Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-04-19

meandered through the rank grass
back of the house, and the adjacent
low lying ground appeared damp and
marshy.
mice, malarious spot" remarked
as we walked around a weed grown
path to the back door.
might raise good crop of spooks
here,' said Jack. pausing and looking
over toward the adjacent property.
'The kid was right; there must have
been a farmhouse there one day. See
the sunken rectangles Of turf where
the buildings once stood7 You can even
get an idea Of how the yard must have
looked in those days. There's snow
ball bush and a clump of nlacs and
other Towering shrubs. and those apple
trees In the background must be the
remains of the orchard"
followed the direction of his point
ing finger and saw that he spoke the
truth. We were specializing upon the
location of the different buildings when
l heard a slight sound and. turning.
saw Mrs. Penny peering sharply from
a kitchen window.
"Here we are. Mrs. Penny" said
cheerfully, introducing my partner.
"Mr. Rogers and | propose to sit up
tonight and lay all these spooks Of
yours"
She fingered her spectacles rather
nervously and then removed them and
raped the table smartly with them,
cycling me keenly.
''This is no joke, young man." she
said gravely.
Indeed. madam" replied warmly,
1--WE do not consider it as such. l
spoke lightly because wanted to allay
your fears"
"Your own fears may need quieting
after you have seen them"
"People, you mean? 2" asked Jack.
"They were once" she answered
DULY.
"You mean you have really seen
them?"
Eyes; the whole family. They're all
dead now"
"You can recognize them from your
Window" he asked incredulously.
She nodded an affirmative and then
sat In moody silence while Jack and l
conferred together. The result Of this
interview was that my partner and l
wandered about the spook ridden field
next door until Mrs. Penny summoned
us to supper. We ate without referring
to the object OF our visit. In fact
great depression seemed to have set
tied upon the three of us. The air was
haauu aud damn lint tbo unu uof hril
liantly, and in the east a splendid full
moon was rising.
"You can sit In the side porch II
you want to-" said Sarah Penny II
shall be in the sitting room here wait.
ing for 1t to come"
Jack and both shuddered as she de-
parted. We whispered to each other
and marveled that any sensible ghost
would care to return to such a gloomy.
God forsaken spot as this We lighted
cigars and tried not TO admit that an
eerie sensation was creeping over Us
when Mrs Penny's shrill old voice
broke excitedly on the mir
"They are here-it has Conner
We lifted reluctant eyes and gazed
upon the spook farm. There was
fascination about the weird scene that
drew us 10 the dividing fence
There had arisen before our unbe-
lieving eyes white misty buildings
farmhouse with adjacent wings. dairy
barns-and here and there were forms
Of people. white wralths with beckon-
ing arms. 1t was MINDLESS night. and
the moon shOne brightly.
Sarah Penny's voice again broke the
stiffness, this time hoarse with fear.
She was at my elbow do you see
itT' she whispered
"Yes," ! answered, but
docs he see IL tOoT
eyes, but
"Then 1t is sog she moaned. And /
saw that she was holding her black
bag under her arm. ~ must give up
the papers. and perhaps they viii go
away"
There was an instant Of intense ST.
lence, and then | turned my back on
the spook farm and said quickly:
"Yes, you must give up the papers.
Mrs. Penny. and right the wrong You
had better move away" | advised,
leading her Into the house, quite
broken In spirit.
Eyes, will go away have sis
ter in the west. who wants me to
come. | can sell this place-and-here
are the deeds. executed them years
ago. but ] hated TO part with them.
have so little money! she whiled
pitlfully, opening her black bag.
Little by little | wormed a confess
sion out Of her Of how she had held
mortgage on the farm next door.
which was owned by German family.
She had coveted the land, but the
farmer had been industrious and paid
his interest promptly. Then one night.
buildings. and when they lay a heap
OF ashes on the ground she took the
land for the amount OF the mortgage,
and the Germans were homeless and
penniless. They had gone forth. help.
ed by charity, to make n new start,
and she had heard from some source
that each one had died years ago. All
this had happened Afty years before
and she had had a long time In which
10 repent Of her crime
The next morning when Jack and !
went down on the early train we car.
ried proper legal papers conveying the
spook farm property. as well as the
home Of Mrs. Penny. to the heirs OF
the German farmer. Fritz steber And
1 may add here that In due course OF
time his children were found and their
Inheritance restored 10 them Mrs
Penny. who possessed n comfortable
fortune through her misery habits.
went west and was heard Of no more
l meyer kneW whnl hncnme of TIM