The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-10-15
Spooks

Dick pulled the old-fashioned door
bell again and heard the faint costly
clang of the bell inside, but that was
| all. Nobody at home and he was a
stranger in a strange city with mighty
! little money in his pocket and no
wheer else to go. He had come East
/ to visit his aunt and uncle who had
often invited him to come. So sure
indeed had he been of his welcome he
had waited for a reply to his letter
Announcing his coming.
Gee! Whatll 1 do now?" he said
to himself, feeling in his pocket for
his scant store of cash. 1t was very
scant indeed, but his hand closed on
letter and brought it out. A letter
from his Aunt Annie.
Dear Dick" it read, Il wish you
would come and Sc us as we are al
most your only relatives, and you
would be very welcome any time.
Please consider our home as your own
and don't hesitate to come whenever
you can. Your loving Aunt Annie.
! Dick read it over thoughtfully.
That's clear enough he said. "She
sure did invite me. Pm to consider
her home my own, she says. Well
then, I'll just walk in"
| The dor was locked, which seemed
odd to the country boy. Must be a
burglar hereabouts," he murmured.
Maybe the keys under the mat" He
had heard that people put keys under
doormats and looking under, sure
enough he found a large key.
The next minute he had the door
open and was peeping into a large
musty dim hall AS he peeped a
queer scared-looking chap opened a
door opposite and peeped at him. Dick
Jumped back in alarm and the stranger
Jumped back too. Then Dick laughed.
The scared looking chap was his own
reflection in large mirror.
After that he tried to look bold and
stepped into the hall. Just then the
house began to tremble-at least he
thought it did-and before he knew
what was what the front door slammed
shut Just as if somebody had pushed it.
had pushed it.
"Whew!" whistled Dick. eff / be-
llieved in spooks I'd be plum nervous"
His hand shook a little os he locked
1.-THE front door on the inside. Then
|he began to tiptoe through the house
Why did he walk so carefully and
slowly as if the house were church
or a graveyard He didn't know, I'M
LESS it was because this was such a
great gloomy dark old place that 1t
Seemed to demand silence and awe.
.Wish somebody else was here's
Dick muttered I'm lonesome"
He went first to the parlor, long,
high. narrow, dark room full of large
black furniture and oil paintings OF
dreadful looking old folks staring
down from the walls. Dick didn't like
it SO he tiptoed on to the dining room
but lust as he stepped in to admire
the great big sideboard and the pic
ture of pheasants hanging by their
feet. he was startled by what sounded
like somebody running lightly over the
floor. Pit-pat-pit-pat! The rug cronk-
led over so slightly and then straight
in That ALL
Don't like this dining room" NUT
tered Dick, backing out. I'm not so
orful hungry anyway. Guess I'll go up
lstairs"
The stairs were just as ceraky as
they looked and when he reached the
second floor and peeped into the first
bedroom a white-faced, pop-eyed fell
low peede at him. OF course, 1t was
only a mirror again but somehow DICK
didn't like that room, so he went to the
next one which had no long mirror IN
lit.
Here he put down his little travel
ing bag and sitting down on the edge
OF the Dig Dtd nc iOohON
around as if expecting to find some
thing which was not easy TO see at
first glance. First he looked at the
big black old-fashioned highboy ana
and sure as he was sitting there, the
thing went creak! click! clickity-cliek!
"Glad l don't believe in spooks,
said Dick. "If did i'd said you was
haunted"
He spoke in a whisper and turned
his eyes away from the highboy The
fat upholstered old rocker by the win
dow was a cheerful sight. Dick mad
half a mind to sit in it and look out
the window when suddenly it began
Ito rock of its own accord. Slowly
back and forth, back and forth
Gee williker!", cried Dick starting
to his feet. 81 don't like this house
la-taln"
He grabbed up his bag and began
running down stairs. The carpet was
rather old on the stairs and Dick was
kind of hurrying and the first thing
he knew he tripped and began to roll
head oyer-heels down the steps. When
he reached the bottom he heard tap,
-. or ran and looking M he saw