The Princeton union., 1922-12-28
A HAUNTING MAID
BY MILDRED WHITE
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1922, by Western NowspaDt

B BY MILDRED WHITE 8
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Bruce had promised his friend that
when he passed through the quantity
beautiful town of Lynden. he would
call on his aunt.
Aunt Caroline Is queer old 5ird,"
the friend disrespectfully informed
him. "She has money to give away,
hut she never does give it away; in
fact, I have not heard from the dear
old lady, since when at college,
touched her for ten. However, that
is in the dim and dusty past But
1t might be to your advantage to meet
Aunt Caroline, as you are obliged to
stop over in the deadly restful villa"
Bruce, walking about the lonely vii
lage streets at twilight, decided to
follow his friends suggestion. But first,
he asked directions of the voluble
hotel keeper.
"You askin' for Miss Latimer," tnat
man exclaimed, "why she's been dead
more than two months. The house
is closed up, until Susanah, Miss La
timers maid, gets back from the city
with the help she went after to clean
it. They have to pack things up for
auction
"Who." asked Bruce in the interest
Of his friend, "did Miss Latimer will
her property tor
The man grinned. "To missions"
he said, though no one knew she had
any missionary spirit, while she lived
beyond adopting Susanah from the
Orphanage, but then Sue worked her
own way, if ever girl did. Miss La
timer kept her going. An she hasn't
left her cent. Some think what made
Miss Latimer so queer, was dwelling
on the haunt. Sort of got on her
mind, it did, that old story of the
haunt woman Of Latimer garden"
Bruce smiled amusedly, "Tell me
about it," he said.
The hotel keeper lighted his pipe
enjoyably.
"The haunt woman" he explained,
"Was Latimer way back before even
Miss Caroline's time. Got disappointed
in love the way girls used to, before
bobbed hair and athletics an all that
come in. And ever since, she's been
haunting the big gates. waiting for the
man who never came back. Some
negroes who saw her one night, says
she wears a long white lace dress,
and has black hair, piled up the way
they used to do, with white rose
in it. She has white face that looks
tragic with its big black eyes, and
she is certainly mighty pretty"
Sounds interesting" Bruce re-
marked, Il will take a look at Miss
Latimer's deserted home"
The gardens were very still in the
moonlight. He admitted an eerie
feeling, as he sank to seat on an
old stone bench. Then he saw the
vision. She came, Wraithlike figure,
around the old stone wall, to the
gates, and stood there her face turned
toward the road. At Bruce's low ejacu-
lation, she turned, her dark eyes re-
garding him. In the clear moonlight
he could almost see their expression Of
mild surprise. !
Then with soft little rush she
came toward him, "Who are your
she asked.
pardon me-" he spoke mechanical
ly. Il had thought the place deserted
1T is deserted" her voice low and
soft, answered him. II only come
back to haunt the home have known
Who," the question came wonderingly,
"are you?"
Briefly he told her of his promised
errand and it's disappointment.
.'Yes, Caroline Latimer is gone,"
the low voice trailed off dreamily,
"and she may not extend to you the
hospitality she loved to give. Per-
haps-I may do it for her: would you
like to come tomorrow evening? 1t is
then that am here-and I will call
for you her favorite birds from the
trees-and show to you, the family
pictures in the gallery. Now" she
turned from him quickly, Il must go
back to the gates-to watch"
She fingered there, as he went per-
picked yet interested as he never had
been interested down the road
Bruce hurried back upon the next
evening. The vision was seated be-
fore an old piano in the great living
room. But her fingers did not touch
the keys. His own steps echoed as
he crossed the polished floor. She arose
to receive him, her smile warmed his
heart. Before the old painting she
paused, and girl Of an olden time
gazed smilingly down on her living
prototype.
II found this dress in Miss Caro-
lines old trunk in the attic" the
vision girl was saying, "and the whim
seized me to masquerade. The wom-
en- have been packing the things up