The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-10
Euening Story
A Ghost and a Pink Slipper.
BY ROSE MEREDITH.

Dick Carson knocked at the base
nient door behind which lurked his
landlady, and when her long, pallid
countenance poked out suspiciously,
he removed his straw hat.
Mrs. Beggs, you didn't tell me that
your house was haunted" he accused.
rs it?" she demanded.
"Ghost in my room last night"
81 never had a ghost here in my
life-you must have brought it with
you" she said mechanically.
Dick laughed. This is a fine old
house-it must have been a beautiful
mansion once upon a time and there
might be a ghost of the past haunt
ing it. You told me that l was the
only roomer here and that you and
your husband lived alone. yet He
replaced his hat. picked up his paint
ing kit and stro1led down the road
toward the beech woods where he was
going to finish a picture of the brown
brook. ~
AS he went he thought of the
strange old house where he had found
a room wherein he might sleep quiet
ly at night, tho he obtained his meals
at the village inn. He thought OF the
big clean room. filled with ancient
furniture, and the silent. untenanted
other rooms-and he suddenly pulled
from his coat pocket a little pink
satin slipper
ne lldQ lOunu front OF MS D6Q-
room door a short hour ago.
A small pink satin Turkish slipper.
well worn, with a cheerful little puff
of golden threads on the turned up
toe.
Where had it come from? Certain
ly Mrs. Beggs was not addicted to
such frivolities-he was glad that he
had not told her about the slipper
She would have bundled him out of
the house at once and he rather liked
the forsaken old tomb.
He was tired that night when he
came back to the gloomy house. Thru
the thick shrubbery that surrounded
it he saw the pin point of red light
that indicated the hall lamp. He was
not allowed to have a key so he pulled
the knob and heard the jcngling bell
TAR below. Up from the bowels of
the earth came Mrs. Beggs tramping
like a grenadier.
She smiled wanly at him 'I hope
you amt told anybody there's ghosts
in my house." she whispered anxi-
ously.
Not a word-and never will
only he hesitated. Should he tell?
Only what?''
Nothing, Mrs Beggs. thank you"
and he went upstairs in an absent
minded way.
When he was inside of the room.
with the door closed, he suddenly put
down his burden and leaned against
the panels; he was not alone
Somewhere in that dim chamber
was another living, breathing form.
He heard little rustling sound from
the corner and knew that the intruder
was hiding in the shadow of the
great four poster bed He had heard
a light step and he knew that a
woman was there
He took out his pocket flash light
ana suddenly swung it around the
room. The dim depths of the ancient
mirror held a picture that startled
him.
Pressed against the curtains of the
bed, stood the slim form of a girl
dressed in white. He saw a lovely
heart-shaped face and wide startled
dark eyes. Because of the shame and
FEAR in her face, he turned away as if
ne ne mad seen nothing, snapped off the
light, and strolled to the window,
looking out at the starry sky.
he heard her slipping past him
In the dark room and he longed to
stop her, then from the door, a soft,
breaking voice challenged him.
saw me-but I was Ionesome-and
I've been reading your books-don't
blame Mrs. Beggs''
The door opened and closed softly
and she was gone from the room, but
not from his dreams
Inc next morning, Mrs. Beggs was
waiting for him at the foot of the
stairs. did you hear any ghosts la st
nieht. Mr.. CARSON" she asked.
Nothing unpleasant, save the wind
In the treetops," he answered, when a
sweet voice floated down the stairs.
Explain it to him, Sarah. please"
Yes, Miss Mona" and Mrs. Beggs
explained that Miss Mona was one of
the heirs to the old house and some
times stayed there unknown to any
body while she wrote stories and
poems. please keep it a secret until
the estate Is settied-then Miss Mona
will come here to live"
TN promise silence. If the Fgho1.
will promise to walk in the garden
sometimes" declared Dick, looking up
the wide stairway
He saw a white hand over the upper
oannlster then the other pink satin
slipper came flying down and saucily