The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-05-24

but with cold blue noses and wet feet Mabel Blossom
told me later with her own lips that they all thought
Maudie and ought to have waited till we got indoors
to talk about my marriage But Maudie comored me
so much that pretty soon felt better and got up we
all crept the balcony, and climbed through
what left OF the ivy and got in the hall and reached
our rooms-and not soul heard us 1t was too good
to be true. ! don't suppose the Sisters would ever
have known anything about it If kittie James hadn't
lad Mysteries in her lust soon as Maudie lett
her there alone Sister Edna heard the hystecsevery
one in that wing heard them. guessso the whole
story out We we're all visited in our rooms,
and given baths and rubbings and hot drinks, ana
didn't say much tha night; il as too late.
II the reader will c,, ne. will draw veil over
could describe them b.; don't like TO write about sad
things; my pen turns to gaiety. Naude and
had the worst time OF all think. for Sister lrmngardc
told lis she had depended on us to use our influence Tor
good at ST. GATHERINGS, and that had both failed
her and she feared she could never trust again.
You can imagine how felt We cried till we
were sick. Maude had to go to the nhrmary, |
didn't ! cried lust as much but | have stronger
constitution. Besides, know that suffering is good
for my art and that always comforts me, right away.
Sometimes IT comforts me so much that can't keep
on Sutermg then emotions are strange and puzzling
Even can hardly describe them Mabel Blossom
to Mother Ernesta and we didn't see her for hours
When she finally came into the study hall, late in the
afternoon her eyes red too, and she buried her
self in her books, real authors say, and didn't speak
to anybody.
But what worried us most of all was the memory of
that dreadful voice When ghost has talked to you
and told you real things about your most intimate
interests 60 around afterward with sinking feelings
in your stomach, and you can't sleep nights. All the
girls who went TO the rum got nervous, and went TO
the inrrmary, like Maude. naly Mabel and we're
the only girls not the sc<-st Ktte James was SO
nervous she had to have of the inhrmarans sleep
in the same room with her. Kte said it was dread
full to wake al night and be thinking of beautiful peace
ful things. like box from home, and then suddenly
turn and look into the lcshless sockets of ghost
who grinding the words Frederick Manson
between his bony jaws. OF that gave me
Mysteries right off
The Sisters forbade us to talk about the ruin or
the ghost or to think about them, stopped
talking; but our thoughts worked harder than ever.
as they always do when you not allowed TO talk
about things. At last the put their heads to-
gethcr, and sent for every girl, and talked to her
alone When that happens each girish heart gives
Three days after Halloween, the girls in the in
Urinary were told to get up and dress for supper.
The nuns said something interesting was going to
iapnen IN the retectory. and no one should miss
1t. lhc girls rose pale and wan, and when the sup
per bell rang we all went to the retectory together
with slow gait like band Of mnims stepping
We not allowed to talk while eating
Usually Sister Italia reads improving book and
unless there's sardines. We were the interesting
thing couldn't be food because know exactly
what the food IS going to be Monday night cold
lamb and bread and butter and prunes and milk;
Tuesday cold beef and biscuits and canned peaches
and milk: Wednesday-But | will spare the gentle
reader We have simple nourishing meals as our
hat whenever talk about our food at the convent
ny father groans. He is general in the army, too.
md you know what privations they have OF course
ve get lots Of boxes from home, and they contain
re cakes and pickles and olives and jam that growing
girls require
We sat down without zest, and got ready TO put
God into ourselves absentmindedly the way you put
oals the fire, and was just wondering whether
We were having LITTLE peaches or big apreots when
noticed that all the girls staring toward the
cot OF the long room. | stared too. Well indeed
might
A big canvas was stretched the whole width of
he rcfectory against the south wall On that
as, in black crayon sketches the whole story
# our Hallowee en Vi t. the haunted church We
adnt done single thing that wasn't there. The
rst picture showed climbing down the ivy. In
he second we were running across the fields In the
bird we were at the ruins and Mabel was calling
own to the ghost. The fourth showed Mabel faint
ng, and in the fifth we were dragging her across
ne helds on her face. and holding her feet, which
oo<ed drcadfully big They are, too Then pic
ure showed me calling to the ghost with Shakes
care under my | don't think that was very
ood for didn't have Shakespeare under my arm
mother picture showed Maudie and me sitting on
balloon thing coming Of Maudies mouth.
aylng Doan you cry, honey, amt gwine let you
1ahv him"
After that came our return up the ivy with the
w all hanging in shreds and patches like shoe-
trings. In the OF every picture was per-
ectly Mortified little moon, looking down on us with
yes almost big as his face. and his expression
lferent every time He was weeping over me and
iaude, in picture. But the last two sketches
we're the ones that drew and held unbeeving
yes In the first Mabel Blossom giving dollar
o Jonas, our old head gardener In the other-the
asst of all--Jonas was down in the church cellar,
eadng list OF names by the light of a allow dip,
nd shouting Frederick Manson up at mel The
tile moon had thrown his head back and shout
1g. too, and the little stars crowding around
0 listen.
Then. indeed, we knew all The ghost was old
onss and Mabel Blossom had hired him TO be
host Was this peridy? | do not pause for a
eply I know too well what it would be But we
ad our revenge; for after all, the ghost had fright
ned Mabel even more than he did US. Jonas
hanged his voice so dreadfuly that Mabel thought
he ghost had destroyed him and taken his place as
punishment for her. She told US so afterward as
oon we would let her tell anything. At first
e wouldn't
After we had looked at the pictures and nobody
adj said anything because nobody was allowed to,
fabel got up from her place at the table and made
speech. She said she wanted to ask our pardon
he had played very silly joke, and was sorry
he hoped we would forgive her She would try to
o better. Her face very red. Then she SAT
own and Sister Italia said grace and we all began
eat casting ever and anon Disappearing looks at
label BLOSSOM But we felt so much more
leerul