Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-08

self lust tor fun. And L succeeded ever SO
much better than | expected-that's all.
He looked at her in sudden enlightenment.
"Spooks?" he asked with a smile.
She nodded.
"They must be in the air out here he
said soberly. Il confess | was doing the
same thing as came along the road. | was
beginning to see things behind every apple
tree. And hadn't thought of ghost be
fore, since was eight years old. Out in Ok
lahoma, where live, they wouldn't have
ghost of show But here" He paused
again. IL don't want to talk about it if you'd
rather not; but-was it anything specially
horrible you saw"
mo" she confessed ruefully. at wasn't
horrible at all-in itself. 1t was just-a rab-
bit-and not breathing fire nor anything,
and not very big. Just plain little white
rabbit"
CHE expected him to laugh, and indeed he
~ started to-then frowned instead. "On
the grass, there by the churchyard wall?" he
asked.
Eyes" And then she went on little
breathlessly. @But how did you know?
Did you see it too?"
He shook his head. Il just seem to re-
member it. lived in this village once for
awhile when was little boy
"The landlady at the inn told me about
it,-how people going by the churchyard IN
the moonlight sometimes saw white rab-
bit; and how it followed along after them
and brought them bad luck; and how man
struck it once because he was afraid OF 1t,
and felt the stick strike something soft, and
the rabbit hoped away as if nothing had
happened, while his stick was shattered to
pieces as if it had been glass. And how
man went out to shoot it one night, and
they found him dead the next morning, shot
with his own gun. OF course | looked very
serious all the time she was telling it; but
inside | was feeling-oh, SO superior and
scientific and twentieth century, and think
ing how quaint and delightful it was that
these old superstitions should still be alive!
So, after tea, when | saw how fine night it
was, thought I'd take a walk down by the
churclyard and see if could see the rabbit
for myself"
@Alone?" he asked.
ooh I'm used to that" she explained.
aThat's the way Fathers brought me up.
He didn't feel like going out tonight And,
anyway, imagine two people going out to-
gether to look for ghost So | came down
here to the bridge and started up the main
road, lust making a lark of it, sort of saying
'Boor to myself to get into the proper frame
of mind | came round the bend in the road
and saw the little open place by the wall
where it was supposed to be. And saw it
there cropping grass. Even then l WASH
frightened 1t seemed just an amusing COIN
cidence that it should be there. After all,
why shouldn't it be? It's nice place for
rabbit And then it sat up and looked at
me- Oh, just the way rabbits q. But sud
denly was terrified. l looked away from
it and began to walk on. l don't know why
| didn't turn back. | suppose because | was
frightened. didn't look around at it again;
but could just feel that it was following me.
When got into the grove where it was dark
and did turn round and look back, it was
gone And then heard you coming"
+ GUESS it's just local ghost" he said
! after little silence. ut wouldn't bring
bad luck except to natives, or people who
have lived here, anyway: not to mere
visitor"
The girl looked at him oddly and then
laughed Il never thought of its bringing
i'll luck to me- Any i'll luck that can come
to me through seeing a white rabbit IS wei
come to come"
Don't" he said sharply. Don't say
things like that!'
Once more she turned surprised look at
him, and saw that he was absolutely IN
earnest "But l mean it, said the girl.
III, n