West Fairmont High School - Maple Leaves Yearbook (Fairmont, WV)

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lLZ. 's'FFfT-'f' H p6lPL6LGflUE5i ' T eel The Cbreen 251325 nf Slqarklefnrh Uahin By GRACE Boooiass, Freshman j'Pff't w,EE, I'm glad Ric came to New London, Tom said happily. So am I, declared Weldon. Uv 'le' fl If he hadn't we couldn't have this cabin for a club house. Here comes beans: I wish Ric would hurry up a little, I'm getting tired ' 'x'S ' of Waiting. I guess you'll hang around for a while yet. Ric was a lad of about eighteen, and had come to New London recently. He had helped a group of boys to persuade their parents to let them use the old Shackleford cabin for a club house. The day before our story opens the boys had gained their parents' consent, and had worked some about the cabin to get it in order for their use. Ric had the key, so when the boys came early they had to wait until he came. Finally when he appeared in the distance all the boys were there. He came up to the garden path whistling cheerfully, and as he neared the boys. he said: Promptness is a good thing-sometimes. Well you sure took your good old time coming, grumbled Beans. Ric unlocked the door and stepped inside, paused and then gave a low ex- clamation of surprise. The boys pushed up against him, but the doorway was so small that they couIdn't see around him. What is the matter? demanded Hal, who was the farthest away. Ric stepped aside: the other boys could see inside, and they, too, stopped in surprise. Everything that they had so carefully put in place the night be- fore had been piled neatly in the middle of the floor. Well, I suppose we might as well get to work and clean this place up, Ric said after a pause. The boys set to work and put the articles in their original places. Later, when everything was in order, they held a council of war and decided to stay in the cabin the next night. The meeting then adjourned until evening, but some of the boys were doubtful as to whether it would be all right to leave the cabin or not. The boys left the cabin and went slowly down the path to their homes. All day long a pair of green eyes had watched the boys as they worked, as they had also watched the day before. Beside the green eyes was a pair of brown ones that had watched with a frown, which remained for some time after the boys had left. The boys returned to the cabin just at dusk, when the crickets were be- ginning to chirp and the frogs to croak down by the stream. Later they built a fire in the ire-place, as it was rather cool in the evening. Tell me about 'Old Man Shacklefordf said Ric to Tob. Well, about five years ago a man named 'Shackleford' came to New Lon- don and took a room at the hotel. He stayed there for some time studying flowers that he gathered in the woods. Finally, he bought this cabin, so it was known as 'Shackleford Cabin.' He gathered flowers and planted them in his garden. Pretty soon he had a very nice place, and people came to see it and to visit him. for nearly everyone liked him. One morning some folks called upon him and found him dead. No one ever knew why he was killed. It was thought that he had some money, but not enough for anyone to kill him. He loved his garden so much that some folks say on moonlight nights Page 8.4 I

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V,,yJ,,, l .nur ' ll I -W metettmves will The following day Pam took her Aunt America into her confidence, saying: Aunty, don't you think Mr. Ashly is divine? Miss America was conscious of a slightly increased tempo of her heart-beat, but she answered in a condescending tone: He's a very nice young man. But to herself she was saying: Divine? That is too mild to put it. He is a veritable Apollo. Pam continued: It is so mysterious about his seeming so familiar to us all. I wonder who he is, really. That evening a slight fog arose and the passengers of the Lancaster as- sembled on the lower deck. They were sitting in groups discussing politics, stock markets, scandal and clothes. Pam had already grown bored with such talk, and Mr. Ashly wasn't there anyway. He could have held one spellbound talking about the weather. She slipped quietly away and ascended to the upper deck. and, seeing the familiar ligure of William Ashly, Jr., she gave a melodramatic sneeze, which sounded real to listening ears. William came and escorted her to a steamer chair. After a few moments, he concluded that Pam's scarf was too thin for com- fort, and he calmly placed his arm around her shoulders. Pam, could youL? No, Mr. Ashly, I could not! She stated this in her most haughty air. No, I could not. Considering the mystery around you-well, it is hardly to be expected! Before William could say one word Aunt America came upon the scene with Belle and Martha. He hastily made a place for the ladies to sit, and after a few moments, went below. A stiff and awkward silence ensued. At last, Aunt America spoke in calm. subdued tones: Captain Trexler says we shall land before tomorrow evening. The ladies took this calmly enough: Pam sighed, bit her lip, and said: I'm glad. It's been such a long, tiresome voyage. At least one lady present thought: How can the child tell such falsehoods? With a few more words they went to their respective cabins. The next day everyone on board was in a hurry preparing to land. Pam did not see Mr. Ashly again until they had come in sight of land. It was a queer meeting. Mr. Ashly seemed nonplussed: Pam was plainly embarrassed. They spoke, but it was a formal, rather curt salutation. Ten seconds and it was over. Miss America, who was standing beside Pamela, greeted him with a more friendly word and then he had gone, Suddenly a man in uniform said: All off. and so they passed out of sight of Mr. Ashly. The four ladies went back to their home and appeared to forget the voyage. One day Pam went to the post-office for any letters there might be for her. There was only a magazine. This she took home and slowly scanned the pages. At last she saw a picture, an advertisement, Mr. Ashly's face! When Miss America came in she found that she had fainted. When Pam became conscious, she whispered in her aunt's ear: He's the Arrow Collar Man. Page 83

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, ii' 1fZIi'14T-'- f u mcstcnvels Pill they have passed near the cabin and seen him in the garden moaning because it is in such bad shape. I don't take much stock in their story myself. Some folks have tried to sleep here, but they have always left before dawn and re- fused to tell what they saw. I don't believe in ghosts myself. Well, I don't either, but let's get to bed. I'm sleepy, said Cy from a dark corner. It must be getting late: we had better turn in, said Ric, and the boys made a dash for their blankets. They rolled up in them, and after a while fell asleep. Along in the wee, small hours of the night Beans began to have bad dreams. Two bright objects appeared in the distance and began to move slowly toward him. On and one they came slowly, but steadily. At last, when they were very close, Beans tried to run, but he was held fast: he could not move. Then the objects stopped, and after pausing a second, they disappeared. Beans rubbed his eyes. Gee, he muttered, I must have been dreaming, and a bad dream at that. That supper I ate sure did have the wrong effect. I don't suppose I'll go back to sleep for a while, so I'll get up. He left his place on the bed and went to the window that over-looked the garden. The moon should be full tonight, and he laughed, but I don't see him. Oh, there he is behind a cloud. He was looking at the sky when he heard a low wailing moan, which seemed to come from the garden. He strangled, gasping frantically for breath as his heart leaped up into his throat and he attempted to swallow it. He leaned near the window and peered into the darkness. As he watched, the moon came near the edge of the cloud and a white figure became visible in the middle of the garden. Old Man Shackleford's Ghost! he gasped and glanced toward his sleeping companions. As he did so he saw two green objects glaring at him from the doorway that led into the kitchen. The moon came out from behind the cloud en- tirely, and he turned his attention to the ghost in the garden. The ghost seemed frightened: Hnally it turned and fled to the shadow of the cabin. That instant it paused in the moonlight was enough for Beans. Hum, he mused, thoughtfully, Now I wonder! He turned and saw that the green eyes had disappeared, so he went to Ric and shook him gently. When he got Ric awake, he said: We have a visitor: let's entertain. Don't make any noise and let's get the other fellows up to see the fun. I've got an idea and I'1l wager it's a good one, too. The other boys were awakened and they all went to the door. Beans divided them into two parts. You go around the cabin to the right and I'll go to the left. Don't let anyone get past you and look carefully in the shadow of the cabin. I say, don't let anyone get past you, were his orders. Anyone, the boys echoed in surprise. Yes, anyone. Now hurry, and the boys opened the door and slipped out quietly. All was very quiet for a while, and suddenly a shout was heard from the group of boys led by Beans. I've got him! someone yelled. Come on around here the rest of you, we've got him, called Beans. The other boys came running. They dragged a white-clad figure from the shadow of the cabin into the bright moonlight. That's him, yelled Beans, now hold onto him while I Page 85