South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-09-10
A GHOST OF A CHANCE
By o. Henry

amount OK apparent SUI iA l-.t+
Fancy her telling everywhere.
rcca pitulated Mrs. Kinsolving, that
she saw a ghost in the apartment
she occupied hcre-Our choicest
guest room ghost. carrying nod
ON rs shoulder-the ghost OF an old
man I'm overalIs. smoking pipe and
carrying hod, The very absurdity
Of the thing shows her malicious IN
tent There never was klnsolV-
ing that carried a hod. Every one
knows that Mr. KiusOlvlnSs father
accumulated his money by large
building contracts. but ne never
worked A day with his own hands.
re had this house built from ms
own plans. but-oh, hod- ny
need she have been so cruel and
manci0us?"
IL is really too bad" murmured
Mrs Beumore, with an approving
glance Of her fine eyes about the
vast chamber done in lilac and OLD
gold. And II was in this room she
saw IT, Oh. no, I'm not afraid or
ghosts Don't have the least feal
on my account I'm glad you put
me in here 7 think family ghosts
so Interestingly But. really the
story does sound a little inconsist-
ent. / should have expected some
thing better from Mrs. t1scher-
Suympkins. Don't they carry bricks
in hods2 Why should "a ghost bring
bricks into "a villa built OF marble
and stone3 I'm so sorry, but II
makes me think that age Is begin
ning TO- tell upon Mrs Fischer
Suympkins.
This house" continued Mrs Kin
solving. was built upon the side OF
m old one used by the family dur
ing the revolution. There w"uldh
be anything strange in its having
Ghost And there was a Captain
flineolvtng who fought in General
C;rcene's army. though We've never
heen able 20 secure any papers 10
youch for IL If there is TO be fam
fiv ghost. why couldn't il have been
his. instead Of a brickayer
'.The ghost of revolutionary un-
cestor wouldn't be a bad idea
agreed Mrs Bellmore; but you
know how arbitrary and inconsid-
crate ghosts can be. Maybe. IKE
love they are 'engendered IN the
eve one advantage Of those VINO
see ghosts is that their stories can
he disproved. BY a spiteful eye, a
revolutionary knapsack might easily
he construed 10 be nod. Dear Mrs.
Kinsolving, think no more OF II. i
am sure Il was a knapsack.
But she told everybody! mourn
cd Mrs Kinsolving, inconsolaoie-
she insisted upon the details.
There Is the pipe And how are you
going 10 get out OF the overalls -
"Shan't get into them" said Mrs
Rellmore. with a prettily suppress
cd vawn: too stiff and wrinkly. is
that YOU. Felice? Prepare my bath,
please. DO you dine at seven al
CHntop. Mrs. Kinsolving2 SO kind
81 Won 10 run in for a chat before
dinner! l love those little tolcnes
OF fnformality with a guest IheS
rive such a home favor 20 visit.
So sorry. 7 must be dressing. / am
40 indolent I always postpone II un-
Ill the last moment
Mrs Fischer-Suympkin had been
the first large plum that the hin
solvings had drawn from the social
pie. For long time the pie itseiI
had been out Of reach on top
shelf But the purse and the pur-
suit had at last lowered II. Mrs.
Fischer SuymplIins was the hello
graph OF the smart society paradins
corps To some pressure 4 the
command OF the Kinsolvings, she
had yielded 30 far as 70 honor
their house by her presence Tor an
evening and night. She had her
reveaEe upon her hostess by relating
with grim enjoyment and sarcastic
bunor. her story OF the vision car
ryin.- the hod. To that lady, IN
raptures at having penetrated thus
far toward the coveted inner circle
the result came as n crushing dis
al continent Everybody either
sympathized or laughed. and there
was little 10 choose between the wv
modes OF expression.
nut later on. Airs. kinsolving
homes and spirits were revived 10y
the capture Of a second and greater
Mrs BelIamy Bellmore had &C
ccnted an invitation 10 visit az CHI
TOD. and would remain for thre'
DAYS Mrs Bellmore was one or th'
Younger matrons whose beauty
descent and wealth gave her re
served seat in the holy OF holes ina
reouired no strenuous bolstering
she vas generous enough thus Z
give Mrs. Kinsolving the accoiad'
that was so pOignautly desired. ana
M the same time. she thought nov
much II would please Terence. Per
maps IL would end by solving him.
ference was Mrs. KinsolNinS
son AGED twenty-One, quite good
looking enough. and with l"o
three attractive and mysterlou
traits For one. he was very de
voted 10 his mother. and that va
sufHcfentIv odd 10 deserve notice
For others. he talked SO little tina
~ was irritating. and he seeme'
either very shy or very deep Ter
ence interested Mrs Bellmore, be
cause she was not sure which II was
she intended osttdhmyut Nto-gp
She intended 20 study him a httl
longer. unless she forgot the matter
IL ne was only shy, she would aoan
don him. for shyness is a bore j
he was deep. she would also aoan
don him for depth is precarious.
on the afternoon of the thlr
dav OF her visit, Terence hunted u
Mrs Beumore. and found her In
nook actually looking at an album
Its 50 good OF you, said he. I
come down here and retrieve IN
day for Us I suppose YOU nav
heard that Mrs. Fischer SuympKln
-cuttled the ship before she lief
she knocked a whole plank out q
the bottom with a hod. Ny mothe
"a crieving herself ~ about 1T can
Won manage 10 see a ghost for U
while YOU are here, Mrs. Bellmore-
banE-up. swell ghost, with q cor
onet on his head and check boo
under his arm?'
That was a naughty old lad,