The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-18
GHOST MEETS GHOST
ev MOLLY MeMASTeh.

(Copyright, 1915 by the Mcclure Ne"spa-
per SyndicateJ
Doreen sighed heavily as sne
walked away from the little Lohs
Island home on which she had SO SCI
her heart. 1t had been taken by
couple from the city not two hours
before. The lease was signed. Inc
real estate agent had shown II "
Doreen the while he lamented ner
keen disappointment
Never mind" he added, trying 10
mitigate her loss. Fir Vale Is haunt
ed by fearful specters that wall about
among these fir trees and perpetrate
ghostly tricks on the minds OF the
tenants"
But did you not warn this couple?
asked Doreen, with shaoe VI
hope IN her eyes, because she was
not afraid of ghosts.
"Oh. yes, certainly l did. but they
rather fancied the idea Of seeing a
real. live ghost. They said city peo'
pie seldom got chance at anything
SO 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 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 ! 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 a sort OF farm
house and was sick Of boarding. He
wanted Fir Vale and he wanted it
badly 1t was the only cottage in all
his days that made Jimmy Barker plan
hideous tricks.
| Tha new couple had scarcely settled
in Fir Vale before the specter of mag
ination began to wall about the fir
Swallowed propc-ty. a restless spirit
floated about, fleeing from its own
snl, Tt Il srN,rt
never h,,'ore had harmless bit OF
garttn been so charged with nerve
racking sounds.
Her diaphanous white robes, fol-
to be clutched by unseen hands
Twigs underneath her feet snapped
and from time to time q cone
dropped from the branches over
head and dragged swiftly stifet
scream from the ghosts lips. Doreer
wished she possessed greater courage
for her ghostly maneuvers for the sue
cess Of her purpose.
She was drawing a deep breath
preparatory to making brave ef
/ fort at haunting. when a grue
' some and frightful specter ha,
doomed up at her very elbow and tn
lurid blue light in its waving hant
burned with sinister glow. Doreen
after her one glance, swayed and knew
no more untif she felt herself hel,
firmly in muscular arms and heard tn
laborious breathing Of human being
She stirred and tried to pee
but all she saw was more white wells
"You are not ghost, them" sh
questioned when she felt reasonab
confident Of an answer in the mega
', tive.
Great Scott--you gave me an awfr
fright" Jimmy Parker said. an
mopped his brow with a portion c
his ghostly rainent.
! What in the deuce are you dom
prowling about in this dark garden
he questioned, wishing he coud &C
a look at her face.
IF you want to know the truth
she told him with soft laugh thu
+ Jimmy found most charming, Il al
, simply trying to haunt these peopl
D out OF that new home. | want 1t s
3 badly that am going to wait abo,
I this property until they get out IL
{ fear Of losing their minds"
q Jimmy laughed and drew a trif
, nearer the other ghost.
1.-TWO haunts would certainly mo,
them quicker than one-don't yc
= think so? Now. have come he,
with the same evil intentions as YOU
. self. SO the best We can do is to jo
forces and do our haunting together
+ Doreen certainly wanted the pre
Il ence Of a strong, muscular man. +
y would never see her face to face, al
9 they would always be strangers,
II why hesitate?
J. Night after night they performs
6 their most ghostly tricks, but Il
. couple within maintained a comic,
. able. unimaginative sense Of securit
70 1T is very strange" Jimmy W
{. saying on one Of the trips to a fall
10 tree that nightly became more %,
ionged while haunting was forgotte
o Il seem to be in love with you, b
70 at the same tfmc,' he paused a n
In ment hesitating to continue, Il a
70 desperately interested in a girl
q have met in the world of society.
o. you happen to know her-Dore
Woodward? cannot tel, her 10
her because YOU always come in