The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-04-14
Polly and the
Ouija Board
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD
(Copyright.l

t Hi #@V& - T--N&rTk HI
(Copyright.1
The position-of lagman at Saunders
Crossing, which the railroad company
gave John Peters when he injured his
foot while acting as brakeman on one
Of their trains, had its delights and
its torrents. 1t was an easy job with
considerable leisure time attached, but
1t afforded him too frequently the
sight Of Polly Carr, who lived in
the little red house at the top Of the hill.
Not that Polly was disagreeable to
look upon. Quite the contrary. Any
girl is pleasant to SEA whose eyes
sparkle with the JOY Of living, whose
~curving mouth turns upward at the
corners and in whose cheeks shines
the glow Of health and youth. But
when John hurt his foot he gave up
the thought of Polly. Ask a girl to
marry a cripple, with nothing better
/. than the job Of tagging trains? Well,
he should say not. And Polly, who
had been IN tip-toe for the question
to which she could so t%ruthfully say
'yes," was left to wonder If she had
been mistaken in thinking he cared.
Now Polly, otherwise eminently SEN
sible, was the most superstitious little
body imaginable.
Then n bright May morning the
north-bound train slowed down and
stopped at the crossing. Out stepped
Polly's up-country aunt with umbrella
and travelling bag. !
Polly was glad to see her aunt, part
~ because she was fond of her, and
a very great deal because now it
would be quite all right to invite John
Peters to supper. If she had known
that Aunt Susan carried in her bag
something which would prove more
~eficacious In Johns case than any
love philter, she would have fallen on
her aunt's neck and blessed her. That
something was an ouija board.
When John received from Polly the
invitation to supper he had half a
mind to refuse. .
"Il initiate you into the mysteries
Of the ouija board" she promised.
aunt and / work at it every eve
ming. And every single thing it. says
is true !" she added solemnly.
Ordinarily John had three hours at
supper time when neither north nor
south-bound train was due at the
crossing. On the very night of Pol.
ly's invitation, however, he was no.
titled by the dispatcher at the junction
to throw the switch for q freight.
Throughout the meal, delicious evil
dence of Polly's ability to cook, he
kept his brain working at the words,
even as he praised with masculine APP
probation the featherweight biscuits,
steak done exactly right and faky
pie. After supper Aunt Susan gave
Polly a little push. "I'm going to wash
up, child. You run along in the parlor
and entertain Mr.. Peters," And Polly,
after one dutiful but weak protest,
obeyed.
Lets get out the ouija board" she
suggested. "You ask 1t the first ques.
ton and see what happensw
So John, thinking how pretty Polly's
pink cheeks were, wanted to know if it
would rain in the morning. Heads
close together, fingers, resting lightly
on the triangular bit Of wood, they
waited for the ouija spirit to start
working. Polly pouted when John
didn't seem impressed at the vaguely
indefinite reply Of Maybe" Question
followed question, turn and turn about,
with more-or less-marvelous re-
Spouse. Then Polly. her color deep
ening a bit, inquired II she would
ever marry.
"Some day." came the nswer
"Who?" dared Polly.
John, his fingers trembling in spite
Of himself, awaited the answer with
trepidation. What was Polly-or the
ouija board-up to?
Slowly the letters spelled out into
q word:
"A s-w-i-t-c-h-m-
John sprang up as IL shot. Down
clattered the board and ~planchette.
Selling his cane, athe man leaped to
the front door, opened It and was gone.
Polly, thunderstruck, stood where she
had risen. her cheeks drained Of their
rosiness. What was it, It couldn't
below silly OF her even to think Of.
IT. John wouldn't leave like that
just because he thought he was be-
ing proposed to. But there was some
thing wrong.
Quickly she went out to the little
porch. Far down the hill sounded
the tap-tap OF Johns cane and his
swift feotfalls. There was another
sound-slow, m~onotonous, rumbling-
then a whistle for the Crossing.
She must find out H he got there in
time. Hatless, coatless, she ran down
the hill. only to meet John, breathing
heavily, on the way back.
.Were you In timer she cried.
THANK heaven. yes" he answered.
Then, polly he demanded quickly,
what vas that answer going to- be- Nh
Polly pn1nnd down a Iffln coh sSfa-.3