The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-11
The Owners
Unexpected
Return
Did He See a Ghost !?
By PAULINE D. EDWARDS


''The Society For Psychical Research
is doing some good work lately" said
Gilbert to his friend Slade as they
sat beside the open fire. Il believe the
time will come when it will show a
scientific relation between mortality
and Immortality"
II do not believe in ghosts" said
John Slade emphatically.
Daniel Gilbert drew his chair nearer
to the cracking blaze
II never believed in ghosts-until last
year." he said quietly.
What happened last year?" SHADES
tone was skeptical.
II saw ghost"
"Where had you been dining?" laugh
ed Slade.
II hadn't dined at all. l came down
to the Elms quite Unexpectedly.
wanted to look up some papers that
knew to be in the library. The house
had been closed all summer, and at
this time even the caretaker was away
for few days.
my plan was to dine at the village
inn, 60 up to the Elms. spend the even
ing searching for the papers. sleep in
my old room and take the first train
to town after breakfast. My train was
several hours late, and when we ar
rived in Elmville the inn was shut up
for the night. If you are acquainted
with our village boniface you will un-
derstand that for neither love nor mon
ey nor 'auld lang syne' would he open
his doors to a guest after midnight.
So it meant a dinnerless tramp up to
the house.
1T was nearly 1 o'clock when l en-
tered the avenue. and I was surprised
to find the iron gates of the drive wide
open. That was against my orders.
1T was a dark night. The stars
shone bright, and young moon threw
a thin silver veil Of light in the open
spaces. AS came in sight Of the
house l stopped still in my tracks.
you may not believe me, John, but
my house was blaze of light from
the lighted windows came the strains
Of an orchestra, while forms foated to
and fro in swaying rhythm to the
waltz melody.
"As stood rooted to the spot the
church clock in the village struck once,
and as If by magic the music ceased
and all motion stopped behind the thin
curtains. An instant later every light
in the house died out as If extinguish-
ed by some mighty breath. l ran up
the steps and fitted my key in the
great lock. 1t yielded, and the heavy
door swung outward to my touch.
Il threw ray Of light about the
great entrance hall and reached for the
button to switch on the electric lights.
The button clicked without response.
Again and again tried, but in vain.
"A search Of the drawing room and
library revealed the same condition.
The current was shut Off and probably
had been since the departure Of the
caretaker.
Il lighted the large oil lamp on the
library table. 1t was an easy matter
to dig out the documents l wanted
and store them into my leather bag.
As l set the bag on the floor l saw
lying on the Turkish rug white rose,
fresh and fragrant, as If just plucked.
This was no earthly blossom I de-
cided as laid it before me on the ta-
BILE. And then had another shock,
for almost under my hand and in the
very spot on which l had placed my
bag when entering the room was a
small lace handkerchief. Across one
corner was embroidered In tiny letters
a girls name"
Gilbert blew a cloud of smoke that
obscured his face. John Slade leaned
forward in his chair.
"And the name-the girls manner" he
asked quickly.
"Viola-just VIOLA" said Gilbert
dreamily.
That is not all of the story" said
Slade impatiently. Go on, old man."
NO; that is not all. l turned to
the mantelpiece and leaned my head
against the high shelf, trying to solve
the mystery of my house, for to my
knowledge no woman save the care
taker, an old black nanny, had dark
ened-or shall say frightened ?-my
doors for several years.
when l turned back to the table
the handkerchief was gone!
with hardly thought as to whether
i was seeking shadow or substance
thrust the rose in my pocket, and,
swapping on my pocket electric, I
FASTENED into the hall. There was a
gleam Of white in the distance, and l
pursued it. 1t fiicked around a corner
and disappeared up a small spiral stair.
case that led to the second floor.
when l reached the top of the
stairs the bit of white became a wo-
mans graceful form. with some ethe-
real garment Of filmy stuff floating be-
hind her And as / followed l seemed
to be walking among violets.
Down the grand staircase she van.
ished, this time with little clicking
heels on the polished floor. / held her
steadily in my ray OF light and was
after her like flash. We crossed the
drawing room, and then she disap-
peared through the paneled door that