THE HALLOWE'EN PARTY

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 106, 31 October 1936, Page 20

THE HALLOWE'EN PARTY

1 (Original, by "Lonesome," 15, City), I f(OH> Margaret, such thrilling; news," cried Penelope, Browne, dancing up ? to where her elder sister !waS dozing idly in "the hammock. Margaret blinked in the warm, spring sunshine and picked up her-book from the mossy ground. * "Well, disturber of the peace, what's the latest? 2 "You'll never guess, so I'll'tell you," laughed Pen. "Mother says we may invite our friends to a campflre in the paddock on Hallowe'en night. ?• "A bonfire? What fun," and Margaret followed her small, jubilant sister through the French windows to where their.mother was throwing up her hands in: mock dismay lat the innumerable questions her son was "Oh, Mums, Pens-just told'me all about it.'- When is Hallowe'en? On the thirty-first isn't it?" Margaret consulted the calendar. "Yes, a week from today. There will be just enough time for the guests to rig up a costume suitable for.the, occasion." . ';....". , ~ .... ''■ "That's not a bad idea for* a girl,", observed Laurie with boyish criticism. - "How unusual that you didn't think of it first,": Pen said sweetly. Her brother frowned ominously. "I was just about to's'uggest it," he informed her "But I guess I've got a better idea now. Just you wait, my lady. You are'going to get the surprise of your young life." With these parting words Laurie disappeared to find his friend, Jim. The two boys had a long, mysterious talk together before getting their bicycles out of the toolshed. Via Henry the gardener, looked at their innocent faces with suspicion. "That young Laurie is up to mischief, I'll be bound," he told the cook ! over his cup o'- tea, and cook quite agreed, for the two rascals had not ' liaunted her kitchen all the morning, and that-was. very unusual. ' ; Most of the week Margaret and Penelope were busy; cutting out weird- ■ looking costumes from the yards and yards of black cloth their mother had ' IV6At las£':when dusk fell over the; sweetly-scented gardens of Jhe" suburb, Scores of eager, excited children were seen trooping towards the big, grassy paddock where a huge pile of fuel was waiting to burst, into-flames. . ■ - All sorts of queer figures had gathered there. .Spirits• o' the Night, draped iri flowing black veils, masked witches with long; pointed hats and i dark cloaks; ugly-little gnomes and goblins, even a few ghosts mingled with the throng of laughing children. Margaret's father-put a match to the ; campfire and soon the cheery crackling flames were licking up into the night ; «ir The fire threw eerie shadows on the ground,, and everyone gathered found the warmth, their faces bathed in the ruddy glow.' When'the dancing and games had'ended Jim came forward and commanded every one to keep silent, for he meant to converse with the spirits as ;was only proper, on the evening before All Hallow's Day. The girls laughed at the idea,/.but they, obeyed by squatting roufid the fire in a circle and looking expectantly at Jim's face. Suddenly he'pointed (slowly) up the Hillside. "We are about to have a visitor from the. other side," he said in low tones that.sent, shivers up the spines of his listeners. Then Margaret emitted a startled shriek, and 'all eyes were focused in her direction. The moon, riding resplendent in 'her ethereal beauty shone full upon the^ gruesome spectacle on the hillside. ■It was a skeleton which gleamed with-a yellow light and, horrors of horrors, it was descending the hillside and coming straight towards them., ,The timid : ones flew to their parents who had come -to watch the fun and whose hearts it must be confessed, were beating a trifle more loudly than usual.' ■ .When 'the figure was about ten yards away from the campfire it seemed tobe going ' through a series of contortions, which made it shake as if from suppressed Slaughter. Then..Margaret gave a relieved gasp. "It's someone dressed Up,"'she said. r ..'■■ ... "..•.'•■ * The figure gave a deep-throated chuckle,-which caused Penelope to sit up in astonishment. Next moment she fell screeching upon the skeleton. %'s Laurie! Oh, the rcionkey! .Just look at ■.him, girls." And Laurie it proved to be as':the'others soon found out, when they, crowded round. His ' costume was made of close-fitting dark''material; and across this the bones i fiad been painted with phosphorous paint. Laurie and Jim. were quite proud of this achievement and did not fail to tell everybody so afterwards. "Laurie, take off that ghastly thing at once," Mrs. Browne said in a faint voice, so her son made off with his friend in the direction of the house. -' After that all went peacefully. , The boys, were a-little disgusted on finding that the big^-cauldron contained nothing more iexciting than cocoa, but when drunk out;there'ih the dark one might almost believe it was a witches' potion. There were dishes filled with gingerbread cakes which cook had out in the shapes of witches and witches' hats. More fuel was heaped on to the roaring fire and everyone gathered round for a sing-song, and the haunting :mel6dies, rising on the might;air.sounded better -than the world's/best -•' It-was 'with re;gre't that: the: guests he'iped; pour water oh'the fire before' fuming homewards^ but i;altHbugh';mystical'"Hallowe'en"-was over" "Guy Fawkes" still lay ahead, and that would be even more exciting than ever,. though it was to be hoped that Laurie would not bring any more phos- ■ phorescent paint to brighten things up. As, Margaret said, "They had had quite enough of skeletons for one year.