The daily Alaskan., 1915-07-08
Dr. EdnlOndS'
 Patient
A Tale of a Haunted
 House.
By CLARlSSA MACKlG

tt,..st < s'S
 A severe thunderstorm was raging when the telephone bell tlnkled softly.
 Dr. Edmonds' man, Josiah, reused himself from slumber on the office sofa and reached apprehenslyely for the receiver.
 q don't like techin' telephones no ways when de lighning's kyOoting around" muttered Josiah. Hello, dar!" he called timidly. "Ya-as, sah, dis am de dOctors-ya-as, sah, He'll come right away"
 Josiah hung up the receiver and went up to the doctors bedroom on the sec ond hoor The doctor came out-O tall, 1.-the, red bearded man, rubbing his eyes sleepily.
 "What is 1t, JOSiah?' he yawned. ''NIr. Dixon got another bad spellT
 Joslah's eyes rolled a1rrlghtedly.
 'No, sah; it was a call from de Gcd- ney place"
 "Gedney place! You've made a mis- take. It's been unocCupied for years"
 Oats what he said. Tell de doctor he's needed at once at de GednCy place on de Hollow road"
 "Humph!7 muttered the physician, ''Well, you better go out and harness Daisy and get out my ruincoat.'
 It was a dreary ride to the Gcdncy place.
 Josiah, huddlcd in one corner of the buggy, was shaking with fear of the approaching ordeal. Dr. Edmonds was puzzling over the strange summons. To his knowledge the Gedney place had been unoccupicd for the past ten years. As a family the Gcducys had died out, all save one son, the black sheep of his generation. William Ged- ney was serving a life sentence in prls- on, convicted of killing a man in a quarrel The plea was self defense, and Gedney had escaped with his life.
 The village people had goSSipcd ever since the last funeral at the place ten years ago. It was said that the spirit of the murdered man, Tom Collins, haunted the rooms of the fine old man sion on the Hollow rOad.' Lights had Gickered there at midnight, and men struggling home between midnight and dawn had declared that d mans dim form reStlessly paced the pine grove that was growing up around the neg lected house. But little Crclcnce was given to such tales.
 "Here We am, doctor" Quaycrcd Jo- siah. "In jest git out and open de gate"
 The long unused gate crCakCd open, and the doctor turned into 1t, trusting more to Daisys instinct than to any thing he could see Josiah dii not re- turn to the buggy. He trampcd be- side the doctor, mutteriug charms un. der his breath
 They were in the protection of the front porch now Dr. Edmonds brought out his electric torch and found the doorbclL He pulled it viz orously, and a resonant peal rang through the house.
 There was no answer.
 Again and again the doctor rang, and at last he impatieutly turned the door, knob. To his amaZemeut it responded to his pressure.
 The door was unlocked.
 They entered complete darkness.
 Hello, thcrew shouted the doctor, standing at the foot of the great stair case that wound up into darkness. Anybody hcrc:"
 In the silence that followed they dis tlnctly heard the distant striking of the town clock in the valley below.
 It struck the hour of midnight, and on the heels of the last stroke there came sound in the Gedncy house.
 It was a cry. q moaning cry. that sent shudder through the doctors strong frame.
 Josiah almost sank to the aOor.
 "De ghos'm he gibbcrcd. pr. Edmonds recovered his nerve | poked Josiah in the ribs with the au- | LOIuGuC lllSlOl lG 'NdgS 'ttt'-h "S night and brought the darky to his senses.
 "Some one Is upstairs" he said stern ly. Some one who Is hurt and needs me. Understand! Take my bag and follow me. If you try to run away, re- member. I'm a dead shot!' Josiah mutely fell into step behind the doctor as they mounted the stairs. He would have been more terrified than ever it he had remotely guessed why the doctor had handed him the medicine case. It was that both his 1 own hands might be free 10 grHpple with any danger that meuaccd them iu the deserted house.
 The cry had come down from the upper regions of the house They searched the second floor and found it unteuanted save by spiders and scut- , ting mice Here, as in the lower rooms, the furniture was covered with dust.