Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-05-08
Copyright. 1910. by Meredith Nicholson

have met the ghost face to face-even
more, | have had speech with him.
Her face frightened, her eyes flash
ed. 1t was plain that she was i'm
mensely pleased.
And are you able to say from your
encounter, that he is in fact a British
subject, uneasily haunting this house
in America long after the Declaration
of Independence and Washington's
farewell address have passed into lit
erature?"
"You have never spoken a truer
word. Miss HOLSTER: but, by means
which l am not at liberty to disclose.
1 have persuaded him not to visit this
house again."
"Then." said Miss HOLSTER, II can
not do less than express my gratitude,
though l regret that you did not first
allow me to meet him. Still. | dare
say that we shall find his bones bur-
led somewhere beneath my founda-
lions. Please assure me that such is
your expectation"
Tomorrow. Miss Hollister. l shall
take pleasure in showing you certain
hidden chambers in this house which
l venture to say will afford you great
pleasure. l. have tonight discovered
a link between the mansion as you
know it and al earlier house whose
timbers may indeed hide the bones of
that British soldier"
And as for the chimney"
"And as for the chimney. | give you
my word as a professional man that it
will V annoy you again. and |
therefore beg that you dismiss the SUBJ
ject from your mind"
I saw that she was about to recur TO
the shoe she held in her hand and at
which she glanced frequently with a
quizzical expression. This. clearly.
was an issue that must be met prompt
ly. and I knew of no better way than
by lying. Hezekiah herself had plain.
ly stated on the morning of that long.
eventful day, when she walked into
the breakfast room in her aunt's alb
sence and explained Cecilia's trip to
town, that 1t was perfectly fair to dis
simulate in making explanations to
Miss Hollister-that. in fact. Miss Oc-
tavia enjoyed nothing better than the
injection of fiction into the affairs OF
the matter of fact day. Here, then,
was my opportunity.
"Miss HOLSTER 1 began boldly, 1.-The
slipper you hold in your hand belongs
to me. and if you have no Immediate
use for it I beg that you allow me to
relieve you of it,"
at is yours, Mr.. Ames?"
A lifting Of the browS. q widening of
the eyes, denoted Miss Octavia's po-
lite surprise.
Beyond any question it is my prop
erty." l asserted.
Your words interest me greatly, Mr..
life of the twentieth century pals upon
me, and I am deeply interested in ev-
erything that pertains to adventure
and romance. Tell me more, If you are
free to do so, of this slipper which
now return to you"
l received HeZekiah's worn little
pump into my hands as though it were
an object of high conservation.
"As l am nothing if not frank, Miss
Hollister. l will confess to you that
this shoe came into my possession in
a very curious way. One day last
spring l was in Boston. having been
called there on professional business.
In the evening l left my hotel for a
walk, crossed the common, took a
turn through the public garden. where
many devoted lovers adorned the
benches. and then strolled aimlessly
along Beacon street.
81 was passing a house which have
not since been able to identify exact
ly, though have several times revis-
tied Boston in the hope Of doing so,
when suddenly and without any warn
ing whatever this slipper dropped at
my feet. All the houses in the neigh
borhood seemed deserted, with win
dows and doors tightly boarded, and
my closest scrutiny failed to discover
any opening from which that slipper
might have been flung. The region Is
so decorous and acts of violence are
so foreign to its dignity and repose
that l could scarce believe that | held
that bit Of tai leather in my hand.
Nor did its unaccountable precipita-
ton into the street seem the act Of a
housemaid, nor could / believe that a
nursery governess had thus sought di-
version from the roof above. l hest
tated for a moment, not knowing how
to meet this emergency. Then l bold
ly attacked the bell Of the house from
which I believed the slipper to have
proceeded. I rang until a policeman,
whose speech was fragrant of the IT.
ish coasts, babe me desist, informing
me that the family had only the pre-
vious day left for the shore. The
house. he assured me, was utterly va
cant. That, Miss HOLSTER, is all there
Is Of the story. But ever since l have