The Room with the Tassels - Carolyn Wells страница 3.

They do have some over here, Landon asserted. I read of one recently, and Ive heard of others.

Lets find one, suggested Eve, and spend our summer vacation in it! Wouldnt that be a lark?

Oh, do! exclaimed Vernie. Id just love it! May I go, Uncle Gifford? Oh, please let me.

Only if I go myself, child. The spooks,  I beg their pardon, phantasms, might carry you off. Ill have to go along to rescue you.

Phantasms dont carry people off, said Eve, contemptuously. And though Id like to consider this plan, Id only do so, if we were all in earnest as investigators, whatever our opinions may be.

Come on, lets go, said Landon. I think it a great little old scheme. Make up a party, you know, but every one who joins must promise to be earnest and honest. Must promise to do nothing to fool or mislead the others, but keep a fair and open mind for any developments. Of course, there wont be any developments, but we can have a jolly time and we can have wild discussions.

Wynne would rather have a discussion than eat, said his wife. Ill go, and Ill be the housekeeper and chaperon of the crowd, if, as Wynne says, therell be no developments. Id love the outing, and I think this a splendid party to belong to. And lets take Norma Cameron. Shes a sensitive, or whatever you call it, and shell help you out, Eve.

Why make the party any larger? asked Eve, a little petulantly. The crowd here now seems just right and congenial and all that.

Why lug in Norma? said Braye, smiling. I dont know said Norma, but I agree with Eve that the party here is just sort of complete.

Yes, I will take Norma. The poor child never gets an outing, and shed just love this chance.

You talk as if we were going to a summer resort, said Landon. In the first place, Milly, I doubt if we can find a properly haunted house in a pleasant locality, that is for rent.

Of course we cant, declared Mr. Bruce. The whole scheme is idiotic. But if you can work it out, Landon, Ill go along, and take this little piece of property. He looked smilingly at the eager-eyed Vernie. Shes due for some fun after her school work, and if she likes this stunt, lets try to put it over.

How would you set out to find a house? asked Braye.

Advertise, said Landon, promptly. I know a firm of real estate agents, that Ill bet could manage it in short order. Say we try it?

Im going to take Norma, insisted Milly. Maynt I, Wynne?

Take anything or anybody you wish, my cherished one. But then, oughtnt we to have another man?

Yes, said Milly, decidedly. I hate a bunch of hens, without plenty of menfolks about. Who knows a nice, good-natured, all round adaptable dinner man?

I know just the chap, said Braye, but hes a minister. Or, at least, he used to be. But hes an awfully good fellow, and most agreeable parlour company.

Whats his name? asked Landon.

Tracy. I met him first in Chicago, some years ago, and Ive always liked him.

All right, if Milly asks Norma, you ask your friend, but its a case of first catch your house!

Its got to be a nice house, and fairly comfortable, Milly stipulated, or I wont go.

Its got to have a well-authenticated ghost, or I wont go, laughed Braye. I dont believe in the things, but Id like to have a chance to hear their clanking chains, or whatever they perform on.

Ill go just for the fun of the thing, said Vernie, and if we do catch a ghost, so much the better!

CHAPTER II

The Old Montgomery Place

At the Fisher and Hibbard Real Estate and Country House Agency, Wynne Landon had a spirited interview with their Mr. Fisher, and finally induced that somewhat unwilling gentleman to advertise for a haunted house.

Its a purely business matter, Landon argued, and if youre any sort of a live agency you ought to do your best to get for your clients any such peculiar domiciles as they may desire.

I understand that, patiently explained Mr. Fisher, but its such a crazy thing to do. How would a dignified firm like ours look advertising for a house warranted haunted?

Dont use your own firm name, then. Have answers sent to a fictitious address. Oh, you can manage it, Fisher. I dont mean you can surely get one, but you can manage to try. And if the house is pleasant and attractive, it doesnt matter, between you and me, if there isnt any ghost, after all. But I want a bona fide story. I mean, I dont want a house that the owner pretends is haunted, just so he can rent it. It must be a well-known legend or ghost story connected with the place.

There are plenty of such, and Fisher laughed. Ive struck them occasionally, and because of that well-authenticated story, known to all the neighbours, I couldnt rent them. To have one asked for is a new experience here.

Well, Ive told you the whole state of the case. You see why we want it, and though the ghost part is the primary factor with some of us, my wife and I care more about a pleasant setting for a months house party.

Landons personality went far toward gaining his end, and Mr. Fisher promised to do what he could. As a lawyer of fine standing, and a man of ample means, Wynne Landon was a desirable man to please, and the order was taken.

And when, a few weeks later, word came that a possible opportunity had offered, Landon telephoned for Braye to go with him, and they went to investigate it at once.

Its this way, said Mr. Fisher to the listening men. Theres a big house up in Vermont,  in the Green Mountain region, not so very far from Manchester. But its a lonely locality, quite high up, and near a lake.

Sounds fine so far, commented Landon; go on.

A man named Stebbins is the owner. I havent seen him, but heres his letter. Read it, youll get the idea better than I can tell you. So they read:

Fisher and Hibbard:

Dear sirs:

Ive got a house, and it sure is haunted. Its up here in the mountains, and its a good house, and a big one, but in some disrepair. Leastways, things is old-fashioned, and not, as you may say, up to date. But nothing ornery. All high-toned and proper, only old and somewhat wore out. Its the old Montgomery mansion, built along about 1700 and something. But its been added to since, and its a sort of mixed up architecture. About forty rooms into it, I should judge, though I aint never counted them. And most of them haunted. But they aint no use going into particulars unless somebody really wants to rent it. Ive tried nineteen years, and nobodyll take it, cause its so lonesome like. Its called Black Aspens, mostly I guess, cause the thick groves of aspen trees all around look black at night, and Lord knows its a fit place for ghosts. Anyway its haunted and I can swear to that. But the story of the haunt I wont set down until I hear from you again. But you can take my affydavy its a real haunt and theres a real reason for it.

Sounds good to me; what do you think, Rudolph? said Landon.

All right, if its genuine. Some of us ought to go up there and size it up before the whole crowd goes. Think so?

Yes, unless we can get a photograph, or some sort of a plan of the place. And, you know, Braye, I dont care such a lot about a ghost, if we can get a good intelligent crowd of people together. Thats the only sort of vacation I care for. I wouldnt give a picayune for a month in a big summer hotel, or a little summer boarding-house, where you may meet good talkers and you may not. But with Eve Carnforth and Norma Cameron and the Professor and, pardon the bouquet, you, I foresee some good old chin-chins. And, add to this, picturesque, even wild mountain scenery, I somehow think were in for a good time.