The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-07-12
GHOSTS
BY AGNES H. HOWARD

mat there Is the house you'll
after. Big, amt It? Kinda gloom
lookin'. I'm thinkin'. Ny wife ser
/ gave the summer boarding hous
speculative glance.
How much Is the fare?" / aske
the driver.
Z Fifty cents. / hope you like
there. There's some as says there
: queer things happened in that ther
, house."
What sort Of things?" queried.
"Oh, faint nawthin'. but there
some about these parts as thinks Their
is such things as ghosts. Wal, may
be so, maybe so. 'Tain't for me t
say. l amt never seen none" n,
laughed.
II hope l don't see any!" ex
claimed anxiously.
"Oh, maybe you'll have luck" he
said. "She amt had no trouble lately
with that boardin' house. guess that
air ghost Is getting to be dead one
for sure. Them queer people that used
! to own the place has been dead goin'
on ten years now. 1 wouldn't worry
1t amt worth it."
mo, won't" promised, but never
theless the seed of wonder had been
firmly sown.
paid him and advanced toward the
house. was greeted at the door by
a large, middle-aged woman in blue
checked Bingham dress.
| ID A.
of explanation.
"Oh, yes. Come right In. Your room
has been ready, waiting for you for
two days now"
She took me upstairs to a large
room, just of the back stairs.
tits one Of the very best in the
house." she said. "Cean, big, and
away from things" shivered.
Make yourself to home" She went
out and left me alone.
"Supper's at seven" she fairly
screamed from the foot of the stairs.
At the supper table 1 ventured a
question or two.
w udL 10 ILLS nCdI dDOul kHOStS
around here? Some interesting legend,
is it?"
She eyed me sternly.
Now, who's been a-f1lling you up
with nOnsense?" she questioned,
rather too sharply, thought. 81 say
thar amt no such thing as ghosts, and
we amt got none here. We amt aim
ing to keep them long" I wondered
whether 1t was the ghosts or her WIS.,
itors she didn't "aim" to keep long!
Two hours later I prepared for bed
At last I was ready. Something like
a cold chill ran down my spinal col
umn as 1 hastily blew out my light
and crept into my cold, unfamiliar
bed.
"Strange and rather clammy," I
murmured to myself.
About three minutes later brought
my head up with a start, opened my
eyes and peered into the inky dark |
ness. Had I really heard something,
or was the strange newness of the |
place working its spell on me?
Less than ten minutes later 1 sat |
upright in bed. There was no specu- |
lation this time. I had heard some
thing. I listened. A faint, light, tap |
ping noise about ten times-then alb
ruptly stopped. waited for more.
Then something slid, and heard a
crunch, crunch, crunch.
you are fool-a 'fraid-cat," I told
oft foI1
1t must have been at least three
hours later when 1 was awakened by
the mingled sounds Of a retreating au-
tomObile and soft, deliberate footballs
On the carpet, which were not retreat
ng. I clutched the bedclothes and
'elt for the electric light switch. A
thousand curses on houses which are
lot wired for electricity! The person
coming toward me had stepped on
BOARD which gave a small squeak, and
hen he Cor she) stopped.
1 dared not make q move. NV
muscles were taught. was like one
rozen to the spot. I could hear my
leart beating like an automobile en-
inc and my mouth and throat were |
rowing dry. At last, instinctively,
rev my feet up slowly, silently. .
ried to collect my thoughts. 1 began
0 think rapidly There was not a
hing could debut what could the
reature do to me, anyway? He could
ut kill me, at worst. But 1 was not
eady to die.
An unconscious prowler-a victim 9
( insomnia? Some one In the wrong
oom-why, Of course, I had It! A :
host If I could have moved my lips :
: lifted my voice, would have v
,reamed, but could do neither. @
osed my eyes @
Then 1t happened! G
The ghost grabbed mel e
remember plunging forward, and q
en the awful, terrible falling sensa- q
on.
returned to consciousness to real =
e that Mrs. K stood over me =
It'll lamp in one hand and big II
1gora cat gathered under one arm. d
whats the matter? Did you fall h
It Of bed? Hope you didn't hurt in
1rco1f mono rThat holds orrifa btrb p