Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-12-06

o1 ghost story, and nothing is explained
ia 1t; n there seems TO be no reason
Why any OF 1t should have ha opened.
Hut that is no reasOn why 1t should not
he told. You must have noticed that all
Ike real ghost stories you ever come
close to arc like this in these respects
no explanation, no logical Conference.
there Is the story:
There were three of us-and another.
But she had tainted suddenly at the
second extra Of the Christmas dance,
and had been put to bed In the dressing
Fnnus next to the room which we three
shared. II had been ore Of those jolly
old fashioned dances. where everybody
stays the night, the big country
house Is stretched to Its utmost con-
tatnlng- guests harboring on sofas.
touches. settles. and mattresses on the
dOors- So,ne OF the young men, even.
! believe. slept on the great dining
table. We had talked Of our partners,
nS girls wilt. and then the stiffness Of
the manor house. broken only by the
whisper OF the wind in the cedar
branches and the scraping OF their lean
fingers against u window panes had
pricked US to such a luxurious conf
dance In our surroundings OF bright
chtntz and candle flame and flrelights
that VIC had dared to talk of ghosts in
which. said we all. we did not believe
one bit. We had told the story of the
phantom coach and the horribly strange
bed. and the lady in the sacque, and
the house In Berkeley square We none
OF US believed In ghosts. but my heart.
at least, seemed to leap to my throat
aud choke rne there when a tap came
1" u dOOr-a tap faint, but to be
mistaken,
WHO'S there!" said h youngest Of
ats. craning a lean neck toward the door.
II NYNonnI plnyV1Vy ma 4 nA~yn
word the instant Of suspenses that fol-
lowed is still reckoned among my life's
least confident moments. Almost at
once the door opened fully, and Miss
F.astw'ck, my aunt's housekeeper. CON-
Isarton and general standby. looked in
OH us.
We ali said "Come in," but she stood
t',ere. Si.: was at all normal hours.
the most silent woman I have ever
known. She stood and looked at US.
end shivered n little. So did we-for
IN those days corridors were not
warmed by hot water pipes. and the air
from the door was keen.
I saw your light" she said at last,
"aEd l thought 1t was late for you to be
up-after all this gayety. I thought.
llnrhaps"-her glance turned toward the
door OF the dressing room.
NO" l said: She's fast asleep" l
should have added n good night, but
inc Youngest OF us fOrestalled my
speech. She did not know Miss East
wick as we others did; did not know
now her persistent silence had built a
wall round her. a wall that no II
dared to break down with the COM
Nonplaces of talk or the l%ittleness of
mere human relationship. Miss East
wicks silence had taught us to treat
itcr as n machtne-and as other than
q machtn we never dreamed Of treat
INC hnr Ipf thu - - -.
seen Miss Eastwick for the first time
that day. She was young and crude
~ balanced. and the victim OF blind
cat ike impulses. She was also the
neiress OF a rich tallow chandler, but
mat has nothing to do with this part
~ the story. She jumped up from the
,'earthrug. her unsuitably rich silk. lace
trimmed dressing gown falling back
q ON her lean neck. and ran to the door
and put an arm around Miss Eastwick's
grim. lisse encircled neck. I gasped I
rnnuld as soon have dared to embrace
sienpatra's needle. Come In" said h
youngest of us. Come In and get warm.
There's lots of cocoa left" She drew
MISS IcastWick In and shut the door.
b vivid light Of pleasure in the
h~oasekceper's pale ayes went through
my heart like q knife. 1t would ha We
eeen so easy to put an arm round her
neck II m had only thought she want
~ IT.. Gut 1t was not l who had
bough that-and indeed my arm
might not have brought the light In
vnkeu by the lean arm of the youngest
Of us.
Now" the youngest went on on per.
". you shall have the very biggest.
incest chair. and the cocoa pots nm
the hob as hot as hot-and we've ali
been telling ghost stories, only We
cont believe IN them a bit. ana when
xOn1 Uaf Vvn N ,~s ~..-AA
too" 'e" one
Miss Eastwick-that model Of de-.
coram and decently done duties-tell|
a ghost story! The child was madi
re sure I'm not In your wav"
Msss Eastwick said. stretching her
hands to h blaze. l wondered whether
Gus keepers have ires In their rooms
even at Christmas time.
Not n abit"-I said II. ana I hor.
faid u as warmly as I felt It. .T-Miss|
-ostw,tk-Td have asked you to come
w ether times. only I didn't think yo,'d
t'-e for girls' chatter"
-. :..:cc girl. who was really OF NO
as. and that's why I've not said
= ns.',.'g about her before. poured cocoa
s!iaw found her shoulders icould not
think n anything else to do for her,
. suddenly found myself wishing
despelately to do something. The smiie
s!te xays me was quite pretty. People
2 smile prettily at 40 or 50, or even
Mter, thought girls don't realize this.
knife thrust. that ! had nover 8 Miss
Eexlwick smile-as real s1mtle-before.
smiles OF dutifut a~caulscence
ENer0 not OF the same blood a This
oln1RIsnE. happy. trana1Guring look.
Ifts Us very pleaeant," she said. and
Z seemsd to me that / had never before