The Washington times., 1913-04-12
DAILY SERIAL STORY
THE GHOST GIRL BY ss: a. TX kns sa:s:ses Ws1s' s
: Cp1 Frank My

THE one natural voice that was left
began talking in soothing sort OF
way; but the laughing voice went on,
paying no more attention than-well,
that's the only simile / can think Of
phonograph. 1t had something OF
that quality, too. That horrible, life
less squeak
THE light went up in the other
stateroom then. OF course, 1t shone
perfectly plainly through the open
space at the top Of the partition. and
that relieved the situation a little. 1t
seemed to make 1t possible for me to
stay there. 1 confess / had been on
the point of bolting when 1t was
turned up.
II heard the clink Of a spoon against
glass, too, and that suggestion tnat
some one was getting dose of medi-
nerves, too, although the medicine user
didn't affect the patient Immediately.
The -phonograph voice went on for quite
a little while. just saying over and over
again-'dead! Shed dead! and gig
Cling.
But presently its tone got more auer-
ulous. The giggle stopped. guess l
ought to know she5s dead 1t said. i
killed her myself-killed her with a pin
Then it got a note of terror in 1t and
her. 1 tell you ]! I! 1!
1T kept rising higher and higher. al
most to a shrek. and then suddenly
it stopped in a muffled gasp. as If the
there was a nurse-had clapped some
thing over its mouth. Perhaps a pillow.
/ suppose the medicine took effect then.
because that muffled gasp was the last
sound / heard.
But by that time I wanted some Of
the dope myself pretty badly. A maniac
is not a pleasant person to encounter
at the best: but somehow, not seeing
anything, lust hearing through that lit
tie wooden partition, made 1t all the
worse.
Il was fool not to get UP and dress
and go on deck. But I've got a spunky
sort of streak in me that hates to admit
that I'm beaten, and I made up my
brute strength of will 1 Law still and
kept my eyes shut. and tried to keep
my muscles relaxed
Il suppose ii was two hours before
anything more happened, though it
| seemed six The next thing that hap
pened was this
Jeffrey got out of his chair and shook
himself with little laugh.
"Oh. it would have been funny If my
| nerves weren't SO near the breaking
point! l suppose it is funny still. But
| was lying there perfectly still, hadn't
heard sound, and all at once some
thing like tiny hand-oh, smaller than
a baby's, no bigger than a dolls, but
very cautious and skillful-took hold of
one of my eyelids and tried to lift it.
Il don't mind admitting / yelled. l
was out of bed and had the light on in
about the sixteenth of second, and of
course for five seconds after that. !
couldn't see anything because the lign
blinded me- Gradually ] got my eyes
in focus, and there. squatting on a cor
ner of my bunk, right beside the pillow
oh. il was nothing horrible. 1t was
| a baby raccoon, brown and fluffy. with
its long. pointed nose and its bright
shiny little eyes pointed straight at me
For a minute or two I couldn't get
my bearings-couldn't understand how
the thing could have got in. The grating
over the window was intact. And then
/ thought of the broken grille openine
| into the next stateroom. looked
around and saw the light had gone up
| in that room, too. They had probably
been aroused by my yell.
We'll. it would have aroused any
| thing but the dead. 7 felt foolish. an
THAT made me feel furious. moved
over toward the little beast somewhat
too suddenly. and IT scuttered away
| Jumped up on the washstand. and from
there on top Of the mirror and disap-
peared through the broken grille. all In
| about second.
/ "I waited for a scream from there
/ because Of course. I couldn't be sure
the little beast was at home there. But