Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1926-02-05
The Phantom That
Followed
.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By KARIN c. SUNDELOF

MI II HMlGNCE kCt ONCh Ah'
Az horror Of this thing that followed
her every time she approached thu
water, although It had first come Il
her when she was eight years old By
means Of her own strength Of will she
had learned to swim, but still the thint
followed, its phantom hands clutchini
at her from out Of the alluring waters
Of lake or ocean.
II was all because her Uncle hat
playfully carried her of on his Shout
der into the deep water when she had
been peacefully building castles OF
sand on the beach. Neck high, her
uncle had tripped, and they had both
gone under. Then the phantom hands
had seized her for the first time. AfteI
that they always reached out the min
ute her body touched the water.
Sometimes, when Jim laughed at hei
fears, she would grit her teeth, close
her eyes and slide easily into the lake
from the ladder attached to the side
Of the run and swim to shore with
that deadly Thing following her all
the time. It was easier to swim from
deep water toward the safety Of the
shore. Nobody, not even Jim, could
get her to swim from the shore either
to the raft or the run.
Little Johnsie had been staying at
the cottage with Jim and Nancy for
two weeks, while Johnsle's mother
was at the hospital with Baby Sister.
Johnsie liked staying with Uncle Jim
and Aunt Nancy. They knew about
the things that five-year-olds liked,
such as saIlboats carved from sticks
Of wood, with So. made from torn
pillow slips, brown sugar cookies,
pieces of bread, thick with strawberry
jam or molasses, bare feet on the
sand, the sense of ownership expert
enced by being constantly followed by
q keenly alert, shaggy Irish terrier.
Daddy had not yet reached that stage,
because mother was too particular
about her house to want a dog that
would track in dirt.
Johnsie alternated the day between
blue overalls and an abbreviated red
bathing suit. All day he and the dog
played about In the water or on the
shores of the lake. Johnsie was as
brown as the terrier and quite as full
Of pep. Nancy was afraid that he
was too daring in the water, but Jim
advised her to ''let the kid alone"
But one day-a day when Jim had
gone into the city on business and
Nancy and Johnsie were alone at the
cottage with the terrier-the phantom
played a terrible trick on Nancy. II
was one of those hot days when the
only way to keep cool was to sit on
a cake Of Ice with an electric fan over.
head, or to spend the day In the near.
est body Of water. Johnsie followed
the latter course, or started out to
follow It.
Armed with a pail and shovel, with
his dog playmate at his heels. he haC
proceeded to the lake Immediately
after breakfast Nancy had just I'm
ished the dishes when the terrier
dashed In. seized the hem Of her Skin
between his teeth, barked wildly anC
dashed out again. With a great feal
In her heart she rushed after him.
Far out on the run lay Johnsie OF
his stomach, one chubby hand clutch
ing the string to which one Of his sail
boats was attached. The small Graf
was proudly approaching shore, John
sizes rapt eyes following every move
Before she could even set out to ge
him he lost his balance and topple,
In. One piercing shrek, and he wen
| under.
Nancy threw of her shoes ant
plunged in after him. There wa
nothing else to do. 1t was too earl,
for bathers. and the park police neve
came until after nine. Nearer AM
nearer the deep water she SWAN
Johnsie's head came over the surface
and the terror In his baby eyes steelet
her heart against the Thing tina
reached out from under the water I,
get her.
II was after Johnsie, too.
She redOubled her efforts. AgaiI
he sank, only to come up again will
little gurgle and sink again. TIL,
next time he came up she seized hin
by lock of his yellow hair.
She got hold OF one of his little arm
and turned for shore. She had for
gotten the phantom now. She forgo
herself. She must get JOhnsle L
shore. Johnsie was her sisters baby
His blue eyes were closed tightly. Hi
baby face was plnched and white, hi
laughing lips silent
The park officers machine cam
round the bend in the road just as sh
sank exhausted on the shore. Stron
hands reached for her and the boy
ant their quick, expert action save
his life.
jim came down on the next train 4
answer to telephone call from tn
park chief. Nancy and Johnsie ha
both been tucked to bed. The chic
waited for Jim In a wicker chair o
the porch.
She'll get a medal" he said wrln.
ing Jlms hand. "She's a plucky littI
woman"
Funny thing" unused Nancy. as Jill
came in TO sit on the edge of the be,
how easy 1t was JOhnsle's kille
my phantom. shall never be afraI
again"