Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1912-01-25

"A Spook
Farm
A Wrong Is Rshted by Means
Of II.
BY CLARksSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1871.
BY CLARlSSA MACKIE
by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

excitement
Guess what has happened, Jack"
| crowed.
mo need to guess Something in
the detective line has turned up"
grinned my partner as he tossed his
hat on its accustomed peg and sat
down ia his chair
How did you find outI" l asked,
chagrined
You always look especially foxy.
old man, and nothing, not even dead
client, with prospects OF rich pckings
from tho
"oh, keep still" growled You
Talk like a bird Of prey
81 am-we are birds of prey. This
detective side line OF yours, Hal, or
hobby. or whatever you call 1t. will
run us out Of our legitimate course OF
business if you don't slncken up bit.
"IIave you any important case on
your mind?' | asked sardonicaIly
Rogers felt tentatively of his head.
Nothing doing. | must confess. Hal
/ know there's something on your
mind There's look about you that
says we must catch the two-some-
thing for somewhere--and its Lao
now" He glanced at his watch
"The train leaves Mt BOB I'll tell
you about It on the way up
After we were comfortably seated
in the smoker Of the train and were
headed up the bank OF the Hudson
river | deemed it expedient to UNI
bosom myself lest in the telling of the
story we might reach our destination
before | had completed ii.
That noon while | sat alone in the
office | had received a call from
queer client
She was little OLD woman, sharp
featured and white haired, with hard,
cold blue eyes and thin Tipped mouth
that seemed made for secrets. She
was CARRIED In shabby black and car
ried rusty satchel filed 70 bursting
that she watched carefully.
learned that her name was Sarah
Penny and that she lived on small
farm near Poughkeepsie. She said she
was widow and. besides owning her
farm. possessed tiny income on
which she lived. She also said that
for two weeks past she had been
haunted by spectral farm that seem
ed TO adjoin her own. She related that
night after night when the moon was
high I'm the heavens she had seen low
lying farm buildings where In broad
daylight nothing appeared but a grassy
meadow dotted with ancient fruit
trees On dark nights the visitation
appeared rs luminous glowing out
line OF buildings
Mrs. rennys old face seemed TO be-
come more wrinkled and careworn as
she impaired these facts to me and
when she had concluded. saying that
she had visited me with the intention
OF making her win and had suddenly
determined to conflde her fears Of the
''spook farm" as she called it. hoping
| might be able TO explain away this
horror in her solitary life
l had promised TO come up there to
declared my intention OF bringing my
partner with me, SO now that we
were on the way l related all these
facts to Jack Rogers, and together we
tried to piece ont some fabric of logical
explanation Of the phenomenon,
Derry yelled the brakeman, throw
ing open the door, and as that was the
nearest station to the spook farm we
got of and watched the train wind
out Of sight among the hills. A station
agent was puttering around couple
of empty egg crates, and / approached
him.
which road shall take to reach
Mrs. Pennsys farm?" l inquired
zone TO the right" and he disappear
ed quickly, as il fearful Of further cate
chism.
1t led away from the river and then
doubled back again. and this perform
ance 1t repeated over and over until
Jack announced that he felt MS twist
ed as a spiral bed spring.
81 don't wonder your old lady sees
things" he complained as he rounded
another turn Il feel all wound up
Just like clock"
Il guess you can run down now !
said. for just then the trees and dense
growth along the road thinned, and
we could see the gray shingles Of q
weather beaten house Just beyond.
Before we reached the house which
stood in a grove OF gloomy cedars, we
met boy with an empty pail and Der
ry stained dps
"Son," said my partner kindly "can
you tell us where the Widow Penny
lives z"
The boy turned a grimy little finger
toward the weatherbeaten house In
there" be half whispered
40 you know here" pursued Jack
carelessly displaying a silver quarter
The boy nodded I'm afraid Of her
he said with more spirit shes q
miser: that's what my mother says
"who lives next door to Mrs Pen
N.Y." asked him az he clutehed the sill
yer rntn
Nobody lives there It's oil grass
and apple trees The house burned
down before was born And he
.y~a ,y,t,n~,,d .xvoy aua df@apneaYpd III