THE HAUNTED HOUSE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 4883, 7 February 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE HAUNTED HOUSE.

(Uy i.ena Dliun Lewis.) “Haunted: Pshaw! There is no such tiling as a haunted house.” “i. eil, perhaps liiere isn't, but there are mighty queer stories about, the old cabin in the ravine.” Jlarry Saunders was a gut-H in the little town, anti to most of the hoys he seemed a f;it inclined lo bray, but on the whole 1 they ail liked Jiim pretty well, and Harry iouud everything and everybody iiucn-sUhy. "What about the cabin, anyway:” he asked. "Who Jived there:” /‘Old Joe Collier, a coloured man, and the blacklist that ever was, too. if a lived alone fur years, never speaking to anyone, and only coining out at night. Different ones trad to gel into his couiltience. thinking lie Lad money, but no one succeeded; and, finally. one day they found him dead up there among the trees, and ever since than they say thole have been straugfe sounds and moving lights about tiie hut at night, and a few say they have stum Joe's ghost, and it was as white as any man.” Harry laughed. "Turned white, did lief U eli. I’d Ji.ko to meet him. Hallowe’en is almost here. Let's go to the old cabin and watch and see if his majesty appears; iic’li surely be about then, for all guests who have the least respect for themselves or their ancestors come out, you know.” The oilier boys looked a little dubious; about tiio proposition, but. not wishing to appear less brave than Hurry, they agreed to talk it over and make a plan the next night at the homo of Hurry's aunt. "You know we must keep this a secret. ' Harry said. "A haunted house in this quiet little burgh! It, makes me smile.” There was a suppressed excitement among the three buys the next day, and it was hard work not to show to others that some conspiracy was on. They laid their plans behind the grape arbor,, am! tried to think they were joyfully anticipating the coining search tor ghosts. Harry's cousin. Grace, coo. had been making plans for Hallowe’en, and had invited a party' of young people to spend the evening at tile house in honour of Harry’s visit. He entered heartily into her plans, and, us he told the boys, it made things all the better for them, as they could slip away from the crowd before midnight and no one would think of their doing anything unusual the night of the party The evening came, and everything moved smoothly for both Grace and the boys. A number of whispered conferences were held, and Harry began to wonder if it was to bo as easy a matter lo get away us ho had anticipated. The hours fairly liew by, and the hoys felt a little nervous as to the outcome of their plan, when one of the girls, Harry’s particular friend, said she must be going. Grace urged her to stay until after the supper, but she had promised to be home early. Secretly, Harry was greatly pleased, for he was to escort her home. This gave him a chance to got away, ami the other two boys agreed to steal away and meet him on his way home. Out, by the grape arbor there was a low murmur of voices, and the bays wore soon on their way to .the haunted cabin. "I have a dark lantern,” Harry said with enthusiasm, "and if Old Joe makes an appearance weTi turn the light on him, and that’ll end his fun, for ghosts don’t relish light a little, bit.” The sky was full of lowering clouds, and it seemed to the boys that the shadows had never been so black. It was but a short distance to the ravine, and as they neared the cabin all was quiet. No moving lights appeared, and Harry was jubilant. “We’ll go inside ami each one take a different corner of the room to watch,” lie said in a whisper, but the two boys had made a compact that they would stay together, come what might. The door creaked on its hinges ns they pushed it open, and Harry turned on the light to get their bearings. There was an old table standing on three legs in the centre of the room, and a rickety chair in one , corner. The fireplace was filled with rubbish, and in the ceiling was an open trap door, beyond which was blackness. The boys took their positions and settled do.wu to wait. Only the usual-sounds of the night broke the stillness, and they could almost hear the beating of their hearts. After what seemed, an age of suspense, the bell of the town clock struck 12, and as the tones died away the boys were startled by a faint sound of moving feet-overhead. “Rats!” whispered Harry from his side of the room. fTive minutes went by. and the rats had disappeared. Harry called out softly in a sarcastic voice, “Haunted house!” but his words were lost in the noise of’ a clanh.ng chain somewhere near, which slowly grew fainter and fainter as if being dragged away. “Geo whiz!” Tom exclaimed; let’s get out of this !” ]3ut before be could move the door creaked and opened, and Harry’s laugh was silenced. , Standing before them, with long, bony arms outstretched, was a tall, white figure. It .turned and closed the door, and the boys heard a turning of a bolt. The ghost—for such it surely was —rapped three times on the old table, and three figures seemed to glide from space; and there was about them all a peculiar, flickering light, but they made no sound. “Turn on your light!” shrieked Tom. Just then the ghost disappeared, and in the doorway stood someone with a lighted lantern. It proved to be old tlncle Amos Snow on his way home. He had heard Tom cry out, and, being fearless of ghosts, stopped,to see what the trouble was in “Old Joe’s cabin. The terrified boys were outside at once, overjoyed to see a friendly face. Gaining new courage, the three* again began a search for their ghostly visitors, and soon found thorn waiting just around the corner, with sheets hung over their arms and phosphorous still illuminating their faces.

The whole Hallowe’en party had come out to meet them, and it was a happy reunion of ghosts and mortals. They sat down to the late repast, which Grace had prepared, and before it ended the boys knew their retreat in the grape arbor had been discovered. Harry Saunders did not feel very proud of his exploit, and no one heard any more boasting from the boy from out of town.