A, Voice From
DI(. DONALD BKATTY was ev
er Inch a scientist. He was
a physician and no one who
knew him would nay that he had a
groin of superstition or gullibility in
his makeup. So keenly analytical and
logical was he in temperament that he
was intellectually "hard boiled." that
is, imperturble, amenable to reason
and indisputable to evidence, but nev
er to emotionalism of claptrap logic.
And still Dr. Beatty told a ghost
story! And more than that, affirmed
1t to be true actually true claiming
that he positively saw the (host and
heard the voice of the dead.
To say that the two intimate ac
quaintances of his who heard him nar
rate the tale, were astounded and
could hardly believe their ears, is to
tate the case mildly. For a moment
they even questioned the man's sanity,
until they had beard the doctor
through and felt the influence of his
strong personality In his vivid tellinr;
MRS. WENTWORTH had moved
Into a new apartment on
Lowell avenue. It was In a
fashionable part of the city. The apart
ment was up to date, with all modern
improvements and yet, what Whs
there about It that did not suit Mrs.
Wentworth's artistic taste?
"I'm going to have some changes
here," she said to her neighbor in the
suite below.
,"But you don't know Mr. Bunker,"
retorted the other. "You won't get a
thing done, I promise you that; none
of us can. I've, been trying myself for
the past five years to have him do a
few little things for me and haven't
got a thing yet. He's the most idngy
man I know of; won't put out a cent
If he can possibly help it."
"Well, we'll sec," Mrs. Wentworth
replied with her ususl hopefulness.
Mr. Bunker was the landlord, own
er of a large automobile factory. Mrs.
Wentworth thought she did know a
little about him, for she had been so
Talking Was Easier Bv Joeiia Johnson ,
jU . ' ill 0,
TH..'Ki.'U you again, I remain,
etc.." finished fr. Long. "That
-4s all Miss Parsons. Try to
finish thm before five."
"Very well, Mr. Long." Margery' Par
sons, picking up her note" book and
pencil, stepped to the outer office. She
set to work and soon her fingers were
flying over the typewriter keys. As
she started the last letter, she glanced
at the clock. Only twenty minutes of
five! A whole half hour left in which
to give her desk a much needed clean
ing. Just then a tall young soldier
entered.
"Is Mr. Lone in?" he Inquired.
"Yes," replied Margery, "but he is
engaged now. He will be able to see
you in about twenty ' minutes. Will
MRS. MARTIN looked upon her
new roomer wfth suspicion.
John Howard had come to
her the day before and rented an up
stairs room. He seemed to be peace
ful and law-abiding, but still there
was something about him the could
not tell just what that she didn't
like.
It may have been the man's se
cretiveness and an air which he al
ways bore of repressed emotion and
self-consciousness. Too, she had no
ticed that he never entered the house
and ascended the stairs to his room
without taking at least one look be
hind him as Cjugh he feared that be
was being followed.
There was a myBtery about the
man's coming to Edgewood, to this
Somewhat out of the way city suburb,
ifrs. Martin didn't usually rent rooms,
but she had felt the stress of the high
eost of living, being a widow, and had
inserted an ad. in the paper stating
that she had one front room that she
ould rent. She had hoped that a
"oman of domestic habits and com
panionable disposition would answer
the ad., but instead the first applicant
proved to be John Homard. a little
man. middle aged, with a tense, anxi
ous face. He was very desirous to get
the room, and finally offered Mrs
Martin DO cents more a week than she
had charged. Under the stress of the
man's imiortunings she had rented
him the room and accepted a week's
rent
of n, story. He spake as an eye wit
ness, and such evidence la invariably
convlnclrg.
Late one summer evening the doctor
was sitting on the broad veranda of
his home with two acquaintances of
his, one a lawyer and the other a
druggist.
In the course of conversation some
thing was said about the possibility of
the soul's survival after death, and the
druggist observed that it is strange
how a scientific man like Sir Oliver
Lodge can believe not only in "life
after death," but In spirits and
ghosts."
"It on.lv proves that man is just as
instinctively superstitious as he is re
ligions," commented the lawyer. -
"I used to think that way myself."
observed Dr. Beatty, "and always
claimed that spiritism is unmitigated
nonsense, until "
The druggist and the lawyer were
evidently interested, and not at all
frightened by his looks when she wen'
to engage the apartment that she ha
hardly dared speak aloud, though sh.
was usually afraid of nothing.
Yet this brave little woman was not
daunted by her neighbor's report. She
knew just what she wanted to make
the house what It ought to be and she
meant to hare 1L Very sweetly and
humbly Mrs. Wentworth sought Mr.
Bunker: "Perhaps you haven't no
ticed, Mr. Bunker," she began, with
one of her most fascinating smiles,
"but the paper is falling off from the
living-room walls. It must have rain
ed in sometime; and the celling Is
stained and cracked. Don't you really
think something ought to be done?"
"Why. yes, yes! Surely!" assented
Mr. Bunker hurriedly. "It must be put
in order, of course-. I meant to have
it done before. Ill send a man round
to see about it at once. Pick out the
paper you want."
Overjoyed. Mrs. WeaVvorth picked
out the prettiest paper she could find
you leave a message or wait?"
"Thank you, I'll wait," he answered,
taking a chair near the window.
Margerywent on with the letter,
keeping one eye on the clock. It was
just quarter of five when she finished,
so there was plenty of time. She pull
ed out the top drawer and started In.
"It didn't take you long to do that,
did it?" volunteered the soldier. "I
wish I could typewrite." he went on.
"It's really very simple," she ex
plained. "AH one needs is. practice. '
"That's the way it is with" most
things."
Suddenly the door opened. "I'm very
sorry, Miss Parsons." the head book
keeper said as he entered, "but Miss
MacDonald has gone home ill, so will
"I will be right up with the trunk,"
he said.
And true to his word he arrived an
hour later with three men. He had
one large suitcase and a big, heavy
trunk. Mrs. Martin noticed that the
men handled It with the greatest care
as though it contained china, glass
ware, or perhaps eggs!
And now, on the morning after her
roomer's arrival, when Mrs. Martin
went upstairs to make up the bed and
do a little dusting, she found .-her
roomer there comfortably ensconsed
in the big chair by the window, smok
ing a pipe and reading the morning
paper with that same anxious face
that had Impressed her the day before.
She went about her work; made up
the bed, and then started to sweep a
little. She felt Howard's eye follow
ing her, her every move, and she was
nervous.
"B a little careful lady." be finally
ventured, "when you're a'handlin'
that trunk! It's er too heavy to
to move anyhow!"
Mrs. Martin stopped her sweeping
and looked straight into the man's
face. She saw that same tense, intro
spective expression written upon it.
"What have you got in that trunk,
Mr. Howard?" she asked with a forced
smile.
' H-m. that's a woman's curiosity !"
the man said with a tinge of sarcasm.
and added, "I don't want nobody tam
per! n' with far things Inhere" and
that trunk well, -hat's to be left
the Timber f 6y Parke Whitney
prepared tor ihe story that ss to
follow.
"Until what doctor!" exclaimed
the druggist.
"Until I actually saw the ghost!" re
plied the' ' physician, re-lightlug his
cigar. "It was really the most thrill
ing, the most mysterious and uncanny
experience of my life! It revolution
tied my thinking, it utterly demolish
ed my materialistic philosophy which
fell like a bouse of cards! It made
me as credulous In considering ques
tions of the psychic and occult as pre
viously I had been Incredulous and a
disbeliever in the supernatural!
"It all happened .back in the '90s
when I had an out-door sanitarium for
consumptives in Texas. First, let me
tell you the arrangement of my tent
colony. At the west extreme was our
public dining room and next to it the
tent which my wife and myself occu
pied. Directly back of the dining
room was a thick growth ' of timber.
and the most expensive. Of course it
was expensive. Didn't sire know a hat
was needed to make the room attrac
tive and to set off her furniture, and
her landlord did not even speak of the
price!
When Mr. Hunker came around to
see the progress of the work pretty
Mrs. Wentworth stood in her front
hall,' with its background of dark
green paper the dreadful kind that
fills, one with thoughts of sea-sickness
and everything gloomy and makes the
whole world look dark and dreary.
"Oh, Mr. Bunker!" she cried in a
pleading voice, yet with the cbecrftll
spirit that was usual 'to her, and thafl
made her so attractive, "don't you see
how dull this hall Is with this dreadful
green paper that makes the whole
you please stamp and seal these let
ters?" He placed two large piles on
her desk.
"Certainly, Mr. Davis," answered
Margery, smothering a sigh as she
glanced over the littered desk.
The young man, interpreting her
troubled lodk. crossed the room to her
desk, saying. "If you like, I'll fix the
letters, while you go on with your
desk.''
Margery looked up, polite refusal on
her lips, but the kindly brown" eyes
above her changed the words.
"Why, yes, she exclafmed. "I'd love
to have you help, but I couldn't think
of your doing it all. M'e both can do
It. I'll seal and you put on the
stamps ."
strictly alone!' Mrs. Martin thought
that she detected a foreign accent to
the man's voice.
The man arose and put on his hat
and coat. "I shall have a good many
callers." he observed, "and if anybody
comes for me tell 'em I'll be back at
3 o'clock. " And John Howard left his
room and the house.
Mrs. Martin gazed at the trunk. It
was a much battered and weather
beaten affair, and showed marks of
European travel. Examining the out
side cautiously she determined that it
was of European manufacture. It was
padlocked and strapped. She didn't
touch it or attempt to Hft It frankly
she was afraid to. There was some
thing mysterious about it and uncan
ny . Tbe mystery surrounding her room
er troubled the woman greatly. His
ways were strange, and his habits, so
Irregular, caused her to speculate end
lessly. He had never told her his
busiuess, and his anxious solicitude
for the safe keeping of the big trunk
only Increased her uneasiness.
Mrs. Martin soon disepvered that
her roomer was invariably In his room
b
f Tha
At the other end of our camp were the
rows of tents for our patients, some
little removed.
"Among my patients was a fellow,
about 30. by the name of Dick Car
son. Carson was In the last stages of
the T. B.s and I knew that he could
not possibly live long. He slept in the
last tent in the row. at the extreme
east. -
"As is often the case with this par
ticular disease Dick seemed to be
feeling unusually well at supper time
on the evening of which I am glng
to tell you.
"That night, as was always my cus
tom, I made the rounds of the tents
with my lantern at a little after 9 to
see that everything was right. I
looked Into, Carson's tent and I no
ticed that he was sitting on his cot and
was doubled over in the act of unlac
ing his shoes, but his arms h'ung limp.
Entering I soon learned the truth,
that Carson was dead. I placed him on
The Proper Tact
place look dark. Ho can I fix. any
thing pretty here? How much more
artistic pearl gray would be! It would
set off my things and be just lovely."
"Well, go ahead and have it done. "
he returned with a half grin, as ho
passed out of the door.
The hall was papered in artistic
gTay. but that was not the end. After
the papering was finished Mrs. Went
worth thought she would like to have
the back porch fixed up; it would make
such a beautiful place to sit in the
morning, if only she could have Did
she dare ask for anything more? Yes,
she did; and she got it. and many oth
er things, a little laer.
"Go ahead and have it done." Mr.
Bunker assented when she told him
how much prettier it would look to
All right, that suits me."
Without further ado, he helped her
push the contents of the drawer to one
side, and they started In. When about
half done, the pile of envelopes at the
soldier's Jeft began to totter. He ac
cidentally gave, a quick Jerk and the
pile fell, taking with it a number of
articles which Margery had taken from
the drawer.
"Oh! I'm so Borry," he apologized. as
he stooped to pick them up. Among
them lay a photograph of a young
man. He caught it up with' an ex
clamation. "Pardon me for Inquiring," he said,
"butjs this Alec Parsons? It looks
very much like him. he and I were
buddies at camp." - ,,
"Msaasas
t Trunk of Mystery
when she entered to do the chamber
work. She noted that he never watch
ed her only when she was near the
trunk, and then his eyes were rivetsd
iipon her.
One morning she - ventured to re
mark. "Mr. Howard, why arc you so
afraid that 1 shall open the trunk? Do
you think that I would deliberately "
"Not at all. Mrs. Martin," tbe man
interrupted with a shrug of the shoul-J-?r.
"But I warn you--lf you want to
live don't monkey with that trunk!"
Mrs. Martin felt the cold chills
coursing through her body. She didn't
like to admit it to herself, but she was
frightened. For the moment things
looked blue before her, and she hasti
ly excused herself from the room and
hastened downstairs to the private
precincts of her own room.
She faced the situation honestly and
frankly. Something was m-rong rad
ically wrong That Is, something was
wronglth this man Howard. She
knew it. She was sure of it. What
he was or what he might be she could
only speculate, but she was convinced
that John Howard was an undesirable
man to have In her house. She re
his cot. covered him with a sheet, and
continued on ivy rounds, I said noth
ing to anyone', not even to my wtfe
when I retired. ' i
"I hadn't been sleeping long when
both my wife and myself were sud
denly awakened by a voice, shrill and
distinct, coming from the direction of
the woods. 'Doctor! Doctor!' the
voice said.
"'Why, it's Carson!' exclaimed my
wife. And the voice was surely Car
son's! Slipping1 on my clothes and
lighting my lantern hurriedly I start
ed out to investigate.
"Just as I reached my tent opening.
George Donaldson, another patient of
mine, appeared as if out of the earth,
half drcssvd, and said. 'Doctor, did
you hear Carson calling? His volco
came from the direction of Ihe tim
ber, I thought. Could It be that he's
lost out there''
"Just then we both looked Instinc
tively toward the timber. Again we
have the porch finished In gray In
stead of the dingy red brick. It, was
done In gray and the celling sheathed.
She set out her jardieneres of potted
plants, her little work table, with her
knitting bag and basket. She arranged
small tables for afternoon tea. with
tiuy cups and cut Dowers. Then she
invited her neighbors.
"Isn't it Just lovely!" they erled,
"Pearl gray! How djd you get it
done? I never should have dared to
ask for anything so elaborate, or, In
deed, for anything," they confessed.
"Did Mr. Bunker really do all this for
you?' '
"Why, yes." she smiled; "I just ask
ed him. antl he had It done. He said
himself it was much prettier; and lie
simply adores the paper I had put on
"Why, yes. that's my brother Alec."
exclaimed Margery. "Then you must
vbe .the Alan Morton we've heard so
much about. Are you?"
He nodded.
"Mother got a letter just the other
day. saying that you, had come North.
Alec said he'd try to get in touch with
you to have you come here, so we
could meet you. Could you go out to
Overdale this evening? Mother always
wants to meet Alec's friends."
"Well," laughed Morton, "the rea
son I came to see Mr. Long was be
cause dad told me to look him up so
I'd have something to do this evening.
He and dad were chums long ago. I'd
like to meet Alec's folks," he contin
ued. "I've heard a great deal about
I r- ; I
solved what she would do. she would
return to his room and politely give
him a notice to vacate.
She started up the stair.- excited and
nervous. Suddenly the door bell rang.
She noticed that Howard wan already
in the hall. He bad evidently started
at the first sound of the bell, like a
hunted animal. As she looked at blm
tor an Instant she felt that he was
ready to spring, to tesr her into
pieces. ,
Mrs. Martin opened the front door.
A police seTgeant and two officers
faced her.
"Does a Mr. Howard er Anthony
BUkovsky live her?"
"Why, a Mr. John Howard has a
rocm here." answered the frightened
woman.
The sergeant smiled. 'I thought
so." he said. "Kindly admit us, lady.
He's the man we're looking for."
The officers strode past the aston
ished woman and rushed upstairs.
Howard bad already made a dash
down the back way leading Into the
kitchen, bnt was met there by officers
asrd promptly subdued and captured.
Mrs. Martin stood as-ft ill as though
heard the voice calling, 'Doctor! Doc
tor!' And it came unmistakably from
out of the darkness of the woods. I
must confess that by this time I was
conscious of possessing a nervous sys
tem If never before In my life. The
cold sweat stood out on my forehead,
and I felt chills racing through no
body. I couldn't speak. My vocal
chords were paralyzed.
" 'Doctor.' suggested Donaldson.
'Carson must have been out of bis
head tonight and wandered off into
the woods. W must go get him!'
"I tried to speak, but made a poor
stsb at it.
"'My God! There he is!' suddenly
exclaimed Donaldson. "He hasn't
even his coat on! He's in his night
shirt! And he's got a lantern!'
"Stumbling out of my tent I looked
in the direction that Donaldson was
pointing, and, as sure as I am sitting
here tontght, I saw what he saw! A,
white form carrying a dimly lighted
lantern was picking his way through
the underbrush! Now he was In plain
sight, though of course we couldn't
see his face, and the next instant he
was lest to view behind the trees, the
light of his lantern glimmering
through he foliage.
"'Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!' reiter
atedjjlhe voice, each time a little faint -
By
the ball and living roomwalls; and
he says he is sure I never could have
got along without that hot water
heater for the bathroom."
"You got all that!" they exclaimed
In astonishment. "How did you ever
dare ask?"
"Well, you see. I just asked; and it
didn't seem so very hard after I'd once
made a beginning. It seemed to come
kind of natural after the first, though
I did tremble a tiny bit then. I con-
fess."
But she wondered to herself how she
had managed to do It. when they all
thought It was so hard to get anything
out of him. Then one day Mr. rtunkJ
er himself enlightened her.
"Do you know how It was you got
so much out of me why t did so much
them, too."
By this time the pile of letters had
greatly , diminished. Margery, thanks
to Morton, did get the drawer fixed up,
to thy accompaniment of much conver
sation Because of their mutual
friend, the two felt like old acquaint
ances. Before 'She left the office, Mar
gery gave him directions for reaching
Overdale. Morton had decided to see
Mr. Long to deliver some message
but be promised tobe at the parson's
home before the evening ended.
Morton kept his promise, and before
he left received Margery's promise that
she'd answer his letters.
For a number of months the letters
flew thick and fast, until two young
soldiers in uniform for the last time,
alighted from the train at Overdale.
Then the letters stopped. Not because
the writer had become tired of them,
but Alan found that he couldn't say all
he wished to by letter. Also, it wss
much more satisfactory to talk than to
write.
Shortly after a wedding was solemn-
paralyzed for a few minutes, and' the,,
recovering ber composure went up
stairs to Howard's room.
"v'ht Is he? Who is he?" she
gasped. r
The sergeant stood bending over
the mysterious trunk which be had
just opened.
"This is what he Is," replied the offi
cer, handing the woman a document
which he had taken from a pile of pa
pers. "He Is an agent of the 'Reds' In
Russia, is a native Russian, and tha'
paper you have in your hands is a
commission from Lenlne and Trotzky!
This trunk has three bombs In it.
some nltro-glycerlne. and a pile of in
cendiary radical literature - hlch he
has been distributing to his confed
erates. He's an anarchist, and Uncle
Sam is collecting a bunch "of his
stripe Just now to deport to the old
country. Bilkovsky will be at home
in that crowd!"
"Wh? do they call Broadway 'The
Great White Way'?" asked the visitor.'
"Because," answered the New.York
ea, "the thoroughfare Is dedicated to
Ice cream soda and buttermilk."
r until It was so distant as to be only
an echo. The form also seemed to
gradually disappear from our vlsw.
"I stood there petrified. 'Why In
he'll don'-t we go after him, doer
Donaldson blurted out. 'He'll die out
there from exposure!'
"By this time I had sufficiently, re
covered my senses to be able to speak.
" 'Donaldson' I paid. 'Dick Carson
Is' dead! He died In Ms tent tonight
shc-tly after supper. I found blm
there on my rounds and covered him
with a sheet! Let's go to his tent.'
"It was now Donaldson's turn to be
frightened. 'My God!' he muttered,
'what are we seeln' and hearln' any
how? Is It Carson'B ghost?'
" 'You can call it what you will,' I
replied, 'but whatever it Is It's mighty
strange.'
"Together Donaldson and I went to
Carson's tent. We found Carson's
corpse Just as I bad left It a few
hours before. Not a fold of the sheet
had been stirred. Carson was surely
dead and his body was cold."
The doctor moved In his chair,
cougheil nervously, and shook the
ashes off his cigar. "Gentlemen," h
said, "whether there is a Mfe after
death or whetiior there Isn't that'
what I heard and saw you can take
It for what it's worth."
aia sfr mrm
Phil Moore
for you?" he asked. "It was because
you asked for things kind of gradually
and didn't pounce on me for them all
at once, as the others do. and demand
them as your right and act as If you
were going to tear mo to pieces If you
didn't get them. You went at It easy-
like, just as If you expected me to
want to do It; and I did, after I had
begun. You see. they came along kind
of naturally. When I saw how much
better the house wan looking I mad"
up ray mind that you had taste and
knew just what was needed to make
the place attractive; I thought It
would be the best policy to let you go
ahead and finish your work and have
what you llkyfd. Then, too." he added,
with a twinkle In his eye, "you have a
way of asking that one can't resist."
lxed at Overdale. with Alan, as best
la. After which Alan and Margery
bade good-by to the little town. With
their faces turned southward, they set
out to write together a lone letter in
the Book of Life.
0
LravW It to Him.
"I'm afraid your husband Is beyond
help." said the doctor to the wife. "I
can glvo no hope."
"Here you," came a voice from the
bed. "I haven't snuffed out yet "
"Keep quiet dearie," answered the
wife. "Leave It to the doctor; he
knows best,"
! 0 .
"What do those Boston barbers talk
about?"
"Oh, Henry James and bay rum, Ib
sen and hair tonic, Browning ami brll
liantlne, and so on."
0-
"Mrs. Mary McOlnnls," wrote the
woman.
' "Miss Ma.vtiie MscQfnaM" registered
ttJt daughter.
By Parke Whitney
What They Break In.
"Well. Jonesie, have you gotten in
your winter' s coal supply yet?"
"Oh. we burn only wood at our
house . . . have three small boys,
you understand." ,
-L .
To Ssre Trouble.
she i saw you. sir. with that hor
rid widow, and I shall send back your
presents at once.
He Don't de that send them to
tbe widow. ,
"Tom." began Everett True, "bow
do you feel toward ths Plumb plan?"
"Well, to tell the truth," replied Mr.
Duff, "while I like m canned and
preserved and In Jelly fairly well,
they taste best when just pulled off the
tree." '
-p
Power of Eloaaence.
Judge Are you positive the prison
er is the man who stole the horse?
Witness I was, your lordship, till
that lawyer cross examined me. Now
I am not sure that I didn't steal It
myself.
c
c