The Ghost of the Clock

New Zealand Times, Volume XLV, Issue 10464, 17 December 1919, Page 4 (Supplement)

The Ghost of the Clock

The central hall of Langton Manor was brilliantly lit for the great annual ball. For fifteen years the old room, had ( been gaily festooned and ' lighted every Christmas Eve; but sixteen y_ears ago there was no rejoicing, iio bright lights, no dancing, for tho only heir'to the manor then lay dying. Since then, as regularly as the dances were held, .an ancient clock chimed midnight on Christmas Eve. This old clock had long since ceased to go. It had belonged to .Rupert, the heir; its quaint, soft chime was never heardexcept at the one time in tho whole year, when/ so many years ago, its owner died.

Lord' and Lady Langton sat at one end of the hall, near one of tho wide and lofty windows; the snow was falling heavily "outside, and as one of the dancers gassed tho window, a tall, white' figure passed by, and the guest, Sir Arthur Knight, instantly guessed what had happened. "It is the ghost di Rupert, tho heir to tho manor," ho said to himself. "Why, he died, on Christmas Eve." However, he said nothing to anyone, and the evening passed happily for all but Sjir Arthur, who determined to find out more- about the. ghost of the manor Accordingly, beforo supper, he spoke to his hostess.

"Lsniy-Langton," he said, "is there a haunted room in this house?"

"Why, yes!" answered his hostess, "didn't you know that tho old grandfather clock in the haunted room strikes midnight every Christmas Eve? To-night our famijy ghost should appear." "Suppose," ho'suggested "some of us wore to go into tho haunted room beTo?©"nitahight we might find out something about the ghost?" "I ghould be very willing,'* returned Lady Langton; "it would bo 'very intßreating to find out something more."... ' ,

Tho dancing continued, and in the middlo of tho last danco beforo supper a, soft knock was heard at tho outer door, A few minutes later a white and trembling maid entered the sorranta' hall and told her fellow-servants what sho had seen.

"Oh, dear I" she cried, "I opened tho door, an' 'thero I soe'd a, white thin fifjur© most like a Rhost, an' it littered a groan, liko a dyin' animal, an' it vanished Into thin air." Tho poor maid was still shaking with fright ———■

Iji.,tho.ogKat»hall tho dancing had

I stopped, and supper was being served to tho guests in an adjoining room. All tho guests were in tho middlo of supper when a tearing sound was heard* upstairs in the • gallery, and - a few seconds later down crashed a piece of ,plastcr from the ceiling, followed by three shrill shrieks.

Such a thing had never happened before, and whisperings aroso umomz the giK-sta about the haunted room and the ghost of tho dead heir. After supper dancing began again, and nothing more was hoarvT about the strango happenings of tho evening, until it was nearly elevon o'clock, when suddenly all the brilliant lights went out, and for two or three minutes the whole house was left in complete darkness. Then they flashed on again, only to bo again extinguished by an invisible hand for • nearly five minutes. However, nothing more happened until nearly midnight. Then most of the guests trooped upstairs to tho haunted room. As they passed along the gallery a white, ghoat-like figuro glided before them, and swiftly turned into the haunted room. The pursuers were all eager for the adventure, but when they reached their destination the room was empty, and the clock had not yc* chimed. They concealed themselves behind the curtains, and the strange, old furniture, and waited until it was time for the old clock to strike midnight. When at last tho soft chimes were heard, the door of the clock slowly opened, and out glided the strange -white figure that had been seen in tho gallery. It .crossed tho room and touched h secret spring in the opposite wall. A sliding panel moved slowly back, and with a deep sigh the ghost disappeared within, as the panel slid back again. Awestruck by the strange scene, the guests stepped quietly from their hid-ing-places, and joined one another to talk in whispers about what it could all mean. Then one of them sudden-

ly brdke the stillness with a loud cry. Turning, the others beneld Sir Arthur Knight kneeling on the floor, staring at a slip of paper which had evidently been left by the ghost. "What is it?" they cried together, and in answer Sir Arthur handed the paper to the foremost of the guests, who, in absolute silence, passed it to his neighbour. In this way everyone read the message. Then, after tho dead silence, a confusion of voices rose, .for the strange message, in the handwriting of Rupert, was this: "Who'finds this is the rightful heir." "Let us find tho secret panel," was the general chorus, and cveryono began to search for th'e hidden spring. At lost, the lucky one, again Sir Arthur, pressed a hard knob in the wall, and with a creaking sound a panel slid back. The cavern which now met their view was very dreary and desolate, and there was nothing in it, except a scrap of paper, old and torn, which turned out to ho the will, which Rupert had made, but which had never been found. Sir Arthur Knight succeeded Lord and Lady Langton as Lord of the Manor; but the family ghost was never seen again, for the rightful heir had been found.—Joan (aged 11).