Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-02-02

OHe tOlu lie mat Lney we're mOtneT
less; that their father worked for
sweating tailor and that his earning
were wretched. We talked over tn
whole state Of things in the slums; bu
of course we did not know how it wa
to be stopped. Only it was plain tina
that was what the government wa
there for: we were both sure of that
; and I began to think seriously abou
: going down to the House of Lords ant
looking into the matter. I might pu
the fat in the fire and get little quie
fun out of doing it.
Then Robbie came running up, yer!
eager, and said: "Will you come ant
plye anarchists wiz us. Miss Alice
There amt no one to throw bombs att
= We rose; and said, This is a new
game. How do you play it,"
"She knows. She's plyed it wiz us
in the Park" said Robbie, and he rar
off.
ITS very simple" she said smiling
"They throw bombs at us and we fall
down dead
1T sounds cheerful game" said T.
We walked along the pines and sud
denly, with louds cries Of Bang" the
hidden anarchists threw bombs OF
bracken at US. We fell down dead
and the anarchists fed, yelling joyfully
| to their lairs. Then we rose, and they
stalked us again, and threw more
| bombs at us.
When they threw the fifth lot of
bombs. to make it a little more realistic
Alice gave little scream. l fell down
all right, but got up very slowly. al
most as upset as if the bombs had
been real. I knew now where I had
heard her voice: the scream had
brought it back to me. She was the
ghost girl the girl whom Scruton had
employed as ghost to brighten me into
letting him live there rent free at
Number 9. So she had screamed when
/ sprang across the bedroom and
caught her.
was sick. When I got up. I found
that kind of dullness had come over
the common though I suppose the sun
was shining as bright as ever This
girl had taken a hand in Scruton's
shady game: she actually had helped
/ him trick my uncle out Of quarters
rent.
1t seemed just incredible. but 1t was
not. ] could swear to the ghost girls
voice among million voices; and it
was the voice of Alice Devine. look
ed at her, and sure as l was. It was
hard to believe it. She looked too pref
ty; far too pretty, with her flushed
face and shining eyes, to have been
| mixed up in shady game like that.
She was so happy because the children
were happy. And then the way she
had treated those children-spending
her last half-sovereign to take them to
Kew; trying all she knew to give them
a good time. 1t was past understand
ing; 1t did not go with that ghost trick
at all. must be wrong. But wasn't.
We went on playing anarchists. but
! had lost interest in the game. Then
the children tired of it. We sat down
on the bank of the pool, and she tolG
them stories. For anarchists they
seemed to me uncommonly fond of
fairies. l did not listen much to the
stories, though she told them very we'll
The ghost trick was worrying me =
- The stories did not At with it
and was glum. She seem
ed to see that something had gone
wrong with me, for two or three times
she looked at me in questioning way.
was glad when we set about giving
the anarchists their supper. It took
my mind of the ghost trick. They
were hungry, again; and she was hun.
CRY too, and enjoyed her supper thor
oughly. l wished I had though to
bring some champagne for her.
Supper refreshed the anarchists and
we played hide and seek in the twi-
light. 1t ought to have been delightful
playing hide and seek with Alice De.
vine among the pines, but the ghost
trick stuck in my mind 1t had spoilt
everything.
1t was dusk when we started back to
town. I carried the sleeping Stepniak
to the car, for the ghost girl and Cher
lie had about run their legs off, At the
car the anarchists fingered a little as
though they could not drag themselves
away from the Common. In the car
they chartered for little about the
things they had seen, and done. and
eaten.
Cherlie said: ooh. it was beautiful
dav' Such beautiful day for Steppie.
Then they all fell asleep in a lump.
The ghost girl took the sleeping
Stepniak from the sleeping Cherlie. II
covered the sleeping children with a
rug and drew another round ourselves.
We sat quiet for while, and could
see her eyes shining Then she began
to talk about the anarchists again and
the children like them 81
How she wished she could take hun
dred Of them into the country every
day and feed them. Her voice grew
angry and thrilling as she talked of
what shame il was that they should
i've half fed end half clothed in the
pigsties they did. But somehow or
other l had lost my keenness. and I
did not think any more about the
House of Lords
She was sincere enough in her talk.
and that again did not go with the
ghost trick. All the time she talked
kept thinking of it: and two or three
times i was on the tip Of my tongue to
ask her why she had played it. But l
pulled my self up. She said she had
had beautiful time: why should I
spoil the end Of it?
We ran into London. and the chill
dren slept on. I could see her face