Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-05-08

You today, is not Stanredrd by any fur.
Their manifestations Of the troubled
spirit Of the unfortunate Rriton who
was hanged on the site Of this house,
Mr.. AmcS' replied Miss Octavia
impressivcly, that matter is entirely
in your hands"
But if could see the plans Of this
house should he bettcr able to crap
pie with his ghcStShip."
had thrown this out in the hope
of eljcjtiug some vc,H0vk from her
touching the Swedish maids visit to
pepperton'> Office. but Miss Octavia
met my gaze untiinchinEiy.
You are clever NAN, MIR. AmeS,
and have every confidence that you
will not only solve the mystery Of the
library chimney. but find the ghost
that switched off the lights on the stair
last night. prefer that you should ac-
compiSh these teatS without any help
from the plans | myself have no sug-
geStions, | am gratitied that YOU are
meeting the emergencies that have arts
en- hero with 50 much determination.
but ii Is what | should expect Of the
son Of Arnold AmeS OF Hartford Op-
portunitY is all that any Of us need to
find ourselves truly great. and il In the
ordinary course of our lives the gate
does not oNCu freely we are justified IN
picking the lock, When determined
to seek adventures in my old age, | re
solved that should miss no chance
and that | should bc prepared for amy
beckoninG of the hand Of fate An
odd fancy struck me ut the beginning
Of my new life that Boston would some
day be the starting point of some in
devcloped but in order that | may he
prepared for anything that may occur
| keep blue silk umbrella constantly
checked ut the Parker House. The
presence of the little brass check in my
purse is constant reminder that Bos
ton may one day call me"
\ discussion OF the Parker House
umbrella followed. Cecilia and | join
ing. and ii proved SO fruitful topic
that 1t carried us to our coffee
Three suitorS were announced a little
later, and | slipped away without OK
cuseS, while Miss octavia and Cecilia
adjourned to the library.
The ghost, l had sworn. should not
battle me another night
AS | crossed the second floor hall
passed the Swedish maid walking to-
ward Miss OctaVias room. | was
somewhat annoyed to find on looking
over my shoulder to make sure of her
destination that she, too, had paused.
her hand on Miss Octavia's door, and
was watching me with interest. She
vanished Immediately, but to throw
! her off the track | Went to my own
room, closed the door noisily and then
came out quickly and ran up to the
| third floor.
BaSStord HOLSTERS mysterious exit
had fingered in my mind as the most
curious incident of the eventful Friday
night, Having been batlled in my Of
fort to get hold of the architect S
plans, my thought now was to await
in the upper part of the house repe-
tition of the various phenomena that
had so puzzled me. BY the process of
exclusion | had eliminated nearly ev-
cry plausible theory. but if the ghos;
manifested himself with any sort of
perlodicity land the hour of the chin.
ney'S queer behavior had been mne) |
was now prepared to meet him in the
regions he had chosen for his exploits
/ had pretty accurate knowledge
by this time OF the position and func-
ton of all the electric switches be-
tween the lower hall and the fourth
floor, but | tested them as | assembled,
glancing down now and then to make
sure | was not observed. From the
sound of voices in the library | judged
that most of Cccilia'S suitors must now
have arrived, and so much the better,
| argued, for, with Miss Octavia and
her niece fully occupied, | could tho
better carry on my ghost hunt above
stairs
At a quarter before | switched off
the lights on the third and fourth
floors and established myself at the
head OF the stairway and quite near
the trunk room door This door | had
opened. as | fancied that If Bassford
HOLSTER were at the bottom of the
business he would probably wish to
1 find his way to the roof again. so far
/ as ] was able to manage it the stage
was in readiness for the entrance of
I the goblin.
The clock below struck o. and al.
most upon the last stroke heard Il
/ sound that set my | rYeS tingling. |
crouched in the dark. waiting Some
/ one was coming toward me, but from
I wherei The bottom Of n we'll ut mid
night was not blacker than the fourth
floor, but tn" switch lay ready to my
hand ana my pockets were stuffed with
matches Of the sort that light any
where The stairways were MI carpet
ed, as have said, and vet some one
was ascending bare trends, lightly and
with delays that suggested furtiye
purpose, Meanwhile as II background