Priscilla Lays a Ghost

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 58, 9 March 1935, Page 5 (Supplement)

Priscilla Lays a Ghost

V3I . ' "~ (Continued.) Hilary (irrepressibly): I only hope it won't take us by the throat! I suppose, Joan, there's no chance of it being a—er —violent kind of spook. Joan: My dear girl, how can I tell? Rhoda (nervously): Do—do you think it's likely to be? Just what or who is it supposed to be? Joan: I don't know —that's just the fascinating part of it. Rhoda: Fascinating ? Joan: No two people seem to have had the same experience; one woman said she saw something moving about with a shaded light,, but when she opened the door there was nobody there! And old Tom Green, from the Hill Farm, said he saw a great black dog dash out of the mill and simply vanish into the ground in front of him! Rhoda: "VVell I only hope we shan't see him—that's all! Joan: I'm sure I hope we shall see something, after all our trouble! Hilary: I don't pin much faith to old Tom's stores anyway, Rhoda, eo I wouldn't be bothering about that part! Remember it was market day when he says he saw it, and he was probably hi a condition to think he saw anything! Joan (with dignity): Hilary, you have a vulgar mind. Do sit down and let me finish about the form of address! (They sit.) And don't keep interrupting. Hilary (cheerfully): Right-o! Shall I interrupt if I see the mouse approaching? Joan (impatiently): ,Of course! Now then (reading) — at the first manifestation of an approaching apparition, all members of the society Rhoda: What society? Joan: There you go! The Psychical Society, of course! Rhoda: Well, I like to understand things as I go along, and I don't see what cycling has to do with ghosts, anyway. Hilary (rocking with laughter): Psychical, not cycling, you idiot! Oil, Rhoda, you are an owl! I thought that was Priscilla's stunt! And, by the way, we never discovered what had become of her. Joan (rising): I'd entirely forgotten her again! One's so used to finding her tucked away in a corner with a book You don't think she's go7ie homo ? Hilary: She might. She might have forgotten why she came out, and so gone back again! Rhoda: She did that one day. Her mother asked her to buy some buttons for her, and she got right inside the shop, and then absolutely couldn't remember what she wanted! She looked all round, and tbe man kept, suggesting things it might be, but of course it didn't help a bit, because she'd walked into the grocer's instead of the linen draper's! Joan: Oh, Rhoda, isn't she a scream? Hush (Breaks off, listening.) Hilary and Rhoda: What is it? Joan (crosses to R.F.): Someone coming!' Can't you hear? And we don't even know how to address

In n u I CHARACTERS: I Hilary Upton.—About IC. Pretty and rather inclined to giggle. I Joan Upton.—Her sister, about 15. Clever, practical and determined. §} Nancy Upton.—Her sister, about 9. , 1 Priscilla Grey.—About 10. Rather absent-minded, with a habit of H turning her sentences roundabout. I Rhoda Sidgewick.—About 14. Delicate and very nervous. § Hie Ghost.

(Turns leaves of her book frantically, as sounds of distant footsteps, grow louder and nearer.) Oh, noble visitant from other spheres That's one way, I know! Let's try that. Hilary: Don't twist my arm right off, Rhoda! 1 dare say it's only another mouse! Joan: My dear girl, you never heard a mouse make all that noise! Hilary: Well, I shouldn't think a ghost would, either! Oh, dear, I know I shall laugh; Joan (shocked): You mustn't. It's getting nearer. Rhoda (shutting her eyes): I shall scream! Oh, I wisli we hadn't come! Hilary: There is something coining! It sounds kind of shuflly and horrid. Oh, Joan, suppose it really is a spirit. I don't think I like it! Rhoda: I know I don't! Let's go home! Joan: And have the boys chip us for ever after? Nonsense! (A fumbling is heard at the door.) Besides-*- S-h-h! "it's coming! Now then, don't forget? Let's speak all together. (The door slowly opens.) All Three (Rhoda very shakily): Oh, n-n-noble Hilary: Priscilla! (Priscilla enters. She is hatless and very dishevelled, with water dripping from her coat, etc.) Joan and Rhoda: Priscilla! Rhoda: We thought you were the Ghost! Joan: Where have you been ? Priscilla (crossing stage): I should think it's perfectly obvious where I've been! I brook in the fell! Joan: I suppose you mean you fell in the brook; but (Crosses to L.F.) Priscilla: Well, didn't I say so? (Takes off her coat and shakes it.) If anybody had a towel I should like it.

Hilary (giggling): I believe she thinks she's been bathing! We , left all our towels in , the machine, Priseilla. ■ Ehocla: I said she'd fall into the stream! However did you do it, Priscilla? Priscilla: Head foremost. I should think you could see! I was thinking out an ode to the Duke of Wellington, and I'd just got stuck, thinking of a rhyme to Talavcra, and the next thing I knew there I wae in the brook —wetting souk! It was quite

the nastiest and most unexpected promenade I've ever had! (Shakes herself again.) Hilary (rolling with laughter): Oh, Priscilla, you'll finish me! What a loss for the Duke of Wellington! And I'm sure you don't mean promenade—a promenade's a walk. Priscilla:. Well, I walked—into the stream. I ought to know! Joan: You're shaking yourself all over everything! And I suppose you've forgotten that wo are here to hunt clown and lay a spectre, not laugh at Priscilla's carelessness. Priscilla (indignantly interrupting): I'm sure I'm not laughing! I'm much too upset! You don't seem to realise what a great system it's' been to my shock! Priscilla (weakly): Oh, don't! I can't laugh any more! Joan (severely). I'm sure I hope you can't! Priscilla: And I don't see why you should, when I've not said anything funny! Hilary: Why, you've done nothing but say something funny ever since you came in! Rhoda: And you can't think how funny you look. Hilary: I don't believe even a'fullsized ghost could put the wind up me now. I feel so hilarious I believe I should just say "Carry on, old bean!" to the apparition of Henry the Eighth himself if he blew in! Priscilla: But is he likely to? Is there a ghost here-? Joan (resignedly): We don't know —we come to look for one. . But I should think (severely) if there was one it would have been frightened off —with your appearance and Hilary's disgusting slang. Priscilla: Of course. I remember! The mill's supposed to be haunted.

We were going to try to find the Ghost. I'd forgotten. I thought we were going mushrooming. But, look here. If you've been here some time, and it hasn't appeared, perhaps this is the wrong time, or the wrong mill of the part. Joan (glaring at Hilary, who explodes again): It's the right part of the mill —at least, it's been seen in both rooms and the passages Hilary: And on the stairs! But it's generally been about the same time —between nine and ten.

Joan (looking at watch): Then it's just time now—ten paet ten. Look here. Let's scatter ourselves about. Rhoda (firmly interrupting): I refuse to scatter from everyone. I should have no .one to tell me when it was coming. Joan (impatiently): Oh. well, then, you can go with Hilary or Priscill*, hut if we all explore a different pars of the mill at tlie same time, one off us is bound to see it, if it doe's appear. Rhoda (plaintively): And I expect it will be me, because I'm the one who wants to see it least! Hilary: Well, there's one thing— we shall all know if you do meet it, Rhoda. You're sure to yell the place down! Rhoda (with /dignity): Certainly I shall scream, if/that's what you mean. I with you, Hilary, because erf the mouse. You can frighten it off. Hilary (laughing): Oh, thanks awfully! (Crosses stage and looks out into passage.) I say, it's dark out here! Which way shall we go, Joan ? Joan: You and Rhoda can go to , the right, through the other room, Priseilla had better go up into the loft, and I'll take the passages, as that's where it's been seen most. Priseilla: And supposing none of? us meets anything? Joan (importantly): Then, we all. return here and compare notes. . , Priseilla: And supposing one of us does meet anything—shall she call the others? Rhoda (promptly): I shall! Hilary (laughing): I bet you will I, Come on! (Exeunt Omnes—Joan L.B.—in various directions. After a short pause Rhoda hurriedly re-enters, pulling Hilary with her.) Hilary: Don't be such a goat, Rhoda! It wasn't anything, I .tell you. And if you did hear anything at all, it was probably your own heart beating. Rhoda (agitatedly): It waen't—it) wasn't! I'm sure there was something there —I heard it —a funny; little thumpy noise. Hilary: Of course—your own heart!' Rhoda: It wasn't. I could hear that as well. I tell you there was something uncanny in that room, andl wild horses wouldn't drag me into it again! Hilary (releasing herself): All righti then. Stop here while I go and] investigate. Rhoda: And leave me here all alone? Hilary, Hilary, come back J Hilary: I won't be a minute! (Exit. Rhoda stands C. for a moment; then slight sound is heard off and a light seen slowly approaching, and with a wild scream she dashes to box at back, scrambles on to it, and flings her cloak over her head as Joan and Priseilla enter R. and L.) Joan (pausing, awestruck): Prier cilia—look! (Crosses to L.F.) Priseilla (crossing to her and speaking in low tones): Is it the GhostJ (To be continued.)