Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-02-08
Polly and the
Ouija Board
By H. o U RAYBoLD
(Copyright.)

gave John Peters when he injured his
foot while acting as brakeman on IL
of their trains, had its delights and
its torrents. 1t was an easy job with
considerable leisure time attached, but
it 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
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 on tip-toe for the question
to which she could so truthfully say
eyes," 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 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
ly 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. Il 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.
"Ill initiate you into the mysteries
Of the ouija board" she promised.
"Aunt and l 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
tilted by the dispatcher at the junction
to throw the switch for a freight.
Throughout the meal, delicious evil
dencs 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 faky
pic. After supper Aunt Susan gave
Polly ~ llttie push. "I'm going to wash
up, child. You run along in the parlor
and entertain Mr.. Peters," And Polly,
after n dutiful but weak protest,
obeyed.
Lets get out the ouija board" she
suggested. "You ask it the first ques.
ton and see what happens!"
So John, thinking how pretty Poiiy'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 dae1s
ening a bit, inquired if she would
ever marry.
"Some day." came the answer.
a. "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-P
John sprang up as If shot. Down
clat.ered the board and p%lanchette.
Selling his cane tile man leaped to
the front door, opened it and a gone
Polly, thunderstruclE, stood where she
had risen, her cheeks drained Of their
r~osiness. What was It? 1t cculdn't
below silly of her even tG think of
it. John wouldn't leave like lth&E
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 footballs. There was another
sound-slow, m%onotonous, rumbliag-
then a 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.
"yyere Won in time?" she cried.