The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-15
The Epe,,i1,g Story


Ghost Meets Ghost.
lBy Molly MclGaster.)
There was not the slightest doubt
as to the beauty and desirabtlity Of
the small house. It nestled like =
jewel among the yelvety green of
thick FIR trees and FACED the blue
waters Of the SOUND. In the winter
it would resemble nothing 20 much
an cozy corner in the valley Of dia-
monds. The gabied roof of the house
would lie under an etderdoWn Of
/ snow while blue-gray smoke would
ascend from the great stone CHM
neys that supported each flank of the
cottage.
Doreen sighed heavily as she
walked away from the little Long Is
land home on which she had SO set
her heart. It had been taken by a
couple from the city not two hours
before. The lease was signed. The
real estate agent had shown 1t to
Doreen the while he lamented her
keen disappointment.
sNever mind" he added, trying to
mitigate her loss. Fir Vale il haunt
ed by fearful specters that wall about
among those fir trees and perpetrate
CHASTITY tricks on the minds Of the
tenants"
But did you not warn this coupler"
asked Doreen, with q shade of hope
in her eyes. because she was not
afraid of ghosts.
rather fancied the idea OF seeing q
real. live ghost. They said city peo-
pie seldom got a chance at anything
SO exciting.
Doreen shifted at the cold-blooded
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 a second ap-
plicant for Fir Vale entered the real
estate office 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 L have become a
ghost and haunted them into ghastly
fears of insanity and longings for
specterless city flats" mpttered Jim
my 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 1t badly.
1t was the only cottage in all his days
| that made Jimmy Barker plan hide
GUS tricks.
settled in Fir Vale before the specter
| of Imagination began to wall about
the fir-shadowed property. The cou-
pie within the coy cottage heard the
| low murmuring of what they sup
posed to be the wind In tho trees. and
charming home they had taken.
Outside. however. restless spirit
| 6Oated about, fleeing from tts own
fright. 1t seemed to the ghost that
| tAA A0 loza hi nj
garden been 80 charged with nerve
racking sounds. ~ sis-',s
| Her diaphanous white robes. for it
| was a female ghost, seemed ever to be
clutched by unseen hands. Twigs un-
derneath her feet mapped. and from
time to time q cone dropped from the
branches overhead and dragged q
swiftly stifled scream from the
ghosts lips. In the pitch blackness
| the fir trees that seemed a nest OF
green velvet in the light of day re-
sembled nothing SO much as pointed
| bayonets fixed against an 0ncoming
foe. Doreen realized with a shudder
that she was undoubtedly the foe. and
wished she possessed greater courage
| for her ghostly maneuvers for the
success of her purpose. Certainly il
she was going to be SO cowardly she
could never vail just outside the win
dows OF the cottage nor produce hOl-
low. specter-like sounds on the doors.
|
preparatory to making a brave effort
at haunting. when she screamed and
doubled up an unconscious heap in
the pine strewn garden.
/ A grewsome and frightful specter
had doomed up at her very elbow and
the lurid blue light in its waving hand
after her one glance, swAyed< and
/ burned with sinister glow. DOreen.
! knew no more until she felt herself
held firmly in muscular arms and
heard the labored breathing OF a hui
man being.
/ She stirred and tried to peer
through the thickness of her wells,
but all she saw was more white wells.
/ You are not a ghost, them" she
questioned when she felt reasonably
tive.
Great Scot-you gave me an awful
fright" Jimmy Parker said, and mop
ped his brow with q portion Of his
gone off for good" He released
Doreen from his arms, and when he
saw that she was quite capable of
standing on her own feet a sigh of
i relief escaped him.
| What in the deuce are you doing
i providing about this dank garden?' he
| questioned. wishing he could get q
| look at her face.
"And what. pray, are you doing in
this-it is not a dank garden ?" she
SAID WITH some neat 1t Is most
4 delightful garden, and in the winter
1 it is just valley Of diamonds" she
said.
/ "Dippy.' thought Jimmy, and
might we'll be excused for his convic-
| ton until DOreen spoke again.
j III you want to know the truth"
she told him with q soft laugh that
/ Jimmy found most charming, 1T am
4 simply trying to haunt these people
out of their new home. I want 1t 20
| L. En-
| this property until they get out for
fear Of losing their minds"
Jimmy laughed and drew Q trifle
/ nearer the other ghost