Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-15
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The Morning Story
GHOST MEETS GHOST.
by Molly McMaster.


waters of the sound, In the winter
IL would resemble nothing SO much
IA coy corner In the valley OF dia-
inonds. Tho gabled roof OF tho house
would lie under an eiderdown of snow,
while tho blue-gray smoke would
ascend from the great stone ch!mncys
that supported each flank OF tho cot
taSe.
Doreen sighed heavily as she walked
away from the little Long Island home
on which she had so set her heart. 1t
had been, taken by couple from the
city not two hours before The lease
WAS signed. The real estate agent had
shown It TO Doreen the while he la
mented her keen Disappointment
Never mind" ne added. trying to
mitigate her loss Fir Vale is haunted
by fearful spectres that wall about
among those fir treos and perpetrate
ghastly tricks on tho minds OF the 1
tenants"
But did YOU not warn this coupler"
asked Doreen. with a shade OF hope
In her eyes because she was not afraid
OF ghosts.
Obi yes. certainly 1 did. but they
rather fancied the idea Of seeing a
real. live ghost They said city people
seldom got chance at anything 30
exciting"
Doreen shifted at tho cold FLOODED
lack or imagination and walked slow
y back to her own cottage that lay
oacN 10 pach Win Fir vale and did
not face The blue water Of the sound
She did not know that a second APP
p!icant for Fir Vale entered the real
estate ONCE even before her footsteps
had died away i'll the distance.
y young man more kaeniy 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
ht-
ghost and haunted them into CHASTITY
fears OF insanity and longings for
spectreless city flats" 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 wanted it badly. |
1t was the only cottage In all his days
that made Jimmy Barker plan hideous
tricks.
The new couple had scarcely been
settled In Fir Vale before the spectre
of imagination began to wall about
the hr-shadowed property. The couple
within the coy cottage heard the low
murmurinE of what they supposed to
he the wind In the trees, and proceeded
to enjoy tho comfort OF the charming
home they had taken.
Outside, however restless spirit
hoated about. fleeing from its own
fright. 1t seemed TO the Ehcst .sat
II
garden been charged with nerve
racking sounds.
Her diaphanous white robes, for Il
was q female ghost seemed ever to be
clutched by unseen hands, Twigs un-
derneath her feet snapped. and from
time TO time a como dropped from the
branches overhead and dragged
swiftly stiied scream from the ghosts
lirs. In the pitch blsckness the ii,
trees that seemed nest OF green
velvet in the light of day resembled
nothing 80 much az pointed hayonets
liked against an oncominE foe. Dorecn
realized with shuddcr that she was
undoubte eddy the foe. and wished she
possessed greater courage for her
ghostly manoeuvres. for the success OF
her purpose. Certainly If she vas go-
ing to be so cowardly she could never
wall just outside the windows of the
cottage. nor produce hollow, spectre
like sounds on the doors.
She was drawing n deep breath pre-
pRrntory 10 making n brave effort at
haunting. when she screamed and
doubled up. an unconscious heap In the
pine-strewn garden.
A gruesome and friyhtful spectre
had doomed up a, her very elbow, and
the lurid blue light in its waving hand
burned with sinister glow. Dorcen, ar
ter her one glance. swayed and knew
moro until shc'i.felt herself held
firmly IN muscular"arstiS and heard the
laborcd breathing OF a human being.
she r,rred and tried TO peer through
tn" 'h ness OF her wells. but all she
sax WAS more white wells
You are not ghost then?" she
questioned when she felt reasonably
confident Of an answer In the negative
Great Scott YOU gave me an awful
fright" Jimmy Parker said and mopped
his brow with a portion of his ghostlv
rai'nent. Il thought you had gone
OF for good" He released Doreen from
his arms. and when ,he saw that she
was quite capable OF standing on heI
own feet. Sigh OF relief escaped him
What In the deuce are you doing
proving about in this dank garden?'
he questioned. wishing he could get
look at her face
And what, pray, are YOU doing In
this-it Is not dank sarden?' she said
with some heat. 1t is most delight.
full garden, and in the winter 1t is JUS,
like valley of diamonds" she said
Dlppy" though, Jimmy. and might
wen be excused for his conviction until
Doreen spoke again.
IF you want to know tho truth -
she told him with n soft laugh that
Jimmy found most charming, II am
simply trying to haunt these people
our OF their new home. I want It 70
nadiy that am going to wall about this
property until they get out for fear OF
losing their minds"
Jimmy laughed and drew "A trtne
nearer the other ghost
Two hhunts would certainly move
theH quicker than one--don't you think
so? Now have come here with tho
same evil intentions as yourself. so
the best We can do Is to Join forces
and DO our haunting together"
boreen certainly wanted the pres
ence OF strong, muscular man such
as enc knew the second ghost 10 bo
In order 10 s,!fe her own fears and
10 make haunting moro pleasant
business yet she felt that It was not
quite conventional TO meet s,ranc.
man every night even for tho task Of
getting the city couple out of Fir
'aie: However. the man would never
see her face 10 face and they would
always be perfect strangers. so wby
hesitate?
But YOU want the house AS badly
as do she said generously, and
We cannot both have it,
ihat IS fact-at present, but one