THE GHOST OF NO. 1 DORMITORY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 111, 13 May 1933, Page 20

THE GHOST OF NO. 1 DORMITORY

IT seemed a splendid idea, and we forked with such a will that within three clays there must have been two hundred-weight of coal stored under the floorboards beneath Smith Minor's'bed. As that worthy had said, "What's the use of having a fireplace in our. dorm, if it's never used? The thing is pure mockery. Often I lie awake shivering for the want of blankets; and the thought of the empty fireplace makes me ill." ' . •- ' "Yes," miserably affirmed Phillpots. "It's usually about ten minutes before rising-bell when I get off to sleep." ; Both of which, of course, wero gross exaggerations, but Smith Minor continued undaunted, "Quite so. Wei), there are ten of us. Very good. Now, if each of us were to smuggle a lump of coal in oiir pockets, every time wo came up here, and put it beneath the boards under my bed, we would soon,bo able to have a glorious fire and camp round it in our blankets, munching bull's-eyes.-" Of course, the idea caught us all, and soon the matron began to wonder, why those young scamps went up to their dormitory so much. On the third night, we had such a roaring fire howling up the. chimney, as you have never seen beforel "Well, what did I tell you?" chuckled Smith Minor exultantly. "Here we are, not later than twelve o'clock, and the wholo night before us." , . , . . . "What, aren't we going to bed, then, at all?', inquired Pndgm rather nervously. _ "Of course not," said Mannering. "This does away wUh beds. ?,V u^f' Sal» Prulßln .me.c*l3'\ • „ liVp trarmpr* iml hunter* do to "I think we, all ought to tell stones, like trappers and hunters do, to, while away the time," said Smith Minor. ... "On an.ocea.ion like this we : ought to tell ghost stones. You know•tones that make your flesh creep,V said Mannering. "Oh, no," said Phjllpots fearfully. I object to ghost stones at nig he j t>, a t> -i • "So do I," murmured Pndgm. night, she was sitting by herself in this room-THIS room, mark you, when she heard a pitter-patter outside. The door opened, and a tall figure, 'quite

(Written for the Fairy Ring by "Skipper," aged 12.)

seven feet hign,' she said, with a pale face, entered'the room, stared at,her, and vanished. .■.,..-..' ■ ■ • "The next day her husband died." . Pridgin and Phillpots paled visibly. "Later," he continued, "she let this room to a French governess, and one night the whole village was awakened by a series of screams coming from her room. The mysterious ghost had visited her!" More a g On y , vas written upon Pridgin and Phillpot's faces. "00, do .stop!" wailed the unhappy pair. . : "Well," continued Smith Minor mercilessly, "Mrs. Fleming put her two nC ph e \vs in this room—owl" This from tiio speaker. He had got too c ] osc to the fire, which, ever spiteful, had burned a hole about twelve inches square half-way down his back. ~ When the excitement had somewhat subsided, Smith Minor continued: "Well, the ghost came to tho boys, too, but not in the way it had previousv i { i one . rp] ie i 3O y g woke up at dead of night, to feel two icy hands c i u tching their necks." . . t t]l j s p O i nt Mannering ,screamed loud and long. We all turned round, W hat %yaa it t]lat made our hair s(and on cn( if There, standing in the gloom, was the tall figure of a man! I looked at Smith. Minor. His eyes were i JU ]gi n gF ) n i s mouth was open, and a very scared expression was sitting on his face. I had never seen a face expressing such fear before. Then the figure moved. It was not the white face of a ghost, but the stern fa"c of the Doctor! And—oh horrors!—he held a' birch in his hand. hay unobM rved into the room, while Smith Minor's mid- ... , m-oceedine ' "'S^l^ but to the. point. "Line up," wa ß all he said, whacking we'd ever had; and on cotton pyjainasj _ ho^ it aia stin g, He gave us half a dozen . each, except. Smith Minor, who got a dozen because he was the prefect of our room. Then he aitaA «■ ' beds occupied by Pndgm and Phdlpots. : But. Smith Minor was too broken-hearted to reply. •