The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-12-09

snow, Lizzie Allen!' she said
sharply, "you forget all that super
| stitious nonsense and stop looking
for ghosts! There's nothing in that
sort of thing" She smiled-she
would punish Lizzie for her obdurate
timorousness. "Where's that ouija-
board?" she questioned, rising, with
| determination in her eye.
Lizzie shuddered violently. "It's
up Herewith a prayer book on 1t
to Keep it quiet" she groaned, jerk
| ing her thumb in the direction of the
| farther bookcase.
"Bring it here!" said Miss Cor
nelia, implacably; then as Lizzie still
| hesitated, "Lizzie!"
Shivering, every movement Of her
! body conscious protest, Lizzie slow
| ly went over to the bookcase, lifted
the prayer book, and took down the
| ouija-board. Even then, she would
not carry it normally, but bore it over
| to Miss Cornelia at arms'-length, as
if any closer contact would blast her
with lightning, her face comic mask
of loathing and repulsion.
She placed the lettered board in
Miss Cornelia's lap with sigh of re-
lief. you can do it yourself! I'll
have none of itr' she said firmly.
SIT takes two people and you know
| it, Lizzie Allen!" Miss Cornelia's
voice was stern-but it was also
| amused.
Lizzie greaned, but she knew her
mistress. She obeyed. 1--WE been
working for you for twenty years."
she muttered. 1--WE been your goat
for twenty years and I've got a right
to speak my mind"
Miss Cornelia cut her off. "You
haven't got a mind. Sit down." she
commanded.
Lizzie sat-her hands at her sides.
With a sigh of tried patience, Miss
Cornelia put her unwilling fingers on
the little moving-table that is used to
point to the letters ON the board itself.
Then she placed her own hands on it,
too, the tips of the fingers just touch
ing Lizzie's.
"Now make your mind a blank !"
she commanded her factotum.
"You just said I haven't got any
mind" complained the latter.
"Well," said Miss Cornelia magnifi-
Gently, make what you haven't got
blank"
The repartee silenced Lizzie for the
moment-but only for the moment. AS
soon as Miss Cornelia had settled her.
self comfortably and tried to make her
| mind a suitable receiving station for
ouijamessages, Lizzie began to num-
BILE the sorrows of her heart.
''I've stood by yeu through thick
and thin" she mourned in low voice.
Il stood by you when you were the
| osophist-and / seen you through so
cialism, fietcherism and rheumatism
but when it comes to carrying on with
| ghosts" ....
'Be still 20 ordered Miss Cornelia.
Nothing will come if you keep chat
tering" ...
"That's why I'm chattering!" said
Lizzie, driven to the wall. my teeth
| are, too" she added 81 can hardly
keep my upper set in," and desolate
clicking of artificial molars attested
the truth of the remark. Then, to
Miss COrnelia's relief, she was silent
fer nearly two minutes, only to start
so violently at the end of the time
that she nearly upset the ouija-board
on her mistress toes.
'Tve got queer feeling in my fin
gers-all the way up my arms" she
whispered in awed accents, wriggling
the arms she spoke of violently.
"Hush!" said Miss Cornelia indig-
nantly. Lizzie always exaggerated, of
course-yet now her own fingers felt
prickly-uncanny There was a little
pause while both sat tense, staring at
the board.
"Now, Ouija,' said Miss Cornelia,
defantly, sis Lizzie Allen right about
| sense?"
For one second-two-the ouija re-
manned anchored to it's resting place
| in the center of the board. Then
"My Gawd! It's movingp said Liz
! zie in tones of pure horror, as the
little pointer began to wander among
the letters.
"You showed it 70
81 did not-cross my heart, Miss
Neily-I-" Lizzie's eyes were round,
| her fingers glued rigidly and awkward
| ly to the ouija. AS the movements Of
| the pointer grew more rapid her mouth
dropped open-wider and wider-pre-
| pared for an ear-piercing scream.
keep quiet!" said Miss Cornelia,
| tensely. There was a pause of a few
seconds while the pointer darted from
one letter to another, wildly.
"B-M-C-X-P-R-S-K-N murmured
Miss Cornelia, trying to follow the
| spelled letters.
Its Russian" gasped Lizzie,
| breathlessly, and Miss Cornelia nearly
disgraced herself in the eyes of any
| spirits that might be present by inap-
propriate laughter. The ouija contin-
| ued to move-more letters-what was
it spelling1it couldn't be-good
| heavens
"B-A-T-Bat! said Miss Cor
| nelia with tiny catch in her voice.
The pointer stopped moving. She
| took her hands from the board.
THAT'S queer" she said with a
| forced laugh. She glanced at Lizzie
to see how Lizzie was taking it. But
the latter seemed too relieved to have
her hands off the ouija-board to make
the mental connection that her mis-
tress had feared.