The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-01-02

"A SpoOk
Farm
A Wrong Is Righted by Means
Of It.
BY dLARlssA MAcKIE
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1871.
By CLARIssA MAcKTE

| NNA @+J h0N JAIN AbgkElc y
returned from lunch was agog with
excitement
Guess what has happened. jack
l 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 in his chair.
How did you find outT' l asked,
chagrined
"You always look especially foxy,
old man. and nothing. not even a dead
client, with prospects of rich plckings
from the
"oh. keep stillr l growled. "You
talk Ike bird OF prey"
Il am-we are birds of prey This
detective side line of yours. Hal. or
hobby, or whatever you call IL. will
run us out of our Legitimate course OF
business il you don't slacken up q bit"
Have you any important case on
your mind?" asked sardonically.
Rogers felt tentatively of his head.
Nothing doing, l must confess. Hal.
l know there's something on your
mind There's a look about you that
says we must catch the two-some-
thing for somewhere-and it's las
now" He glanced ct his watch.
THE train leaves at 2:03. 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 1t eXpedient to I'M
bosom myself lest in the telling of the
story we might reach our destination
before l had completed il.
That noon while / sat alone in the
office l had received a call from q
queer client
She was little old woman, sharp
featured and white haired. with hard,
cold blue eyes and a thin Tipped mouth
that seemed made for secrets. She
was CARRIED In shabby black and car
ried a rusty satchel filled to 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 a widow and, besides owning her
farm, possessed a 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
hffrl. In eb.. 81, huI Len
lying farm buildings where in broad
daylight nothing appeared but a grassy |
meadow dotted with ancient fruit |
trees. On dark nights the visitation
appeared as a luminous glowing out
line Of buildings.
Mrs. Penny's 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 will and had suddenly
determined TO confide her fears Of the
'spook farm" as she called it, hoping
might be able to explain away this
horror in her solitary life.
/ had promised 10 come up there to
ook the situation I'm the face. and 1
declared my intention Of bringing my
PARTNER with me. So now that we
we're on the way l related all these
acts TO Jack Rogers, and together we
ried to piece out some fabric of logical
explanation Of the phenomenon.
Derry" yelled the brakeman. throw
ng open the door. and as that was the
earest station to the spook farm we
OF Off and watched the train wind
ut of sight among the hills A station ,
gent was puttering around n couple
{ empty egg crates. and / approached !
i'm. ,
(which road shall l take TO reach !
IRIS. Pennsy's farm / inquired. !
zone to the right" and be disappear
quickly. as If fearful OF further cate =
hism.
IL led away from the river and then .
Dubbed back again. and this perform \
nee It repeated over and over unit 7
lck announced that he felt as twisr- r
as n spiral bed spring.
81 don't wonder your old lady sees 8
Iings." he complained as he rounded n
lother tnrn. II feel all wound up y
st like clock" S
Il guess you can run down now" z
i'd. for just then the trees and dense b
'owth along the road thinned. and s.
G could see the gray shingles Of a b
Gather beaten house just beyond. o
Before we reached the house, which Il
ood in a grove OF glooray cedars, we a
Ell boy with an empty pail and ber- p
stained lips. e.
Son." said my partner kindly. team a
n tell US where the Widow Penny Il
resp" n
The boy turned a grimy little fnges Al
ward the weatherbeaten house. I'm e
ere" he half whispered
DO you know herr" pursued Jack "
relessly displaying n silver quarter. ri
lhe boy nodded. I'm afraid OF Ter" 81
said with more spirit "She's q h,
ser: that's what my mother says" Ii
who lives next door to Mrs. Per.
p asked him as be clutched the ST. III
r coin. I'm
Nobody lives there. It's oil grass T.,
q apple trees. The house burned 70
WIN before was born" And he w
lmpered away and disappeared iu l
} wooded road. ST