And unbidden guests by W. Bob Holland. My cousins Kate and Tom Howard,
married at Trinity at Easter time, concluded to commence housekeeping by taking one
of those delightfully expensive furnished unfurnished cottages with which the fashionable watering place of w
abounds. From those rear windows one might almost take a plunge into the surf,
the beach being at the back door. They went down quite early in
May, being in a great hurry to try their domestic experiment, and as
the evenings were still cold, they spent them about the open fire, spooning.
It was upon one of these nights, about eleven o'clock, that they
were startled by a noise as of some small objects falling, soon followed by
the sound of heavy footsteps, and then quiet reigned again. Supreme at once,
Tom, poker in hand, boldly started in search of the burglar,
followed by Kate wildly clutching at his coat tails. In a state of tremor,
they looked upstairs under the various beds, Kate suggesting that in novels they
were always to be found there. The dining room was next explored, where
all seemed well, and lastly the kitchen, where they found what was evidently
a solution of the mystery. The burglar had entered by the back door,
which was found to be unlocked and slightly ajar the first excitement subsiding, They
returned again to the dining room, where Tom, upon closer inspection, then
discovered that one of a pair of quaint little pepper pots wedding gifts, was
missing, and other small articles on the sideboard had been slightly disturbed. The
next morning, when Kate mildly remonstrated with the Queen of the kitchen for her
carelessness, she received a shock by being told that it was her usual custom
to leave the door open so that it could be easy convenient loki for the
milkmaid. They parted with her, and a new maid was engaged, whose
chief qualification for the place was that she was most faithful in the discharge of
her duties, especially in locking up. While they mourned the loss of the
pepper pot, it still seemed so trifling when they thought of that lovely reposse
salad bowl sent by Aunt Julia, which stood nearby, that nothing was said
of the loss outside of the family and the little household settled into its normal
state once more of billing and cooing. About a fortnight later, Tom started
out one night with an old fisherman, one of the natives had a local
character to indulge in that delightful pastime so dear to the heart of man,
known as ealing, And as the night was dark, the eels were particularly
sporty, so that it was well on towards the way small hours. When
Tom at last returned to the cottage, he found all excitement within. Kate
was in hysterics, and the new maid, also weeping, was industriously applying
the camphor bottle to her mistress's nose. The burglar, or ghost, as
they had now decided, though windows and doors being found to be securely locked
this time, had been abroad again and had succeeded in purloining nothing. His
royal ghost Chip had amused himself, apparently by simply walking about. Oh Tom,
he had on such heavy boots and was so dreadfully bold about it,
said Kate tearfully. From that time, Kate became nervous and refused to be
left alone. Tom started whenever the door creaked, and the treasure departed hurriedly
saying, faith, the house is haunted. Sure after that, Kate spent
her days in girl hunting and her nights in answering shadowy advertisements that never materialized.
They tried Irish, English, Dutch, and the Heathen Chinee with a
sprinkling of colored ladies to vary the monotony. They seemed about to become famous
throughout the length and breadth of the land as the family that changes help once
a week. When they landed Treasure number two shortly after her advent, we
were all asked down to w to help celebrate their happiness, and incidentally,
to christen the new dining set. We were not a little surprised to find
Kate so pale and Tom rather distrait. However, after a delightful dinner that
should have filled with pleasure the most exacting bride, we adjourned to the the
piazza, leaving the men to the contemplation of their cigars. We were enthusiastic
in our praise of the house and congratulated Kate in securing such a prize,
when, to our horror, she burst into tears and said, oh girls,
it's a dreadful place. It's haunted, and then tearfully proceeded with the
details until we all felt creepy and suggested the parlor and lights. It was
not long afterward that Kate discovered that Tom had also related the ghost story to
the men that evening, to which Ned Harris had said laconically, rats and
bob Shaw laughingly remarked, calm old Chap, you really shouldn't take your nightcap
so strong. About the first of July, the climax came. The ghost
walked again, this time taking not only the remaining pepper pot but also a
silver salt seller. Evidently he had a penchant for small articles. But unlike
former times, everything on the sideboard was in the greatest disorder. Aunt Julia's
salad bowl was found on the floor, and not far away the cheese dish,
with its contents scattered. About this time, one of the windows was
found half open. A week later, a note came to me from Kate
saying that she and Tom had gone to Saratoga to spend the remainder of the
season with her mother. The following spring, Tom received a note and parcel
from mister b the owner of the house at w which read as follows,
Dear mister Howard, I send you by express three articles of silver, which
my wife's suggests may belong to you, as they are marked with your initials,
namely two silver pepper pots and a salt seller. They were found the
other day during the process of spring house cleaning in a hole behind the sideboard.
I forgot to have the hole stopped up last spring, or to caution
you against the water rats. The great fellows will get in you know.
Kind regards to missus Howard, yours truly, John B. The next season,
the Ghost Club was organized, the badge being a small silver rat bearing
proudly aloft a tiny pepper pot. We thoughtfully offered Tom the presidency, but
he declined with offended dignity, from the effects of which I think he will
never fully recover. The End of the Unbidden Ghosts by W. Bob Holland