The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-05-22

VISIONS OF GHOSTS
BY CATHERINE cOOPE.

For years the old house had stood
within Its vast grounds, spectral and
mysterious by night, deserted and
ollapldated by day 1t was a rendez-
vous of ghosts by moonlight, a place
OF creeping things by the light of
the sun.
| The children ran fearsomely past
II on their way home from the village
school, while the adults refused to 60
within the tumbledown gates for fear
OF the ghosts that tradition had placed
within the spacious grounds.
And yet, the gardens were most al
Turing with their assortment of old
gnaried trees, low shrubbery, and riot
GUS vines that scrambled indiscrimi-
nateiy over roof top or garden wall.
When slim wedge of moon cast trail
Ing lights down from the starry
heavens the old haunted house as
sumed the splendors Of a midnight
fairyland
That ghosts were seen there was az
tirmed vigorously by most OF the vii
layers. including the butcher, the
baker. and the candlestick maker
They. one and all spoke in whispers
OF the spectral figures that seemed
to float in the very air about the old
gardens. or late there had been ru-
mors of weird music coming from be-
t'ld the barred windows and the
monotonous rhythmic chanting Of
voices.
The story Of noises had only of
late penetrated the village intellect.
1t was the young minister himself
who first whispered to his good wife
tale of dull music having reached
his ears as he passed by the haunted
house on his way to the parish church.
She In turn spread the story, and
more than ever the place was given a
wide berth
1t was the two strangers who were
stopping at the quaint village inn who
first expressed skepticism as to the
actual existence of the ghosts. They
doubted most emphatically the nightly
! appearance OF the wraiths, but were
far too tactful to express their opin-
ions save to one another
However, when the moon was high
in the heavens and the village had
gone to sleep, Calvin Blake and
Jimmy Rogers went out for stroll
They did not want to disturb the
peace of the scene by getting out their
great touring car from the garage at
the inn They went out on foot
They were not discussing ghosts
nor even romance and tradition when
Jimmy clutched Calvins arm and
turned white under the beams Of the
midnight moon.
Look by love, Blake had no
intoxcant for dinner. but swear | see
couple of spooks there behind that
clnmp of bushes"
l'ldht lduSlVh upiOdi iOu9i9I Nll'h
stopped suddenly
Two appalling spectacles arose from
the shrubbery, emitted weird, sepul-
chral groans. and vanished into the
very air or so it seemed to the men
who beheld the flight.
The two men, petrifed for the mo-
ment with something akin to fear,
stood still and gazed blankly at each
other
Are we sober" Blake was the first
to regain speech
THAT is the question" laughed Rog
ers, quickly recovering and feeling
the normal warmth Of his blood rush
ing back in his veins II seem to
,oubt our condition Most certainly
we saw something moving in the
haunted garden and from my childhood
visions of ghosts ! take il that what
we have seen resembled spooks,
Very closely II ever see any
thing like a phantom again 1t will be
me for the pledge, Let's go back
TO the inn.
Iu the broad sunlight Of the next
day the two skeptics viewed the appari-
ton of the preceding night as freak
OF imagination They decided, never
theless, to watch again al midnight
There was sufficient Of adventure in
the situation to appeal to them
we will 90 straight into the otd
garden tonight-and wait" Blake sug-
gested, and slipped his revolver into
his pocket "Spooks may not possess
ANYTHING shootable, but I'll bet We can
give them a scare.
Accordingly they emerged from the
inn at II o'clock and made their way
toward the haunted house. Even
imaginary ghosts have a way OF up
setting the nerves, and It was not
without quickly beating hearts that
Blake and Rogers entered the garden
and took seats on the ancient front
norch They we're hidden by masses
OF vines from the garden paths.
The night was dark and cloudy and
enhanced the fearsome silence.
"shucks muttered Blake softly
.-Ghostly meetings are not exactly
thrilling. | feel groggy."
Ssh" warned Rogers. i heard a
no,se," His voice was a tritie husky
my spine feels as if cold water were
dripping from 1t.