The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-03-01
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Ghosts For Two
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By JOHN PHILIP ORTIZ

had spent half an hour investigating
the interior
Fate sometimes gets a lazy streak
on, and then things move as slow as
molasses creeping across the kitchen
floor, Young man and maiden had
somehow lodged each other for four
whole weeks when Fate woke up.
Then came a morning when the chick.
ems and ducks said II was going to
rain, They beat the weather bureau
az that sort of business. Mr.. Sinclair
decided not to go cunning and fish,
ing but to try his hand at a toy wheel.
barrow for his little niece, and Miss
Vernon decided to SIT on the porch
with a rain-coat on and watch for the
automobilist.
Noon and no rain yet! The wheel
barrow wouldn't wheel The autoist
the only one that came along-was
an old curmudgeon who was in a
hurry to get somewhere, and he never
looked at the girl on the porch and
there was no explosion.
Two o'clock and no rain! Mr., Jack
yawned and swore, and Miss Kitty
yawned and didn't swear.
Three o'clock-four o'clock! Same
overcast sky-same clucking hens and
quacking ducks, but the first drop OF
rain had yet to fall.
Hang it, but this is the very best
sort Of snipe weather." exclaimed
Mr.. Jack as he shouldered his gun
and set out.
I've got letter to mail, and I'll
canter to the village and back" said
Miss Kitty as she ordered the mar
to saddle the pony.
Fate was planning. A snipe OF
some other brd-one is not over-par
ticular about the species-led Mr.
Jack a two-mile chase. It did so by
offering him about fifty fair shots, and
of course every one Of them was a
miss. He had just aimed for his
fifty-irst miss when a drop Of rain
hit him on the nose and the long-de
ferred downfall began to get busy
The old Parsons house was the near
est shelter, and he made for It.
The pCuy was galloped into the vii
lage and the letter mailed, and she
headed fer home. Half a mile from
the Parsons house, and just as it be
gan to RAIN, the pony caught sight OF
a log beside the road he had passed
hundred times and SHE'D at it. Out
of the saddle went Miss Kitty, and
away for horne galloped the pony. Nc
bones broken and no skulls fractured,
but no one can take a flop of the sort
without a few bumps and being muss
ed up more or less.
The rain WIS making porridge OF
the dust when the unseated and very
angry maid started for the old
house.
Mr.. Sinclair had reached the house
fifteen minutes ahead of the girl, and
had taken a seat m the rotting floor
of what had been the parlor Five
before he arrival he had
heard a queer sound upstairs, but sew.
eral of the stair steps were gone and
he could not have Investigated if he
had wished He head rather than
saw Miss Kitty timorously enter the |
hall, and he could not rake out what |
was going on.
A growing from upstairs-a patter.
ing across the floor-a bumpety- |
bump! Ghosts for two! The real |
thing and no discount!
Miss Kitty screamed out and fell |
down the front steps. MI Sinclair |
exclaimed, The devil!" and also
made for out of doors! He saw some
hing flying towards the highway and
he up with his gun and fired. He .
missed, of course, but there was a
scream and the something fell down,
and the huddle was under his feet
before he made cut that it was q girl
n rain-wet and clinging garments.
"Oh, Mr.. Ghost!" from the bundle
"Who is it! What is it,"
"Sir, how dare you"
you hid there on purpose!"
And you came on purpose!"
There was a moments silence, and
hen both laughed heartily and even
n the pouring rain explanations were
entered into
But there was surely a ghost up.
,tairs," protested the girl.
"And / will come here tomorrow
md rout it out"
Hand in hand, through rain and
mud and darkness. Mr.. Sinclair final
y delivered his charge into her sis.
er's care and then went his further
say.
Now, then, Miss Kitty, you have
ad an adventure!" accused her sis
er.
Il have"
"And / demand to"
ooh, you needn't I have been
tucked off by the pony, rolled in the
aud, rained on, visited a haunted
ouse, heard a ghost and met the man
am to marry. That's ALL"
And next day, when Mr.. Sinclair
isited the Parsons house he found
pstairs an old cat with her tail
aught in a crack in the floor, and he