na Ye uNY emia tin GHOST Rite ey lights out and played ‘hide and:seek’. Inthe dark, 1 touched a hand, avery cold POICEN a se Tene nee een ee CU Pee UMUC crore tie ae eee nn Who it was, Slowly the others found us, hid with us, until Daou coer aCe non eats Cac nia aoe iam ores Tete COCs acco Te ane eT a match to see LaWeeriaea rey ni eae one ane re eS See croc ety sera Cocca aera nics Ha cee er Er ac lr ce on cates ee OXFORD ii 0=19"425066-X ee IU) Cierny (ate AH PTR Ce DTD} rsa an pC) OEN oer OA UOC - ne HOS TORIE RETOLD B) arsJennyluu.net Jennyluu.net OXFORD CONTENTS Smee 1 A.M. Berna The Judge's Hose 6 Bram Stoker The Stranger in the Mist % AN Mtimnby The Comic EF. Be »n of Charles Linkworth 4 The Ghost Coach “0 Amelia B, Bebwards Fulleirele 73 Jobn Buclan Lossan 7 ACHVT Fins: Before Reading 0 ACTIVITIES: While Reading o1 Coiviiis: MterReading, 94 HORT BROKE 101Smee N: said Jackson with a shy little smile, ‘Pm sorry. 1 won't play hide and seek. It was Christmas Eve, and there were fourteen of us in the house. We had had a good dinner, and we were all in the mood for fun and games — all, that is, except Jackson. When somebody suggested hide and seek, there were loud shouts of agreement. Jackson’s refusal was the only one, Ie was not like Jackson to refuse to play a game. “Aren't you feeling well?” someone asked, Pim perfectly all right, thank you,” he said. "But,’ he added with a smile that softened his refusal but did not change it, ny still not playing hide and seek.” ‘Why not?" someone asked. He hesitated for a moment before replying. “I sometimes go and stay at a house where a tir! was killed. She was playing hide and seek in the dark She didn’t know the house very well. There was a door that Ted to the servants’ stairease. When she was chased, she thought the door led to.a bedroom. She opened the door and jumped ~ and landed at the bottom of the stairs. She broke her neck, of course, all looked serious. Mes Fernley said, ‘How terrible! And were you there when it happened? Jackson shook his head sadly. "No," he said, “but 1 was there when something else happened. Something, worse.” ‘Whar could be worse than that?DEO Jennyluu.net Ghost Stories “This was,’ said Jackson. He hesitated for a moment, then he said, ‘I wonder if any of you have ever played a game called “Smee”. It's nnuch beiter than hide and seek. The name comes from “I's me”, of course. Pethaps you'd like to play it instead of hide and seck. Let me tell you the rules of the game. ‘Every player is given a sheet of paper. All the shects except one are blank, On the last sheet of paper is writ “Smee”. Nobody knows who “Smee” is except “Smee” himself ~ oF herself, You tum out the fights, and “Smee” ‘goes quietly out of the room and hides. After a time the others go off to search for “Smee” — but of course they don’t know who they are looking for, When one player meets another he challenges him by saying, “Smee”. ‘The other player answers “Smee”, and they continue searching, ut the real “Smee” dossn’t answer when someone challenges. The second player stays quietly beside him. Presently they will be discovered by a third player. He will challenge and receive no answer, and he will join the first two. This goes on until all the players are in the same place. ‘The last one to find “Smee” has to pay a forfeit. I's a good, using game, In a big house it often takes a long. time for everyone 10 find “Sree”. Perhaps you'd like to tey FL happily pay my forfeit and sit here by the fire while you play.” ‘It sounds a good game,’ I -emarked. ‘Have you played it too, Jackson?” *Yes," he answered. ‘I played it in the house that 1 was telling you about. ‘And she was there? The gitl who broke — 2 No, no,’ said someone else. “He told us he wasn’t there when she broke her neck.” Jackson thought for a moment, “I don't know if she was there or not. I'm afraid she was. I know that there were thirteen of us playing the game, and there were only twelve people in the house. And | didn’t know the dead gitl’s name. When I heared) that wh worry me. But [tell you, Pm never going to play that kind of pered name in the dark, it didn't game again. It made me quite nervous for a long time, | prefer to pay my forfeit at once! at all led We all stared at him. His words did not make sens Tim Vouce was the kindest man in the world, He at us all “This sounds like an interesting story,’ he said. ‘Come on, Jackson, you can tell it to us instead of paying a forfeit ‘Very well, said Jackson. And here is his story. 2 I | ave you met the Sangstons? They are cousins of mine, and they live in Surrey. Five years ago they invited me to go and spend Christmas with them Tras an old house, with lots of unnecessary passages and 1 could get lost in it quite easily staircases. A strany Well, I went down for that Christmas, Violet Sangston promised me that [ knew most of the other guests Unfortunately, T cowldn’t get away from my job anti Christmas Eve. All the other guests had arrived there theJennyluu.net host Stories previous day. I was the last to arrive, and I was only just in 1d Violet Sangston introduced me to the people I didn’t know, Then it time for dinner. I said ‘Hullo’ to ever fone I knew was time to go in to dinner. That is perhaps why I didn’t hear the name of a tall, dark- haired handsome gitt whom I hadn't met before. Everyone her a hurry and Iam ah ays bad at catching people’s names. She looked cold and clever. She disln’t look at all friendly, but she looked interesting, and | wondered who she was. I didn’t ask, because I was sttre that someone would speak to her by name dui the meal. Unluckily, however, I was a long way from her at cable, [was sitting, next to Mes Gorman, and as ustial Mrs Gorman was being very bright and amusing, Her conversation is always worth listening to, and I completely forgot to ask the name of the dark, proud girl There were twelve of us, including the Sangstons them: selves. We were all young — or trying to he young, Jack and Violet Sangston were the oldest, and their seventeen-year old son Reggie was the youngest. It was Reggie who suggested ‘Smee’ when the talk turned to games. He told us the rules of the game, just as Fve described them to you Jack Sangston warned us all. “Ifyou are going to play games in the dark,” he said, ‘please be careful of the back stairs on the first floor. A door leads to them, and I've often thought about taking the door off. In the dark a stranger to the house could think they were walking nto a room. A girl really did break her neck on those stairs.” Tasked how it happened. “In was about ten years ago, before we came here. There Jennyluu.net was 2 party and they were playing hide and seck. This piel away looking for somewhere to hide. She heard somebody coming, and ran along the passage to get away. She opened the door, thinking it led to @ bedroom. She planned to hide in there until the secker had gone. Unfortunately: it was the door that led 10 the hack staits, She fell straight down to the hottom of the stairs. She was dead when they picked her up.” We all promised to be careful, Mrs Gorman even made a little joke about living to be ninety. You s known the poor girl, and we did not want to feel sad on {none of us had Christmas Eve. Well, we all started the game immediately after dis Young Reg lights were off, except the ones in the servants’ rooms and in Sangston went round making sure all the the sitting-room where we were. We then prepared twelve and one of them sheets of paper. Eleven of them were bla had ‘Smee written on it. Reggie mixed them all up, then we each took one, The person who got the paper with ‘Smee’ on it had to hide, Hooked at mine and saw that it was blank. A moment later, all the electric lights went ont. In the darkness 1s very quietly to the door After a minute somebody blew a whistle, and we all rushed to the door. Lhad no idea who was ‘Smee’, For five or ten minutes we were all rushing up and down passages and in and out of rooms, challenging each other and answering, ‘Smee? ~ Smee! After a while, the noise died down, and 1 guessed that someone had found ‘Smee’. Mfter a time I found a group of people all sitting on some narrow stairs. [ challenged, and received no answer. So ‘Smee’ was there, [ hurriedly joinedGhost Stores We were all mshing up and down passages and in and ont of rooms the group. Presently two more players arrived. Each one was hurrying to avoid being last. Jack Sangston was last, and was given a forfeit “Tthink we're all here now, aren't we?” he remarked. He lira match, looked up the staircase and began to count. - Nine, ten, eleven, twelve, drrteeny he said, and then laughed, ‘That's silly — there’s one too many!” The match went out, and he lit another and began to count. He got as far as twelve, then he looked puzzled. “There are thirte people here!” he said. ‘I haven't counted myself ye “Ob, nonsense!” | laughed. ‘You probably began with yourself, and now you want to count yourself twice. His son took out his electric torch. It gave a better light nd we all beg: were twelve of us. Jack laughed. “Well,” he said, “Iwas sure 1 than the matches, to count. Of course there counted thirteen twice: From half way up the stairs Violet Sangston spoke nervously. ‘I thought there was somebody sitting two steps above me. Have you moved, Captain Ranse The captain said that he hadn't. ‘But I thought there was somebody sitting between Mrs Sangston and me.” Just for a moment there was an uncomfortable something in the air. A cold finger seemed to touch us all. For that moment we all felt that some g odd and unpleasant had just happened — and was likely to happen again. Then we wghed at ourselves, and at each other, and we felt normal again. There were only twelve of us, and that was that. Sull laugh again, we marched back w the sitting-reom to beginJennyluu.net Ghost Stories Te time I was ‘Smee’, Violet Sangston found me while | was searching for a hiding-olace. That game didn't last long. Soon there were twelve pecple and the game was over. Violet felt cold, and wanted her jacket, Her husband went "up to their bedroom to fetch it. As soon as he'd gone, Reggie touched me on the arm, He was looking pale and sick {Quick he whispered, ‘I've got to talk to you. Something horrible has happened.” We went into the breakfast-room. ‘What's the matter?" I asked ‘don’t know. You were “Sme last time, weren't you? Well, of course I didn’t know who “Smee” was, While Mother and the others ran to the west side of the house and found you, 1 went east. There’s a deep clothes cupboard in iny bedroom. It looked likke a good hiding-place. | thought that pethaps “Smee” might be there. L opened the door in the dark~and touched somebody's hand. “Smee?” I whispered There was no answer. I thought Md found “Smee” “Well, I don’t understand it, but | suddenly had cold feeling. 1 astrange, n't describe it, but I felt that something was wrong. So I turned on my clecttic torch and there was nobody there. Now, | am sure I touched a hand. And nobody could get out of the cupboard, because 1 was standing in the doorway, What do you think?” You imagined that you touched a hand,’ I said He pa short laugh. ‘I knew you would say that,’ he Smee said. ‘OF course 1 in ned! it, That's the only explanation, Fagreed with him. | could see that he still felt shaken. Together we returned to the sitting-room for another game of « again. mee’, The others were all ready and waiting to start Pp ‘haps it was my imagination (although Fim almost su that it was not). But [had a feeling that nobody was feally enjoying the game any more. But everyone was too polite to mention it. All the same, I had the feeling that something was wrong, All the fun had gone out of the Something deep inside me was trying to warn me. ‘Take care,’ it whispered. “Take care’, There was some unnatural, unhealthy influence at work in the house. Why did I have this feeling? Because Jack Sangston had counted thirteen People instead of twelve? Because his son imagined he hhad touched someone’s hand in an empty cu to laugh at myself, but I did not succeed. Well, we started again, While we were all chasing the But it scemed fo me that most of us were just acting. We were no longer enjoying the game, At first I stayed with the others. But for several minutes no ‘Smee’ was found. I left the main group and started searching on the first floor at the west side of the house. And there, while I was fecling my way along, | bumpes board? L tried unknown ‘Smee we were all as noisy as es into a pair of human knees,Jennyluu.net Ghost Stovies Tpur out my hand and touched a soft, heavy curtain. ‘Then F knew where I was. There were tall, deep windows with window-seats at the end of the passage. The curtains reached to the ground. Somebody was sitting ina corner of ‘one of the window ats, behind a curtain, ‘Aha!’ I thought, ‘I've caught “Smee”! So I pulled the curtain to one side ~ and touched a woman's arm. Ik was a dark, moonless night outside. I couldn't see the woman sitting in the corner a’ the window-seat. “Smee?” I whispered, There was no answer. When ‘Smee’ is challenged, he — or she ~ does not answer. So I sat dawn beside her to wait for the others. Then I whispered, What's your name?" And out of the darkness beside me the whisper came: “Brenda Ford’, I not know the name, but I guessed at once who she was. 1 knew eve in the house by name except one. And that was the tall, pale, dark girl. So here she was sitting beside me on the window-seat, shut in between a heavy curtain and a window. L was beginning to enjoy the game, 1 wondered if she was enjoying it too. L whispered one or two rather ordinary questions to her, and received no answer 4 me of silence. 't is a rule of the game that Smee’ and the person or persons who have found “Smee? have to keep quiet. This, of course, makes it harder for the others to find them. But there was nobody else about. f 10 Jennyluu.net Smee wondered, therefore, why she was in sting on silence. T spoke again and gor_ne answer. F hegan to feel a little annoyed. ‘Perhaps she is one of those cold, clever girls who have a poor opinion of all men,’ Uthought. ‘She doesn’t like ime, and she is using the rules of the game as an excuse for not speaking. Well, if she doesn’t ike sitting here with me, 1 peaking, certainly don’t want to sit with her!” Lurned away from her. ‘Lhope someone finds us soon," I thought. As sat there, | realized that I disliked sitting beside this girl very much indeed. ‘That was strange. The girl [had seen at dinner had seemed likeable in a cold kind of way. | noticed her and wanted to know more about her. But now felt really nmcomfortable beside her. The feeling of something wrong, something unnatural, was growing. | remembered touching her arm, and I trembled with horror. L wanted to jump ap and run away. I prayed that someone else would come along soon, Just then | heard lig on the other side of the curtain brushed against my knees. The curtain moved to one side, and a woman's hand footsteps in the passage. Somebody touched my shoulder. ‘Smee? whispered a voice that T recognized at once. It was Mrs Gorman. Of course she received no answer. She came and sat down beside me, and at once T felt very much better. I's Tony Jackson, isn’ in? she whispered Yes," I whispered back “You're not “Smee”, are you?® “No, she’s on my other side.” She reached out across me. Uheard her fingee-nails scratch a womans silk dress. “Hullo, “Smee How are yon? Who TEC ST RTEJennyluu.net Ghost Stories The feeling of something werong, someting winatural, was growing. Since are you? Oh, is it against the rules to talk? Never mind, Tony, we'll break the rules. Do you know, Tony, this game is beginning to annoy mea little, | hope they aren't going to play it all evening. Cd like to play a nice quict game, all together heside a warm fire.” Me too’ [agreed ‘Can't you suggest something to them? There's something rather unhealthy about this particular game, Pm sure Pm being very silly, But I can’t get rid of the idea that we've got an extta player... somebody who ought not to be here at al. That was exactly how L felt, but | didn’r say so. However, I felt very much better. Mrs Gorman’s arrival had chased away my fears. We sat talking, “L wonder when the others will find us?" said Mrs Gorman, Mot a time we heard the sound of fect, and young Reggie's voice shouting, ‘Hullo, hullof Is anybody there? *Yes,' I answered, Is Mrs Gorman with you?™ “Yes.” ‘What happened to you? You've both got forfeits. We've all been waiting for you for hours.” “But you haven't found “Sav T complained mee” this time: you mean. [was But “Smee” is here with ust” eried, “Yes. ed Mrs Gorman, n was pulled back and we sat looking into the gie’s electric torch. Llooked at Mrs Gorman, and then om my other side. Between me and the wall was an empty place on the window-seat. Lstood up at once, Then fJennyluu.net Ghost stories sat down again. I was feeling very sick and the world seemed to be going round and round. “There was somebody there,’ Linsisted, ‘because I touched her.” ‘So did 1, said Mrs Gorman, in a trembling voice. ‘And f don't think anyone could leave this window knowing, Reggie gave a shaky little laugh. 1 remember unpleasant experience earlier tat evening. ‘Somcon without us ed his “s been playing jokes,’ he said. ‘Are you coming down?* 6 WX J were not very popular when we came down to the sitting-room, ‘I found the two of them sitting behind a curtain, on a window-seat,’ said Re went up to the tall, dark girl “So you pretended to be “Smee”, and then went away!" | accused her. She shook her head. Afterwards we all played cards in the sitting-room, and Twas very glad. Some time later, Jack Sangston wanted to talk to me, 1 could see that he was rather cress with me, nd soon he told me the reason, ‘Tony,’ he said, ‘I suppose you are in love with Mrs Gorman, That's your to her in my hou waiting. It was very rude of you, and I'm ashamed of you. ness, but please don’t make love c, during a game. You kept everyone Jennyluu.net Smee “Tut we were not alone!” I protested. “There was somebody else there ~ somebody who was pretending to be “Smee”. 1 believe it was that tall, dark girl, Miss Ford. She whispered her name to me, Of course, she refused to admit it afterwards.” Jack Sangston stared at me, ‘Miss who?" he breathed. Brenda Ford, she said.” Jack pata hand on my shoulder. ‘Look here, Tony,’ he said, I don’t mind a joke, bur enough is enough. We don't want to worty the ladies. Brenda Ford is the name of the girl who broke her neck on the stairs. She was playing hide and seck here tem years ago.Jennyluu.net The Judge’s House I was April and John Moore was studying for an important examination. As the date of the exam came nearer, he decided to go somewhere and read by himself. He did nor want the amu auties of the countryside, He decided to find a quiet, ordinary little ements of the seaside, or the b town and work there undisturbed, He packed his suitcases with clothes and books. Then 1 looked in a. railway timetable fora town that he did not know. He found one, and bought ticket to go there. He did not tell anyone where he was going. After all, he did not want to be disturbed. That is how Moore arrived at Benchurch, It was a market town, and once a week it was quite busy fora few hours. The rest of the time it was a very quiet, sleepy little place Moore spent his first night at the only hotel in the town. The landlady was very kind and helpful, but the hotel was not really quiet enough for him. ‘The second day he started looking for a house to rent. There was only one place that he liked. It was more than quiet — it was deserted and very onely. It was a big, old seventeenth-cemury house. It had tiny windows Ike a prison, and a high brick wall all round it. It would be hard (© imagine a more unwelcoming. p ace. Bur it suited Moore perfectly, He went to find the local lawyer, who was responsible for the house 16 Jennyluu.net The Judge's House Mr Carford, the lawyer, was very happy to tent the house to him. ‘Td be glad to let you have it free,’ he said, “just to have somebody living in it again after all these years. I's been empty so long that people have spread a lot of foolish stories about it. You'll be able to prove that the stories are wrong,” Moore did not think it was necessary 10 ask the lawyer for more details of the ‘foolish stories’. He paid his rent, and Mr Carnford gave him the name of an old servant to look after him. He came away from the lawyer's office with the keys of the house in his pocket, He then went to Mrs Wood, the landlady of the hotel ‘I'm renting a house for a few weeks,’ he said. ‘Can you advise me about shopping, please? What do you think I shall need?” “Where are you going to stay, sir?" the landlady asked Moore told her She threw up her hands in horror. ‘Not the Judge's House!” she said, and she grew pale as she spoke He asked her to tell him more about the house. Why is it called the Judge’s House? he said, ‘and why doesn't anyone want to live in it? 2 We sir,’ she said, ‘a long time ago ~ no, I don't know how long — a judge lived there. He was a hard, cruel judge, sir —a real hanging judge. He showed no mercy to anyone, Bur as for the house itself = well, I can'tJennyluu.net Ghose Stories say, I've often asked, but nobody could tell me for certain. She found it hard to explain. The general fe was that there was something strange about the Judge's gin the town House. *As for me, sit,’ she sa ay there alone, not for all the money in the ba Then she apologized to Moore. ‘I'm sorry to worry you, sir, really Tam. But if you were my son IT wouldn't let you stay there one night on your own. I'd go there myself and pull the big alarm bell that’s on the roaf?” Moore was grateful for hee kindness and her anxiety ‘How good of you to be so anxious about me, Mrs Wood!” he said. ‘But there's really no need to worry. Um studying for an important examination and 1 have no time for horrors or mysteries.” The landlady kindly promised to do his shopping for him Moore then went to see the old servant whom Mr Carnford m, Her name was Mrs Dempster, and she seemed pleasant and eager to please her new master When he returned with her to the Judge’s House two hours later, he found Mrs Wood waiting outside it. She had several people with her — men and boys carrying, parcels, and another two men with a bed. “But there are beds in the house!” cried Moore in surprise And nobody's slept in them fcr fifty years or more! No, sir, I won't let you risk your life in an old, damp bed. had recommended to The landlady was obviously curious to see the inside of the house. At the same time she was clearly afraid. At the smallest noise she held nervously 70 Moore's arm. Together they explored the whole house. After his exploration, Moore decided to live in the dining-room. It was big enough The Judge's Honse for both working and steeping. Mrs Wood and Mes Dempster began to arrange everything, Soon the baskets were unpacked. Moore saw that kind Mrs Wood had brought many good things from her own kitchen, Before she left she turned to Moore and said, “Ido hope you will be all right, sit. But I must say ~ [ couldn't sleep here, with all those ghosts!" When she left, Mrs Dempster laughed. ‘Ghosts! she said “Ghosts! There ave no ghosts! There are rats and insects, and doors that need oiling. There are windows that blow open in the wind, ... Look at the old oak walls of this room, sr. They are old — hundreds of years old! Don't you think there'll be rats and insects behind the wood? You'll see plenty of rats here, sir, hut you won't see any ghosts — "in sure of that, Now you go and have a nice walk, sit. And when you come back, Il have this room all ready for you She kept her promise. When Moore returned he found the room clean and neat. A fire was burning in the ancient fireplace. She had lit the lamp and put his supper ready on ‘Good night, sir,’ she said. “I have to go now and get my husband's supper. I'l see you in the morning, said Moore to himself as he ate Mrs nt food. When he had finished his supper. This is wonderh Dempster’s exeell he pushed the dishes to the other end of the table, He put more wood on the fire and began to study 19 2 REPO TRJennyluu.net Ghat Stories Mx worked without stopping until about cleven ovclock. Then he put some more wood on the fire. He also made a pot of tea. He was enjoying, himself very much, The fire was burning brightly. The firclight danced on the old oak walls and threw strange shadows around the room, His tea tasted excellent, and there was nobody to disturb him. Then for the first time he noticed how much aking. ‘Were they making all this noise while I was studying?" he thought. ‘No, t don’t think they were, Perhaps they were af they are cunning about as usual.” id of me at first. Now chey have become braver, and How busy they were! And what a lot of noise they made! Up and down they rushed, behind the old oak walls, over the ceiling and under the floor. Moore remembered Mrs Dempster’s words: ‘You'll see plenty of rats, but you won't see any ghosts.” ‘Well, hae said with a smile, ‘she was right about the rats, anyway!” He picked up the lamp and looked around the room. “How strange," he said to himself. ‘Why doesn’t anybody want to live in this beautiful old house?" The oak walls were very beautiful. There were some old pictures on the walls, but they were covered with dust and dirt and he could not see them clearly. Here and there he saw small holes in d the walls. From time to time the curious face of a rat at him, Then with a scratch and a squeak, it was gone, ‘The thing that interested him most, however, was the Jennyluu.net The Judge's Howse rope of the great alarm bell on the roof, The repe hung, down in a comer of the room on the right-hand side of the fireplace. He found a huge, high-backed oak chair and pulled it up beside the fire. There he sat and drank his last cup of tea, Then he put more wood on the fire and sat down atthe table again with his books. For a time the rats disturbed him with their scratching and squeaking, But he got used to the noise, and soon he forgot everything except his work Suddenly he looked up. Something had disturbed him, but he did not know what it was. He sat up and listened, The room was silent. That was it! The noise of the rats had stopped. “That's what disturbed me! said Moore with a smile, He looked around the room ~ and saw an enormous, rat, It was sitting on the great high-backed chair by the fire, and it was staring at him with hate in its small red eyes. Moore picked up a book and pretended to throw it, But the rar did not move. It showed its great white teeth angeily, and its cruel eyes shone mercilessly in the kamplight. “Why, you —" eried Moore. He picked up the poker from the fireplace and jumped up. Refore he could hit the rat, however, it jumped to the floor with a squeak. It ran up the rope of the alarm bell and disappeared in the darkness, Strangely, the squeaks and scratches of the rats in the walls began again, By this time Moore no longer felt like working, Outside soon it would be morning, the house the birds were sing He climbed into bed and immediately fell asleep.