
and hlndered the breath o. than that
heardl"
I'm trying said Thorne, at this point.
to give you an idea of the reception Of the
Scotchman's tale at the inn and to repeat.
as 1t has been repeated to me score OF
times, the conversation that ensued. The
townsfolks, you see, knew Of the Gray
People 1t was the Scotchman who dis
covered they were golfers"
30 on" answered Hartley. "Tell It
your own wayl What happened next?"
Then" went on Thorne, "the inn
keeper asked the Scotchman if he had
followed them any part of the way"
I'm no fu!o Macferson replied.
IT'S no ma way tae be following
speerits"
otis well it isn't" Curtis Wild told
him, there's deaths laid to their door!'
With this statement made as impressive
as possible and allowed to sink in, he con-
tinued, "ye speak O little balls they played
with There's them as says balls O. FIRE
can be seen O. nights risin' an faIlin' on the
Downs. Like as not It's the Gray ones out.
Dye remember Rogers?"
The innkeeper's sudden question was
answered by q solemn nod Of assent from
one or two.
Rogers" went on the innkeeper. "lost
sheep. an looking for it late one night, he
saw them same lights and follered 'em.
Curiosity it was, an it done himl