AUDREY'S GHOST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

AUDREY'S GHOST.

I (Eslelle Klinberg, Brooklyn, Wellington.)

Audrey Linton made her way to the ,old ruined castle on the hilltop, followed jby Jerry, her cousin. Audrey was the | daughter of Sir Henry Linton, and they 'were very rich people. Jerry Johnson

' was a boy of thirteen, and was a very pleasing boy. Audrey was a year his junior, and she was as tall as he was. Jerry carried the lunch basket, and as they were in the heart of the ruins, he turned to call Audrey to eat her lunch. But Audrey was nowhere to be seen. "Audrey, Audrey," .Ferry cried, "where are you?" But no answer, onlj"- the soft rustle of the trees outside. Suddenly a faint voice cried "Jerry, Jerry, help." Dropping the basket he ran to where the sound of his cousin's voice came from. At hist he came to a yawning black hole in the ground, and again Audrey's voice called. Seeing a rope ladder leading into the hole, he descended. Coming to the. bottom he looked around, there huddled in a corner was' a still form. "Jerry is that you," whispered Audrey. Jerry hastened to the corner and murmured "Yes." As Audrey stood up, Jerry saw her cheeks wore white, and she was shaking like a leaf. Jerry put a supporting arm around his cousin's shivering shoulders. "Jerry, 1 actually saw a figure of a monk go hurrying by, and he had a sort of dagger in his hand, and then as I hid in the I corner, 1 felt two hands grip my throat." "IFm," said Jerry sullenly, "I had better get you up into the open first." A rather hard job it was getting a half-fainting girl to get up a swinging j rope ladder. After a very hard tack Jerry sat I Audrey on the cool jjrass, just as she | opened her eyes. - i- After a drink of cold' water, Jerry commenced to tell his story to her as she was anxious to know about the attached legend. "In the olden days this used to be a monastery, and monks lived here. Later a man called Father Grey was imprisoned here for betraying a secret, and later the abbot came into the chamber with a dagger to kill Father Grey. But Grey had disappeared, and the abbot tripped on a stone and fell into the corner where you were, and Father Grey put his hands through two holes in the wall and strangled the abbot. It- is said that on the Wednesday of every two

months a ghost of the abbot liaiuits the ruins. You see to-day is Wednesday, and you happened to be in the murder chamber and so saw the ghost." "Oh, my!" said Audrey, "if only I had known. Let's go back to-nigiit and follow it. We will see where it goes. I am not frightened now." Jerry eyes lit up and they planned to come up to the ruins at teil o'clock. It was half-past four when Jerry and Audrev arrived home.

"Daddy, are you going out to-night?" Audrey atked. "Yes, lam afraid I am. But you will be all right, as t lie servants are all home," replied her father. At ten o'clock that night a boy and girl crept away from a mansion. Both had gym. shoes and big coats. As Jerry and Audrey neared the hole they saw a black figure dart away. Quickly scrambling down the ladder tJie two followed the ghost. 1 Jerry had his torch, so ho was careful that they fdtould not trip and so cause the ghost to disappear too soon. Beaching a dark passage the two still followed. Reaching a panel, the monk pressed a button and disappeared. Jerry, too, found a button and followed the monk. They came to a chamber in which the ghost went into. Audrey peeped in and saw the monk taking off ilia robe and wiping off the phosphorus light from his face and : hands. Suddenly she gasped and said [ to Jerry. i "It's Air. Thompson, and lots of £1 notes are on the table by a funny-looking machine." | Jerry gasped. "By gum, that's old j Thompson making his forged money and changing it for good notes. Coitio on. I let's get the police." | Away they hurried to tell the police, t rather worried that it should be M f. [ Thompson that was a forger. When they j told the police they were just as amazed >as the children had l>een. The party [ reached the ruins just as the clock struck [•eleven. Descending the ladder, they were just in time to see the figure Jlceing silently into tlio inky blackness. The ]>oiice sergeant followed swiftly and put a hand out and tripped up the ghost. A howl of pain issued as- the man lull heavily. "Coin.' on Thompson, the game's up," the sergeant snapped, "if it hadn't been for -these 'ere kids you might still be forging notes." Thompson gave the two a look. But if looks could kill, Jerry and Audrey would have fallen. Later on Audrey and Jerry received a reward 1 that had been given to anyone knowing a forger. It was one o'clock when Audrey and Jerry arrived home, where tliuy were praised by Sir Harry and Lady Linton. "If it hadn't been for your pluckiness, Audrey, we might have never discovered old Thompie." Jerry agreed when tucked in bed. But Audrey was well away in dreamland. —(Original.)