Evening star., 1922-05-28
T was q gay house party at
Deene Park. Northamptonshire,

for pheasant shooting. all kindred
spirits Of both sexes. At Lady Cardi-
gan's parties one was always assured
of a good time. The old lady chose
her guests with infinite care, and she
loved to see young people having a
merry time.
The beautiful old place. with its
great hall, replica Of Westminster
Hall, it's oak-paneled rooms. with
long mullioned windows. with armo-
rial glass, was a perfect specimen of
a noble mansion of the day of King
Henry vi, while surrounding 1t was
a great park with a wonderful ave-
nue. of beeches. and beyond q great
estate carefully preserved. :,
Most of us there assembled were
already friends-a few men about
town and few skittish women who
moved in rather rapid circles.
On that autumn afternoon, soon
after l arrived. / was seated beside
my hostess taking tea in the great
hall and chatting with her, when
slim and unusually good looking
young woman came over the pol
sohSu hooir anu one dS lHtTOQuCcQ
to me as Mrs. Osler.
+ ~
MY fellowguest took a chair. and
we began to chat. 1t was her
first visit to Deene, and she was
charmed with the beautiful old place
and the picturesque lake before the
house
"Ah, my dear,'exclaimed the old
lady in her thin. high-pitched voice.
Il wish Raymond thought the same.
1 hear that he told a friend of his
at the Bachelors the other night that
when he succeeds at my death he
will let the place to some Lancashire
millowner. or to an American. He's
far too modern. don't you Think"
We both agreed. Raymond Ruth
erford, the heir of the Cardigan
estates, was bored young man about
town, who had no love for the coun-
try. He came down to shoot because
the old lady wished it, Indeed. he
was staying there at that moment,
but he spent his time mostly in the
old paneled smoking room, and only
turned up at the al fresco shooting
lunches.
TT is a great city. Lady carsf-
gan" Mrs. Osler declared. But Ray
mond loves London. He has been to
see me several times lately, and I
know that country life does not in
terest him in the least"
"Ah. my dear" said the old lady
with sigh. as she poured me out
another cup of tea. IF he had only
taken after Cardigan. 1t seems a
y shame that he should succeed"
II don't want to- cried voice
, cheerily. and from behind the big
screen across the door of the great
vaulted chamber. with it's fine tapes
tries and stands of armor, appeared
q tall, well-set-up young man in a
smart suit of shooting tweeds and
CATERS.
"Ah. Raymond. We were talking
of you piped the wonderful old
lady, who was 50 young at eighty
that she could sing French chan
sonettes and dance splendidly.
Everybody says it's a shame that
you are heir to Deene." .F
Il think so, too" laughed the young
man. as he flung himself wearily into
an armchair. THE money. of course,
will be useful one day when marry
But this house-ugh!- I always feel
that there are spooks about it. Re-
member that Don Jamie Of Spain
saw ghost in Henry Wis room?"
He declared that he did, and he
left next morning. Lady Cardigan
admitted. "Butsit was one. of you
men playing a practical joke"
Not to my knowledge" Raymond
declared. Il was sleeping next door
and heard him yell. We all rushed
In and found him so frightened that
he was on the point of fainting."
HE was a Spaniard." remarked
pretty Mrs. Osler. They are, of
course, a very superstitious race.
How long ago was it?'
Last autumn was Raymonds re-
ply. II thought I'd told you all about
1t. First. Don Jamie saw ghost,
and them when he had got him quiet
and asleep again. his brother yelled
out that he'd also seen one"
Oh, it must have been joke" Mrs.
Osler declared.
I'm honestly certain that it
wasn't..H.was Raymond's reply
Yes, but that spirit rapping in the
priests hole was" the old lady
chirped. ~
"oh. yes Tony Wilson did that"
admitted the heir. He got into the
priests hole at the back OF the
smoking-room fireplace and waited
there till three men-strangers to
Deene-came In and sat down to
have a drink. Then Tony set UP a
horrible groaning bahind the panel
ing and started to rap out a message
from the dead. The three chaps were
frightened out of their lives. One
of them came and told Davies. the
butler, who also came in and heard
the rapping. It is a mystery to them
all to this day. Davies has never yet
discovered that there is q secret en-
trance to the priests hole. The
three guests went away and declared
the place to be haunted"
"A pretty good joke" 1 laughed,
for 1 knew Tony Wilson we'll as
practical joker. Indeed, he had been
sent down from Oxford for joke he
played in the High.
FOUND Mrs. OsIer an amusing
LITTLE Iady That night nv place