TOLD BY READERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 123, 26 May 1928, Page 2 (Supplement)

TOLD BY READERS.

THE HAUNTED ROOM. (By R. Sutcliffe, 0.5.8.. 119. Church Street, Onehunga, age 13.) "Oooooh-ali! Oooooah-ali! ' "Jumpin' eats an' dawgs, wot in tlse world is thet. "Really, I don't know, James." "Oooooah-ah!" . «Mv hat! I feel like a biled lobster in a white shir-r-t. "And I, James, as though I was wearing a wet—l meal a slightly damp —flannel." . . But again that frightful groan made the two boys sin* to the dustv floor, trembling violently It was dark in the room—pitch black—yet the paUP white faces could be clearly discerned because of that unusual, unearthly pallor. _ ,- « One face was a grimy one. an open face, and one wine* showed signs of unmistakable frcckle>. j°j er ra !Li was much cleaner, mure delicate in contour, and decorated with absurd black-rimmed spectacles. trai.klin Marchdato was a scholar <>t repute, and much study had rather harmed his eves, and his popularity with other bo t \ ?. , And so. when he suggested that ho should like to explow the haunted room in the deserted left wing thev ga™ hm one look and laughed at him. He gave no sign o ing in any way hurt, though he blinked a good e than usual. „ .. „ _. Ar i» '•Yes. I understand that spectres from the other worW materialise and venture on nocturnal visits to this rooifc Of course I realise that, like as not, these are just tM imagination of—" ... . Then Marclidale had dccided to give an illiterate men* whom he had found in the slums, and tor whomi he ha* stransre liking, a chance to go with him. ile a fellow who was fond of helping others not so wel off M himself in matters both pecuniary and scholastic, althougu he himself was almost foolishly particular in speecfi wm manner. Thus "James" was with him.

Some' heavy object fell to the floor with a frigkthl

C * at "Raither noisy speerits in this show," 1 whispered Janwfc "Yes, I am positive — Clang! Clatter! Clang! . , o =_. Unmistakably came the rattle and grating of Unmistakably that ghost must be the knight stood over bv tHe window. James was rather self, although the blackness of it all gave him tK sh vert. "Christopher C'lumbus! Jimipiu' jackass \\nen" be shiftin' offen these tloor boards/' as the cham ® again. James' vocabulary contained a grea n . expressive exclamations which he used on e\ery p occasion. . ~ , . , • _4ii "James, you are altogether too impatient. - come when these peculiar earthly manifestations shall cease, and then—" A wild scream of terror came from James. "It's inovin'! It's inovin'! T fpar '"What is moving, my dear fellow? \uiir neno. 5 •

"The statue I Them armouri! . , Startled, the Goose turned his -a/e to tile old =uit « armour. Sure enough the massive ereauou was <=» slowly, ghostlike. For a moment he iclt a V* 1 ®ii_j fear, but iii a moment he was himself. Quickly he p a little round tin from las pocket and waited. Slowly the "spectre" entne towards them. now now sighing, with ever-clanking chains. * a J , lifted the little tin, shaking it vk-lentiy. Jhe g stopped, hesitated. "Atishoo! Atishoo!" The -nee/.od. A few moments later the unhappy Minter ua» o into the complacent face t>f Marehdali'. ami Miec/ii-g *i° ei ? •• at intervals. His two optics shoved : - <->f di-'oh'ura There was an uncomfortable v.eight on Ins eliett, in the person of James. . « . "Well, what'll we do with the sjeerit now ?]' lie grinnea. "Red pepper," smiled the pleasantly. "i? a e.iarming antidote to the disease 'spooling.' Mr. Minter has sufficient punishment already. 11 • shall he :reed. Minter spent the rest i>r the night snrc/intr. and the rew of hia pocket money in tin* p'.ireha.-i. • r jui -y beef tteaK.