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Vopyrignt, #922
, by David O. Cook Publishing, Company -
Vol..21. No, 31. 4 pestasiteD
WEEKLY,
DAVID C, COOK PUBLISHING COMPANY, Extern, ILtrnorg.
August 5, 1£22.
<The Lay.
— Attic hos:
hy oe Newton hie gO
Hy
i
Y, but this i is a ‘big room! I’ve been
M°* visiting here ever since I was a
small ‘boy, but I never saw - this
room before.” ~
Jim Ross and his friend, David Wilson,
Letter known among the boys -as Daye,
were to spend three weeks with Jim's uncle
and aunt at Springdale Farm, The farm-
house was a huge structure containing at
:Yeast twenty rooms for not only was Uncle
John. Filkins a farmer, but also during
July and August his house was filled
with “summer boarders from the near-
by city.»
“It is a big room,”
as cool as a cucumber besides,
_ to sleep fine in a room like this.”
» “IT wonder what Aunt Martha - meant
when she said that we wight keep this
‘room until we wanted to’ change?” asked
im.
“ Nothing, T guess,” replied Dave. “ But
let's have a look on the other side of those
doors? i
-Toom J”
As he spoke Dave opened the middle one
of .the three, A short narrow hallway
Jeading “into an immense attic was re-
vealed. In this attic could be traced. the
‘dim forms of old beds, chests, trunks, a
broken spinning wheel, a grandfather's
clock, rows of old clothes, piles of boxes.
“Look's as old. as Noah's ark,” com-
mented Dave as he closed the door. “ Now,
Tim, , it's your turn; you open the next
doo
echoed Dave, “ and
We ought
oo laughed. “It's just “a closet,” he
fad as he swung back the door and looked
‘inside, -“ We can hang all our clothes in
it.
“But what's the matter with each of
us having a closet? That third door must
Jead into one also,” suggested Dave, as he
stepped to the door and turned the knob,
“The door. was fast.
“Probably it’s stuck with the paint;
give it a good, hard jerk.” suggested Jim.
Dave put all of his strength into a jerk
on the knob; the door flew open, and he
landed on his back.
“Anyway I got it open.” he said as . he
pickel himself up. Jim, convulsed with
slaughter, seated himself on the edge of
the bed.
“But it was locked!’ exclaimed Dave.
“See!” Dave pointed to the protruding
bolt of the lock.
“Sure enough!”
and examining the_lateb.
ejaculated Jim, rising
“The end of the
Three doors, side by side, in one~
of the»
ots 29)
just caught.
s a drug store
Indeed, the interior “aid
apvthecary’s shop. n the farther end of
the closet, for such it really was, stood
a cabinet filled with drugs. One side of
the room was also lined with bottles, some
empty and some filled, on the opposite side
were rows of books. :
“Look - there!” ejaculated Dave,
look like an
step-
“ ping back and pointing towards the top of
a stack of books in a corner,
It’s .a human skull as sure as I’m
eried
said Dave. “I don't
Ss room quite as well as
It makes me feel creepy. Tow do
you suppoce that skull got in there?’
‘n't a ghost of an idea,” answered
Jim chortle. Ile, too, was wondering if
he was. going to like the big, airy, cool
attic room as well as he had thought some
ten minutes before.
But there was no further opportunity
or time to discuss their discovery or feel-
ings; Aunt Martha's cheery voice was
heard calling them to dinner.
Dinner ‘over they weré introduced to
“Peter, an odd-looking, red-headed boy, who
worked around the farm.
Greetings having been exchanged, Peter
offered to show Jim and Dave what he
announced as a “rare, funny sight.”
““There’s a whole sewing circle of
squirrels in t'other end of the wood lot
holdin’ an afternoon mectin’.
powerful mad ‘bout some’in’,
wonder if *twas the high price of nuts.
Veter laughed and Jim and Dave joined
riving at the end of the wood lot the
“ Ghosta!”
But this isn’t a
source. of the trouble was soon located
by the quick-eyed Jim. Almost cn the
topmost branch of a tree, partially shaded
frum ‘the brilliant sunlight, sat an owl,
The squirrels seemed to recognize the: help-
less plight of their night-time enemy ‘and
took delight in approaching as near to the
owl as they dared, expressing their hatred
by much loud chattering and scolding.
“The owl gets even with ’em at night,”
announced Veter solemnly. ** He makes
ghosts of ‘em then, let me tell you.
“Ghosts of them!’ exclaimed Jim,
“What de you mean?
“Wie prowls ‘round their nests-and eats
‘em up, if he kep ketch ‘em. That owl's
a reg'lar livin’ cemetery for squirrels, I'll
bet he's hanted jest like the attic-room
bedroom in the house.”
“Is the attic-room’ bedroom haunted !”
ia dismay,
answered Teter. © “ Least-
se sume ‘tis... You chaps ‘ain't
sleepin’ in there be yout’. -
“Our things are all in there. We ex-
pected to sleep in there,” answered Jim.
“Maybe you will and maybe you won't,”
replied Deter. mysteriously.
“The ghost, they s don’t come in the
winter. But harp on hand when the
summer boarders is here,”
“Did you ever hear of a skull in the
et which is off the attic-room
e,
‘ replied Veter, “I never did.”
e's one there,” declared Dave.
That settles it!" re-
“T always knowed there
was somethin’ wrong about that closet
ever since I smelled that ‘culiar smell
through the crack in the door frame,
“What did you smell?” asked, Jim
eagerly,
“Everything, ‘eept
er
well!
joined Veter.
perfume, Kinder
made you feel sick as though you was in
a doctor's office,
“Tow ibe ghost been in the
house As'
“Three years,” huswered Teter, ‘Then
drawing close to Jim and Pave, he said,
gasped Peter,
“The ghost come right after the summer
boarder fell in the river on the t’other end
of the farm. Your uncle and the summer
boarder was there lookin’ at some place
to build summer cottages along the river
when the summer boarder fell in. “They
got him home and put him in that cham-
ber. He died there.
* And let me tell you, if this here attic:
room ghost ain't laid soon your uncle end
aunt ain't goin’ to have no more boarders.
People don’t come like they used to.”
That nigtt Jim was awakened about
midnight by Dave punching him with his
elbow.
“Jim! Jim!’ Dave was saying, “Do
you hear that!”
As Dave spoke, Jim caught the sound of
a strange, muffled groan coming from
somewhere; then the rattling of a chain
could be heard; this was followed soon
by other groans aml indescribable noises,
The sounds were unexpected and fright-
ful. Beth boys were underneath the bed
clothes in arn instant. They heard no
more until they both awoke with a sudden
start. It was broad daylight and Aunt
Martha was calling them to breakfast.
When fully awake and dressed the cuur-
age of the twe boys returned; but the
mystery still remained unesplained.
Upon their arrival at the breakfast table
Aunt Martha gave them a sharp, inquiring
look while Unele John asked them how
they had slept. Both boys felt instine-
tively that they were being considered
with more ‘than usual interest, but as
yet, they Were pot ready to say anything.
They were not so sure but that the noises
were all imagination caused by Veter's
story of the day before, -
Early in the day. Peter sought them out.
Looking cautiously about he asked, “ Di
you hear anything last night?
“What are we expected {u hear?” asked
Jim suspiciously,
then’ more groans and more noises.”
1 eter had not | been fooling them after
tree? ,
then that story is really
ally.
“ And
answered Teter,
if you don't hear something right
it's because you're deef in your ea
When Veter had gone, Jim turned to
Dave and said, “I've a notion that Deter
is at the bottom of those noises,
suppose he is?
“Tye been avondering that, too.”
“Well, he's odd enough
bottem of a mystery, anywat,
Jim musingly,
ve at the
commented
The-day proved to be an unespertelly
warm aud tiresome one, and the bo; ere
only too glad to retire early to the coolness
of their large. airy bedrdom, despite the
wystery which enveloped it.
as they sat by the open window enjoy-
ing the cooling evening breeze, the noises
suddenly began again, -Thig time with a
soon,
t
toans and the rattling of chains and —
Do you
shurp and herrible distinctness, In. addi- -
tion there could be heard dull, indistinct
footsteps which seemed to be passing along
one side of the room,
“Dave,” whispered Jim, “ those sounds
come from the attic, Im sure. Listen!”
“Let's go downstairs,” answered. Dave,
edzing towards the door,
“Bet's take a peep into the attic first,”
suggested Jim
Silently he. tiptoed to the attic door
and slowly opened it. Loud, uncanny
nojses greeted the ears of the two -listen-
ers. Groans, the rattling of chains, strange
popping noises, lissings and -diseardant
,rumblings were intermingled’ in strange
eonfusion, The blackness was impene-
trable, :
Lor a moment Jim’s courage failed him.
Ye closed> the attic door and started to
leave the bedroom together With Dare,
|
t
;
'
:
