The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-29

Then, having closed the coal hole and hidden the ladder under a pile of wood, I resumed my pursuit of the ghost.
 lighted my way with a candle through the lost chambers of the old house. up the hidden stairway and out into the fourth floor hall again. The old stair, I found on closer observation, reached only from the second to the fourth floor, and below this had been pieced with lumber carefully preserved from the earlier house. There was nothing so strange, after all, about the hidden stairway. though I was con- vinced that this had been no idea of Pepperton's, but that he had merely obeyed the orders of his eccentric eli ent, the umbrella and dyspepsia cure millionaire.
 I had no sooner let myself through the secret door into the upper hall than I was aware of a disturbance in the library below. I heard exclamations from the men, and as I ran down to- ward the third floor Miss Octavia's voice rose above the tumult.
 eve must have patience, gentlemen. Chimneys are subject to moods just like human beings, and we are fortu- nate in having in the house a gentle man who is an expert in such matters"
 eff you wait for that man to mend your chimney you will wait until doomsday.''
 So spake John Stewart Dick, taking his vengeance of me with my client and hostess. I might have forgiven him, but I could not forgive Hartley Wiggins.
 ''He doesn't know any more about chimneys than the man in the moon,'
 
 coughs.
 And then quite unm1Stakably smelt smoke, and bending farther over the rail and peering down the stair we'll I saw smoke pouring from the library into the hall. It seemed to be in greater volume tonight than at pre- vfous ma nifestations. A gray blue cloud was filling the lower hall and rising toward ne. I ran quickly to the third floor, to the chamber whose fire place was served by the library chinn- ney. The lights in the third floor hall winked out as I opened the door. I heard a step behind me somewhere, but did not trouble about this. The switch inside the unused guest cham Der responded readily to my touch, and 1n kneel1ng by the hearth I found it cold as had expected. There was ab- solutely no way of choking the library hue at this point, for, as had estab- Hshed earlier, all the f1replaces in this chimney had their independent dues-
 The hall outside was still dark, and I did not try the switch. The pursuit was better carried on in darkness, and I had by this time become accustomed to rapid Iocomotdon through unlighted passages. I leaned over the stair we'll and heard excIamations of surprise at the sudden cessation of the smoke, which had evidently abated as abrupt ly as it had begun. The windows and doors had been opened and the com pany had returned to the library. Quite extraordinary-reaIly quite remarkablet" they were saying below. heard Cecilfa's light laughter as the odd ways of the chimney were dis cussed And as stood thus peering down and listening the Swedish maids blond head appeared below me, bend ing over the well rail on the second floor. She, too, was taking note of affairs in the library, and as I watch ed her she lifted her head and her eyes met mine. Then while we still stared at each other the second floor lights went out with familiar abrupt ness, and as I craned my neck to peer 1nGO DIdCkHOSS dDOF0 IA0 O0PC- rienced once more that ghostly pass ing as of some light, unearthly thing across my face. I reached for it wild ly with my hands, but it seemed to be caught away from me, and then as l fought the air madly it brushed my cheek again. have no words to de- scribe the strange effect of that touch. I felt my scalp creep and cold chills ran down my spine. It seemingly came from above, and it was not like a hand, unless a hand of wonderful ightness. Certainly no human arm could reach down the stair well to where stood. waited for it's recurrence a mo- ment, but it came no more. Then on a sudden prompting I stole swiftly to the fourth floor, lighted my candle and gazed about. I thought it we'll to let the electric light alone, for my ghost l had once too often plunged me into darkness at critical moments, and a candle in my hands was not subject to his trickery. The hall was perfectly quiet The I door leading down the hidden stair was invisible, and I had not yet learn | ed how it might be opened from the | hall, though Bassford Hollister had | left the house by this
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