-full
bees.

There was nothing mysterious about the place that Sam described as
"ha'nted," except that it was entirely deserted.

Harry Sears reached out for a sandwich. "Tell us why this old house is
supposed to be inhabited by ghosts, Sam," he ordered.

CHAPTER X

A GHOST STORY

"It all happened such a long time ago I can't zactly call to mind the
whole story," confessed Sam. "But they was two brothers that owned this
here old place. They was in the war and fought side by side. Then they
lived here together, peaceful, for a long time. One of them was married
and the other wasn't, but it didn't seem to make no difference. All of a
sudden they fell out, and after a while one of the brothers died,
mysterious like. The live man went away from here and he hasn't been
heard of since. But they do say," Sam shivered and looked fearfully at
the dilapidated mansion, "that the murdered man still walks around this
here place at night. People even claim to see him in the daytime.
Sometimes he is by himself, and then again he brings a lady-ghost with
him, but there ain't nobody ever lived in this here house since them two
brothers fell out," Sam concluded, mightily pleased with the gruesome
impression that his tale had made on his hearers.

"I should think not," agreed Lillian Seldon hastily. "I don't like ghost
stories."

"I am sorry, Lillian, because I know a perfectly stunning one that is as
true as history," declared Harry Sears. "If we had time, and Lillian
didn't mind, I was going to tell it to you while we rested."

Madge put her arm around Lillian. "Do tell it, Harry," she begged. "I'll
protect Lillian from the 'ghosties.'"

The other young people clamored for the ghost story.

Harry looked serious. "My story isn't a joke," he announced. "It hasn't
a beginning or much of an end, like ordinary ghost stories, but it is
true. The people to whom the ghost appeared are great friends of my
mother and father. Somehow this deserted place here makes me think of
the one down on Cape Cod. That house was also uninhabited for years and
years, and no one knew exactly why, except that there were rumors that
the place was haunted. One day a Mr. Peabody, of Boston, an old friend
of ours, went down to Cape Cod to look for a home for the summer. The
ghost house was what he wanted, so he rented it and left orders for it
to be fixed up. He didn't know about the ghosts, though, and he wondered
why the real estate agent let h