The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-02
GHOST MEETS saosT
sy .olv "s'aAsrra.

Doreen sighed heavily - shs
walked away from the little Long
island home on which she had 70 oct
her heart. II had been taken BY
couple from the city not two hours
before. The lease was signed. The
real estate agent had shown 1t to
Doresn the while he lamented her
keen disappointment
Never mind" he added, trying to
mitigate her loss. Fir Vale 10 haunt
ed by fearful specters that vail about
among these Or trees and perpetrate
ghostly tricks on the minds Of the
tenants"
But did you not warn this couple?"
asked Doreen, with . shade OF
hope in her eyes, because she was
not afraid Of ghosts.
"Oh, yes. certainly did, but they
rather fancied the idea Of seeing .
real, live ghost. They said city peo-
pie seldom got q chance at anything
30 exciting"
Doreen shifted at the cold-blooded
lack of imagination and walked slow
ly back to her own cottage that lay
back to back with Fir Vale and did
not face the blue water Of the sound.
She did not know that q second ap-
plicant for Fir Vale entered the real
estate once even before her footsteps
had died away in the distance.
A young man more keenly disap-
pointed than Doreen left the agent
after having been shown the lease
signed by the fortunate couple from
the city.
They won't consider themselves
lucky by the time I have become q
ghost and haunted them into ghostly
fears of insanity and longings for
specterless city fats" muttered Jimmy
Barker as he made his frustrated way
back to his own abode.
Jimmy boarded in . sort Of farm.
house and was sick Of boarding. He
wanted Fir Vale, and he wanted 1t
badly. It was the only cottage in all
his days that made Jimmy Barker plan
hideous tricks.
The new couple had scarcely settled
in Fir Vale before the specter Of imag.
nation began to wall about the Or.
Swallowed property. A restless spirit
hoated about, fleeing from it, own
fright. It seemed to the ghost that
never before had . harmless bit Of
garden been 30 charged with nerve
racking sounds.
Her diaphanous white robes. for
1t was . female ghost. seemed ever
to be clutched by unseen hands.
Twigs underneath her feet snapped.
and from time to time . cone
dropped from the branches over.
head and dragged . swiftly stined
scream from the ghosts lips. Doreen
wished she possessed greater courage
for her ghostly maneuvers for the suc-
cess Of her purpose.
She was drawing . deep breath
preparatory to making . brave Of.
fort ct haunting, when . grue.
some and frightful specter had
loomed up At her very elbow and the
lurid blue light in it, waving hand
burned with sinister glow. Doreen.
after her one glance, swayed and knew
no more until she felt herself held
firmly in muscular arms and heard the
laborious breathing Of . human being.
She stirred and tried to peer
through the thickness Of her wells,
but all she saw was more white wells.
you are not ghost, them" she
questioned when she felt reasonably
confident Of an answer in the mega
tive.
Great Scott-you gave me an awful
fright" Jimmy Parker said, and
mopped his brow with q portion Of
his ghostly raiment.
What in the deuce are you doing
prowling about in this dark garden?"
he questioned. wishing he coud get
look at her face.
If you want to know the truth"
she told him with q soft laugh that
Jimmy found most charming, IT am
simply trying to haunt these people
out Of that new home. I want 1t 90
badly that am going to wait about
this property until they get out for
fear Of losing their minds"
Jimmy laughed and drew Q tribe
nearer the other ghost.
1.-TWO haunts would certainly move
them quicker than one-don't you
think 20? Now, have come here
with the same evil intentions 40 your.
self. % the best We can do 10 to Join
forces and do our haunting together"
Doreen certainly wanted the pres
ence Of . strong, muscular man. He
would never see her face to face, and
they would always be strangers, %
why hesitate?
Night after night they performed
their most ghostly tricks, but the
couple within maintained a comfort
able, unimaginative sense of security
1T Is very strange" Jimmy was
saying on one Of the trips to a fallen
tree that nightly became more pro.
longed while haunting was forgotten
Il seem to be in love with you, but
at the same timc," he paused a mo
ment hesitating to continue, Il am
desperately interested in a girl I
have met in the world of society. Do
you happen to know her-Doreen
woodward? cannot tell her love
her because you always come in be-
tween us-I think am losing my mind
over the two of you"
And have met one Jimmy Barker
Ut dances and on the beach and IN %
ciety." laughed the girl softly. Z
wonder II you happen to k1ow hinr
sDoreen-dnrlinR.~