Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1921-04-14
oily and tho
O;,S;ja Board
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By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

VI their tFdiuS nau It's uellgntS anu
Its torments. 1t was an easy job with
considerable leisure time attached, but
II 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 see whose eyes
|. sparkle with the joy of living, whose
curvlng 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 girl to
marry cripple. with nothing better
than the job of tagging trains? Well,
he should say not. And Polly, who
had been on tip-toe for the question
to which she could so truthfully say
Eyes" was left to wonder IL she had
been mistaken in thinking he cared.
New Polly, otherwise emlnently SEN
sible, was the most superstitious little
body imaginable.
Then one 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
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
efficacious 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.
"I'll initiate yeu into the mysteries
OF, the Ouija board" she promised
Aunt and work at 1t every eve
ming And every single thing 1t says
is true" she added solemnly.
Ordinarily John had three hours at
| supper time when neither north nor
| south-b0und train was due at thel
crossing. On the very night of Pol
| ly's invitation, however, he was no
tilted by the dispatcher at the junction
to throw the switch for a 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 ap-
probation the featherweight biscuits,
steak done exactly right and fiaky
Pie. After supper Aunt Susan gave
Polly 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,
| uheyed.
LETS get out the ouija board" she
| suggested. "You ask 1t the first ques-
ton and see what happens!"
So John, thinking how pretty Polly's
! pink cheeks were, wanted to know If it
would rain in the morning. Heads
/, ciose together. fingers resting lightly
| on the triangular bit of wood, they
waited for the ouija spirit to start
working. Polly pouted when John
dent seem impressed at the vaguely
indefinite reply of Maybe" Question
| followed question, turn and turn about,
| with more-or less-marvelous re-
sponse. Then Polly, her color deep
en'ng n bit, inquired If she would
| ever marry.
"Some day" came the answer.
"Who?" dared Polly.
John, his fingers trembling in spite
Of himselfs awaited the answer with
trepidati6n What was Polly-or the
ouiia board--up to?
| Slowly the letters spelled out INTO
a word:
"a s-w-i-t-c-h-m-p
John sprang up as If shot. Down
clattered the board and planchette.
Selling his cane, the 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 IL? 1t couldn't
he-how silly of her even to think of
| it. John wouldn't leave like ahat
| just because he thoaght 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 footballs. There was another
sound--slow. monotonous, rumhling-
then whistle for the Crossing.
She must find out If 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, sPolly." he demanded quickly,
"what was that answer going to bey'
Polly gllped down little sob. &C.
| can't you guessT she asked.
IA swltchman?" he said slowly.
Me?" And as Polly was silent he con-
tinued, wonderingly: "Would you
marry cripple?"
81 wouldn't call any man cripple
| that could get down the hill like
| thatl" flashed Polly.
With a happy sigh John yielded to
L Ho.,. x..4., ts.A