4(5
TOE SUNDAY OREGOyiA PORTIAND, OCTOBER 1, 1905,
Isobel's Seat-Mate at Miss Van Wyck's
Pioneer Sugar-Makers of the Forest
THE ldeaof school was very pleasant j
to Isobol. In the first place she was i
to be In Miss Van "Wyck's room, and
Miss "Van Wyck "was by all odds the
sweetest teacher In school, as every girl
admitted.
In the second' place, she was tired of
vacation. She was tired of the piazza of
the hotel where they had spent the Sum
mer. She was weary of clean white
clothes and carefully brushed hair and
people every minute. Her ideal of Sum
mer was different,, but her mother liked
fashionable places, so, of course, there
were no sweaters and camping and knock
ing about.
Her own room and her bookcase full
of books were most Inviting nnd her plain
school frock felt more comfortable than
anything she liad put on for months.
The morning was crisp and cool, and
the sunshine was very bright.
She enjoyed the walk to school and she
enjoyed the first glimpse of the girls
standing on the stone doorstep. Every
one was so glad to see every ono else,
and they chattered like sparrows. 4
"Did you have a good time?" "Per- j
fectly fine." "Where did you go?" and j
then came an answering tide of names
of places and talks of golf and swimming
and paddling.
There were only a few new girls en
1ered, for Miss Damon's school was not
l irge and the children who began in the
primary grade were pretty sure to stay
through until they went to boarding
school or college.
Miss Damon called them into the assembly-room
and gave them a nice little
talk and a welcome and then they sang
some songs and went hack to their re
spective rooms.
When Isobel's desk was given to her,
she found to her great disappointment
that her seat mate was a new girl. She
and Martha Chester had expected to sit
together, of course, and Martha's face
looked like a thundercloud when she found
herself sitting with Mary Arthur, whom
she did not like.
Martha motioned to Isobel to go and
make a fuss right away, but Isobel saw
that Miss Van Wyck was busy and con
fused with the things to be done, and
she decided to wait until later to ask to
be reseated.
She whispered this across to Martha,
who agreed sullenly and settled down to
her books.
Isobel's seat mate was a curious little
girl. She wore a plain black dress with
white cuffs and collar. Her face was thin
and very white In contrast to the tanned
faces around her. She evidently had not
had a vacation.
At recess time Isobel spoke to her. Her
name was Jean Stewart. She said she
had recently come to the city. She lived
in an apartment a few blocks from the
school with her mother and uncle.
Isobel could see that Jean was timid and
she could also see. that she was not the
kind of girl who would bo very popular.
The Strange Sea Ride of the High Priest
THE Jf&KSL CH RJ BWK
AJu) fUD CASE
ONE day as Paao, the High Pr.lcst,
was sitting under the bread fruit
tree In front of his hut on Samoa,
watching the long Pacific rollers break
In white thunder on the sleepy beach, a
Japanese sailor came along in rags. Paao
beckoned to him and asked what had
brought. him to such a plight, and the
Japanese sailor told him that he had been
7..' A ww.twt v.. ...v. 4, (VI1U u tsiru 1
forced to live on the beach while waiting
for a ship that might be willing to hire
him as a sailor.
Paao Immediately took the stranger
into his hut and -brought forth food and
drink. Then he gave him the best cloth
ing that ho had. Thus they lived together
in, comfort, till at last a ship' arrived
and the Japanese sailor found employment-on
It. .
Before Jie went away he said to Paao:
"Come thou with me to the sea. I am
minded to catch a turtle." Paao fol
lowed, wonderlngly.
The Japanese and the High Priest pad
dled to sea in Paao's beautiful high
prowed canoe, . till they spied a floating,
black spot in the blue water head. Then
the Japanese silently dived, without even
making a splash, and sped with swift
strokes, .but as noiselessly as a shadow
through the ocean, till he was close to
the sleeping turtle. He dived again and
came up under' the monster, seizing it by
the hind flipper. Then the Japanese
sprang on Its back and held fast to the
upper part of the shell around the crea
ture's neck. Off It went, paddling
straight down into the deep sea like a
jrroat bird soaring. ,
Paao watched from his canoe and saw
'e strange horse and its rider go down,
('own. down, Into the clear blue water, till
icy wore more than 50 feet below the sur
fi.o. and at last they glimmered out of
'.gat in the vague depths. He had given
i !) all hope of seeing his companion again
when the big 'turtle came rising toward'
the surface as fast as it had gone down,
nd the next moment the Japanese was
shaking the water out of his hair, while
the turtle lay, utterly wearied and spent,
on the surface.
Soon it was lifted into the boat, and the
Japanese addressed it, saying: . "I have
conquered you in fair fight, and taken
you prisoner in your own element, with
nothing to help me except my bare hands.
Now you are mine. If I let you go, will
you promise to obey the command which
I shall lay on you?"
The turtle turned . its hawk-like head
toward its captor and opened its jaws
wide three times.
"It is well," said the sailor. "Tills is
my benefactor, Paao. Look upon him."
The turtle turned Its head and looked at
the High Priest.
"If he be lost in the sea, swim with
him and guide nlm to the land," said the
Japanese. Then he took out his knife and
carved a sign on the big turtle, after
which he put It back Into the water.
A few weeks after the sailor had de
parted Paao came upon a bonlto leaping
madly, among the sharp pinnacles of a.
coral "reefta little way from shore.
He eaw-lhat a great shark was chasing
"Been away for the Summer?" Isobel
asKed Jean
Isobrl was sorry, for it was not pleasant
to be at Miss Damon's and have the glrl3
slight you..
Martha pulled Isobol into a corner to
him and. without hesitating a moment,
be waded out and lifted the big silvery
fish from the water.
"Be not frightened, oh aku." said he.
SSnA her moufh opened
Wder vnd vsnder.
fcQhcn a. mischievous cry
On -The orvce.
"I shall carry you to the lagoon and
there set you free."
The fish looked at Paao and lay still.
When he was placed Into the water he
remained motionless for a time, looking
fixedly at the priest. Thenhe vanished.
Not long afterward Paao saved a beau
tiful red opelu from the -attacks of an
octopus, and carried It to the same lagoon.
About a year later the good High
.Priest's brother, who was a great war
chief, became angry at Paao because he
refused to pray for the death of all his
enemies and even sheltered some of them
when they were wounded. So he sent his
warriors down from the mountains to kill
Paao.
Paao was warned in time and leaped
into his canoe and sped out to sea. When
the morning came he was far out of sight
of land, but on the horizon he could see
the great fleet of war canoes that his
brother had sent In chase, so he paddled
on.
That night a terrible storm arose. The
wind was so great that Paao. exhausted
as he was from his flight, could hardly
keep the prow of his canoe headed into
the waves. He labored until he could not
move the paddle any more, and then a
great wave twisted it out of his hand
and he drew a long breath to prepare for
the struggle'in the sea, for a bigger wave
talk over their affairs. She said Miss
Van Wyck would have to change their
seats or she would go straight to Miss
Damon.
still was racing straight at him with Its
crest foaming and all around and behind'
It were other waves roaring. It seemed
the end.
That very moment there was a smart
Jerk on his canoe and Instantly It headed
Into the huge wave and rode it as If It
had been guided by a padaie in strong
hands. Paao looked andaw that a big
fish had hold of the canbe and was pull
ing It. It was aku. the bonlto.
But the waves were getting bigger and
bigger, and Paao felt certain that before
long they would smash hli canoo 1 they
did not overturn It. Already the seams
were beginning to open 'frAm the strain
ing. Just then a beautlfm" red fish rose
to the surface. It was) the opelu. lie
swam around and around, the canbe so
fast that Paao got dizzy. Every wave
that dashed toward them was caught by
the opelu. He would stiffen out his great
body and the wave would break harmless
ly against his gorgeous red sides.
SJ they traveled all night and when
morning broke they were far out In mid-
The Sad Fate
I 1 that funny thing a man's head?"
Ping was a young and Ignorant mos
quito, just emerged from the wiggler
stage, which had been spent happily and
uneventfully in a near-by pool. The one
unpleasant circumstance that she had to
look back upon was a taste of petroleum,
which had been placed in the otherwise
lovely and stagnant bit of water.
The fact that Ping was Just hatching
Into her present state was all that saved
her from an untimely death. As It was,
there was a bad taste In her mouth as
the dried her wings and flew away.
In her haste she bunted straight Into
Mrs. Sing. They exchanged compliments,
and Mrs. Sing told Ping of a place near
by where they could crawl through a hole
In a netting and get a good square meal.
They waited till a rough noise came
from the corner of the room where they
lay hidden.
"What's that?" asked Ping.
"That's a man. He's snoring. Now la
our time."
Wing and wing they flew and perched
together on the edge of a pillow.
"Where does the noire come from?"
asked "Ping.
"From that cavern Just below the
mountain in the middle of his face."
"Does man always look like that?" '
"No. Sometimes the cavern Is closed."
"What is It for, anyway?"
"I think he eats with It. and sometimes
I've seen him put one end of a stick Into
it and set Are to the other. "Then a lot of
disagreeable smoke comes out, and you
have to get out of the way or you'll be
choked."
"Where's that square meal you promised
me?" queried hungry Ping.
"Silly Ping!" laughed Mrs. Sing.
"Don't you know that right under the
man's skin flows the most delicious bev
erage? You've only to poke your bill
through."
"Let's1 go to work. I never had a square
i the
Klichcrj, losktnqf- Wht sbculd Vie ate 1her
but' Ttie Cookmo
AhaJ T Orjed-'whato iz L spy-?
Dot, com" - aJon
like small
Isobel said he preferred to wait until
tomorrow at least before making a fuss,
for Miss Van Wyck had so many -things
to attend to.
At that Martha flounced off and joined
the group of girls, who were opening- their
lunches over In one corner of the school
room. "Come on, Isobel. hustle," they called,
"the food'll be gone quick, 'cause It's
terribly good."
Jean was sitting alone In her scat, eat
ing her little luncheon daintily. There
was something very lonesome about her
look and attitude.
tsobel went to her desk, pulled out her
box of luncheon, laid It upon tho desk
where the girls were eating. Picking out
& sandwich, she returned to her seat
and sat beside Jean. The girls gasped.
What did Isobel mean? But. then. Isobel
always was doing crazy things. She'd
get over It.
"Been away for the Summer?" Isobel
asked Jean.
"No," was the reply, "we've been at
home all Summer. Mamma hoped to send
me. but she couldn't manage It. My
father died last Spring and mother has
to be very careful. And she did want
me to come here to school, and that costs
a good deal, you know."
Isobel did not know. She had never
thought of Its being a special privilege
to attend Miss Damon's. It was Just nat
uralwhat all the. girls did.
"Wasn't It hot In town?" Inquired Iso
bel. "Sometimes, very." replied Jean, "but
we always had plenty to do, and you
forget when youtre working and then I
had plenty of books from the library for
the times I wasrft busy."
"Oh. don't you like' to read!" cried Iso
bel, enthusiastically.
Jean's face lighted up as Isobel had
not before seen IL
"I don't know what I should ever do
If I couldn't." she said. "You can Just
live Inside a book, can't you?"
"I hardly got a chance all Summer,"
said Isobel, ruefully, "there was so much
going -on. Every time I started, some
one would interrupt or mamma would
want me to dress up or something. I
gueps you bad a betternlme than I did."
"Except occasionally." Jean said so
berly. "What does your mother do?" Inquired
Isobel.
"She makes shirtwaists." the girl an
swered simply. "She docs It very well."
Isobel was silent What would the girls
say? What would they do? A dress
maker's daughter In Miss Damon's school!
Recess was over. Lessons came and
went, but Isobel's mind was busier with
something outside than Inside her new
lesson books.
After school Martha came to her.
"Will you come and see Miss Van
"Wyck now?" she demanded.
"No," said Isobel quietly.
"Isobel Strickland!" cried Martha. "I
don't believe you're going: to do anything
about it."
"No. I'm not," replied Isobel. "I like
Jean Stewart, and I'm going to sll with
her."
For a whole week Martha Chester would
not speak to Isobel. But Jean would,
and Jean proved to be very good com
pany. And Isobel had other reasons, too.
The girls began .to treat Jean quite politely.
Pacific Aku was still pulling strongly
and opelu ""was breaking the waves with
out tiring; but Paao saw that they did
not know' where to go. He knew that
they were heading farther and. farther
out to sea and he feared, that he would
soon die from starvation and thirst. But
as soon as jLhe sun rose a great hawk-like
head appeared In the sea and a turtle
came alongside and began to guide the
course of the bonlto.
The moment the bonlto and the opelu
knew that they had a guide they dashed
after him as fast as the wind till the
canoe actually leaped from the water at
times. Before sunset they- were nearing
some beautiful islands and soon the canoe
was-safe andxsound In a great lagoon.
The Islands to which the faithful turtle
had brought the High Priest were the
Hawaiian Islands, and he built a temple
there and became a very famous man.
about whom the Hawalians tell stories
to this day.4 And ever since then the aku
and the opelu have been worshipped as
gods In the Hawaiian Islands by the peo
ple who aro now our fellow-Americans.
And the Japanese fishermen there still
release turtles taken In the nets after
they have Inscribed their signs on them,
because they believe that turtles so treat
ed will guide them back to land If they
should be lost out at sea,.
of Greedy Ping
meal In my life. Where is the best spot
to begin?"
"His cheek right there above the patch
of bristles is the nicest," said Mrs. Sing.
"Buit It's the most dangerous. There's
a good quiet spot behind that round at
rangement Just back of bis cheek. Sh!
Don't sing so loud If you go there! He
hears with that. Go quietly."
But Ping was so happy at the prospect
of a supper that she could not keep from
singing.
"Whack! Ping had barely time to dodge
a great flat thing that nearly crushed
her. She scuttled out through a crack In
It and flew trembling- to Mrs. Sing.
'"My. what an escape!" gasped Ping.
"Do you call that place safer
"Safest of any unless you light on the
flipper he hit you with. But you must
learn to keep still."
"That mountain just above his cavern
looks good. I'm simply starving."
"For your life, don't go there! He'd
havo you in a twinkling. Try under his
chin and don't sing If you have any sense
at alL"
Ping stole quietly up. Mrs. Sing lighting
softly beside Ping, and the glorious feast
began.
"Don't take too much or you'll be
sorry," whispered the wise Mrs. Sing.
But Ping did not hear. Deeply she
drove her pointed bill.
"Oh, how delicious!" she sighed.
"Come. Ping! No more," said Mrs. Sing.
But Ping wa3 not to be cut off from
her first draught at the springs of life.
"Come, come! It'll be too late."
But foolish Ping staid, and Mrs. Sing
flew away.
When Ping's thirst was quenched she
could not fly. She crawled off on a pillow
to rest.
When morning broke she was still there.
The man woke up arid she was still there.
Then the man saw her.
"A-ha!" said he. "You little glutton! I
have you."
Whackl And greedy Ping was no more.
10 Norfc-
- " 1
jw.'
THEY CAME UPON A BAFT FLOATING DOWN THE STREAM.
'
Chapter X.
IT WAS about an hour before the In
dians In their canoes came paddling
slowly back. A part of them searched
one bank and a part the other. Sam
was of the party searching the bank
against which the children were hiding.
He talked the Indian language, and
they could not understand him, but they
could hear that he was very angry and
wanted to get them In his power again.
Ha had , told his story over and over
again, and while some of the Indians
laughed at him for being tied up by two
children, others were anxious to help
him recapture them and sharo in the
reward.
Will and Sadie gave up all hope as the
canoes stopped to Inspect their place of
hiding. It was very dark under the
overhanging limbs, but the Indian has
almost as good sight at night as a wild
animal.
Nothing prevented discovery except an
alarm raised by tho party on the other
side of tho river. What It was about
the children could not say. but as soon
The Story of
DICK SPENCER lived In a town
near a great gorge, through which
there ran a 'river full of rapids
so fierce that no man had ever been
able to devise a boat that couM live
In the swlrL As a result, whenever
people wanted to cross from one side
of the gorge to the other they had to
go many miles around by way of a
ford far above, near the head of the
river.
Much time, was wasted In this way,
and at last the town authorities sent
to a firm of engineers and gave Vhem
a contract to build, a fine steel bridge
across the place.
Within a few months the steel gird
ers and beams were unloaded at the
edge of the gorge, and then men came
to erect the bridge. But they had
hardly begun before the stopped again,
for they realized suddenly that, while
their plans provided for everything
that was necessary to build a bridge,
they had not devised a way to get the
first beam across, The gorge was
nearly half a mllo wide, and thero was
no beam or plank long enough in tne
whole world, of course, to lay across
the chasm so that men could begin to
work.
Dick's father was the Mayor of the
town, and when he went down to the
river to see the engineers they told him
their trouble.
"You see." said they, "we thought
that It would be easy enough to carry
a wire cable across the river In a boat:
but now we find that no boat ever
made could live for a moment In these
terrible rapids. The gorge Is far too
wide to throw, or even shoot, some
thing across, and we hardly know what
to do."
Tho engineers spent some days exam
ining the shores on both sides, but they
found that the rapids were bad for so
great a distance that there was no
place where they could try to get a
cable.across with any prospects of suc
cess. After consultation they said to
Dick's father:
"We wish that you would let us have
the best kite-flyer among the boys of
the town. We may be able to do what
was done at the Niagara gorge, where,
the engineers got the flrst cable across
by flying a kite from one bank to the
other, and then by means of the Tclte
string they hauled a heavier .string
over, and so on, until they got a string
heavy enough to haul a rope over, and
then the rope pulled the first wire cable
across."
Dick, who held the hdnor of being the
best kite-flyer, hurried home . and re
turned with, his biggest kite; but
though he flew it with all his skill. It
wa Impossible to get the kite over the
gorge. "Whichever way tho wind blew,
there was an eddy over tho rapids that
drove the kite back every time. The
engineers were unwilling to give up,
and they encouraged Dick to Tceep it
up for a whole day. But then they had
to confess that the kite plan would not
work, and they sat down to figure out
some, other plan.
"We are sorry,"- they said Anally to
tho town authorities, "but we aro
afraid tha,t the only way to erect the
brlJge will be to dam the river up
near Its mouth and make a false chan
nel for it, so that we can work In the
gorge: but this will cos a great deal
of money more than the bridge it
self." That night at supper Dick's father
said that he was much worried. "The
town needs the bridge very badly. In
deed," said he, "and we all lose a
great deal of time and money because
we have none. But the building of
that dam is going to cost more than
$50,000. and that means that wc will
have to increase taxes heavily and
keep them up for a good many years
to come. The town council Is to meet
tomorrow, and I hardly know what to
ay to them. It seems too bad that
we should have to spend 550,000 Just
because we can't get a line across tho
gorge."
The next morning Dick went Ash
ing for bass in the gorge. About Itlm
lay the steel for the bridge, but there
was no workmen and everything lay In
apparently hopeless inaction. Dick
climbed out on a rock where the cur
rent swirled green and hungry, and
cast his minnow Into the whirl.
The bass did not blt'o. and gradually
he allowed his line to run out farther
and farther Into the current Suddenly
as they called out, all the canoes went
paddling that way. They were not yet
across the river when Will said:
"Now is our chance! Help me to pull
the canoe through the limbs and we will
paddle down stream as fast as we can."
They made the lisht canoe fairly fly
along until they had gone a good five
miles and their arms ached. Then they
slowed up a Httlo and the girl asked:
"What do you suppose the Indians on
the other side found to make them call
out and fire two or three rifles?"
"In searching under the trees they may
have found a panther," replied Will.
"The beast may have even jumped down
into a canoe and attacked the paddlers.
It was something like that or they would
not have raised such an alarm. But for
that we should be captives In their vil
lage by now."
"Are we to keep on all night?"
"No. We will go about Ave miles fur
ther and then land on the other shore.
You can get a few hours sleep while I
keep watch, and when morning comes I
wilt kill some game and we will make
a breakfast."
An hour later, as they paddled leisure
ly along the shore, they came upon a
Dick Spencer's Lucky Idea
"HE TLEY IT WITH
he noticed that after it had gone about
a "hundred feet, an eddy, would seize
the bait and pull It straight toward a
rock that showed above the worst part
of the rapids in the very middle of the
river.
He tried it again and again. Then
he reeled In hurriedly and ran home.
Soon he was back again In the gorge
with a long reel of braided line and
a great piece of wood, to which ho
had affixed a score of old fishhooks. He
threw It Into the current and played
the line out swiftly until" the wood
lodged against the rock In the middle
of the rapids.
The he made his end of the line fast
to a tree ffnd scrambled up the cliffs
and hurried around to the ford three
miles above. He camo down to the
rapids again opposite to where he had
been standing. Here he tossed cut
another piece of wood similar to the
flrst and let It run with the current.
After repeating Jt half, a dozen times,
a swlri took It against the very rock
where the flrst piece of wood lay
Iodged; and by clever manipulation of
his line he succeeded at last in floating
Fat Ghosts in
"I
KNOW a real true ghost story
about this house," said Uncle Jim
to Amy and Dora, as they passed a very
pretty house standing some distance from
the road.
"Tell us, tell us," cried both the' children
as they sat down among the fragrant
leaves at uncle's feet.
"Well, a family once lived In that nice
house only a short time before they were
sure that they heard strange-noises In
a chamber which they seldom used. One
said It sounded like a person walking
back and forth as it he had some great
trouble and could not sleeo. Another said
It was like the sound of one person fol
lowing another In the dark ready to spring
on him and kill him. A third was sure
that she heard a scuffle as if a robber
had made a leap on his victim. But In
the morning when they went up to the
room there was not a thing to show that
any person, had been there.
"Didn't they go up In the night and
look?" asked Amy.
"No, they moved out. But the second
family that heard the strange noises
went up In the night. They heard a
Aund like someone hurrying out of the
room. But when the door of the cham
ber was flung open there was no human
being In sight. That seemed very strange
to them, as the noises which they had
heard were quite distinct. Well, that
family also moved out In haste.
"Then a 'third family moved Into the
good-sized creek entering the river. Up
this they paddled for half a mile, and
when tho water grew too shallow to float
them the canoe was tied to the bank
Sadie was so tired and hungry that she
was asleep in Ave minutes. Y"i -ks
more rugged, and he tlso felt that It
was for him to keep watch ri-nd se that
no danger came to her. He never closed
his eyes throughout the night, though ev
erything was quiet and he had reason r
hope that the Indians had given up tho
chase.
He was in the woods as soon as dav
had fairly come, and he had scarcely
looked around him when he saw a fat
turkey roosting on a limb and brought
her" down.
Then he made a small fire and had
some of the meat cooked when Sadie woke
up. When they came to talk about go.ng
on Will said:
"I have been thinking It over, and r be
lieve It Is safest to hide here during the
day and start out after dark. There are
probably other Indian villages on t ,e
river, and If we are seep, passing we shall
be pursued."
It was settled that they make no mv
during that day. The canoe was hau'ed
out of the creek and concealed in the
brush, and the children slept much during
the day. When it had come dark th-y
dropped down the creek to the river an:l
resumed their journey.
Twice during the night they passed vil
lages and Indian dogs barked at them,
but no canoes put out. It was Just at
daylight, and when they were looking
for a place to hide for the day, that ttcy
came upon a raft floating down tha
stream, and on the raft were five white
men.
They called out to the canoe as scon
as seeing- It. and a few minutes mra
Will and his sister were among frlenis
It was timber the men were rafting, and
Grand Rapids was only 20 miles aw
Tho newspapers had told that the chil
dren had been lost from the sugar bush
Everybody was pretty certain that fit
Indian Sam knew all about it. and EO mei
had turned out and hunted for him fir
a week, without success. Will and Sad!-
therefore got a very warm welcome wrn
they reached Grand Rapids, and they
were such objects of curiosity that ecr
one had to seo them and shake ha-. .3
with them.
They were a hundred miles from K -.-
and in those days there were no r.V
roads In thaf part of Michigan. A hT
they had remained in Grand Rapids a
week they were placed In charge of mi'Z
riders and stage coach drivers and te in
sters. and after five days they rcic 4
their own village and home, to b talk
about and pointed out for many yt vs
after.
This is the end of my story, and If j
have been Interested in following I '
may write you a still better one s .1
day.
, (THE END.)
A IX HI3 SKILL.
the two together, so that their man."
hooks became interlocked.
Then he secured the ond of the Una
to a tree, just as he had secured t a
first lien on the other bank, and ther
was the solution of the problem tntt
had baffled the engineers!
When he hurried to the briiii
builders and told them what he !.
succeeded In doing, they lost no ti r.e
in fastening a heavy cord to the 1 I-'
and this was pulled across withoj
mishap. Then another cord was pull 1
across and this In turn pulled a Hg'-t
rope through the rapids. Before evealr
the engineers had pulled the first wire
cable across and with this stretched
over the gorge It was easy enough to
carry others back and forth and tJ
begin the work of building the bridge.
They gave Dick a handsome present
and the two gave him $100. But better
than that was the fact that the chie?
engineer offered him a position, ad
today Dick Spencer la, building bridges
in the Northwest where he often has to
use his ingenuity In overcoming prob
lems as simple and yet as difficult as
that of the gorge In his native town.
Hatinted House
house." continued Uncle Jim. "and the
neighbors told them about the ghost.
But they only laughed. As soon as they
heard the noise in the chamber they
listened a3 hard as they could. And
they did not think that It sounded llko
a man who couldn't sleep, or like a chain
trailing on the floor, or like anything
the others had told about. And the more,
they listened the more they agreed.
"So the very next night Mr. AInsl-e
took the pistol and hid in the room as
soon as dark. Hi3 wife was listening be
low. "As soon as the strange nolso came
she heard her husband take some quick
steps to the corner of the room, and then
laugh: "Come up with a light and see
tho ghosts.
."She laughed merrily, too, when she
opened the chamber door. There In the
middle of the room were two fat wood
chucks, who seemed vastly surprised at
their situation.
"Mr. Ainslle stood before a large pic
ture which leaned against one corner of
the room. It was found that behind this
was the hole by which the 'ghosts' had
crawled Into the room. They had climbed
up a large tree and gnawed a hole
through the cornice of the house, and
had had merry times playing ghost."
"How people must have laughed," said
the children.
"Indeed they did," said uncle. "And
these two last onces were glad that they
had agreed 'In their Ideas, and they ars
living there" now."