Daily Short Stories - Mystery & Suspense

An Unbidden Guest - W Bob Holland

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Duration:: 9m
Broadcast on:: 26 Jun 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

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Are you feeling lucky? No purchase necessary. BGW gradboyed were prohibited by law. 18-plus terms and conditions apply. An Unbidden Guest by W. Bob Holland. My cousins, Kate and Tom Howard, married at Trinity, at Easter time, concluded to commence housekeeping by taking one of those delightfully expensive, furnished, unfinished cottages, with which the fashionable watering place of W. Abounds. From those rear windows one might almost take a plunge into the surf, the beach being at the back door. They went down quite early in May, being in a great hurry to try their domestic experiment. And, as the evenings were still cold, they spent them about the open fire, spooning. It was upon one of these nights, about eleven o'clock, that they were startled by a noise, as of some small object falling, soon followed by the sound of heavy footsteps, and then quiet reigned again supreme. At once, Tom, poker in hand, boldly started in search of the burglar, followed by Kate, wildly clutching his coattails, in a state of trimmer. They looked upstairs, under the various beds, Kate's suggesting that in novels they were always to be found there. The dining-room was next explored, where all seemed well, and, lastly, the kitchen, where they found what was evidently a solution of the mystery. The burglar had entered by the back door, which was found to be unlocked in slightly a jar. The first excitement subsiding, they returned again to the dining-room, where Tom, upon closer inspection, then discovered that one of a pair of quaint little pepper-pots, wedding gifts, was missing, and other small articles on the sideboard had been slightly disturbed. The next morning, when Kate mildly remonstrated with the queen of the kitchen for her carelessness, she received a shock by being told that it was her usual custom to leave the door open, so that it could be azy, convenient Loki for the milkmaid. They parted with her, and a new maid was engaged, whose chief qualification for the place was that she was most faithful in the discharge of her duties, especially in locking up. While they mourned the loss of the pepper-pot, it still seemed so trifling, when they thought of that lovely reposee salad bowl sent by Aunt Julia, which stood nearby, that nothing was said of the loss outside of the family, and the little household settled into its normal state once more of billing and cooing. About a fortnight later, Tom started out one night with an old fisherman, one of the natives, and a local character, to indulge in that delightful pastime, so dear to the heart of man, known as Ealing, and, as the night was dark, the eels were particularly sporty, so that it was well on toward the way small hours, when Tom, at last, returned to the cottage. He found all excitement within, Kate was in hysterics, and the new maid also weeping, was industriously applying the campher-bottle to her mistress's nose. The burglar, or ghost, as they had now decided, the windows and doors being found to be securely locked this time, had been abroad again, and had succeeded in pollinating nothing. His royal ghost-chip had amused himself, apparently, by simply walking about. "Oh, Tom, he had on such heavy boots, and was so dreadfully bold about it," said Kate, tearfully. From that time, Kate became nervous and refused to be left alone. Tom started whenever the door creaked, and the treasure departed hurriedly, saying, "Faith, the house is haunted, sure!" After that, Kate spent her days in girl hunting, and her nights in answering shadowy advertisements that never materialized. They tried Irish, English, Dutch, and the heathen Chinese, with a sprinkling of colored ladies to bury the monotony. They seemed about to become famous throughout the length and breadth of the land, as the family that changed his help once a week, when they landed treasure number two. Shortly after her advent, we were all asked down to W to help celebrate their happiness, and, incidentally, to christen the new dining set. We were not a little surprised to find Kate so pale, and Tom rather distraught. However, after a delightful dinner that should have filled with pleasure the most exacting bride, we adjourned to the Piazza, leaving the men to the contemplation of their cigars. We were enthusiastic in our praise of the house, and congratulated Kate in securing such a prize, when, to our horror, she burst into tears and said, "Oh, girls, it's a dreadful place, it's haunted!" And then tearfully proceeded with the details, until we all felt creepy, and suggested the parlor and lights. It was not long afterward that Kate discovered that Tom had also related the ghost story to the man, that evening, to which Ned Harris had said laconically, "Rats!" And Bob Shaw laughingly remarked, "Tom, old chap, you really shouldn't take your nightcap so strong!" About the first of July the climax came. The ghost walked again, this time taking not only the remaining pepper pot, but also a silver salt cellar. Evidently he had a penchant for small articles, but unlike former times, everything on the sideboard was in the greatest disorder. Aunt Julia's salad bowl was found on the floor, and not far away the cheese dish, with its contents scattered about. This time one of the windows was found half open. A week later a note came to me from Kate, saying that she and Tom had gone to Saratoga to spend the remainder of the season with her mother. The following spring Tom received a note and parcel from Mr. B, the owner of the house at W, which read as follows. "Dear Mr. Howard, I send you by express three articles of silver, which my wife suggests may belong to you, as they are marked with your initials, namely two silver pepper pots and a salt cellar. They were found the other day during the process of spring house cleaning in a rat hole behind the sideboard. I forgot to have the holes stopped up last spring or to caution you against the water rats. The great fellows will get in, you know. Kind regards to Mrs. Howard. Yours truly John B." The next season the ghost club was organized, the badge being a small silver rat, bearing proudly aloft a tiny pepper pot. We thoughtfully offered Tom the presidency, but he declined with offended dignity, from the effects of which I think he will never fully recover. The End of The Unbidden Ghost by W. Bob Holland "Okay, you can do this." "I know, I know, Carvanna makes it so convenient to sell your car. It's just hard to let go. My car and I have been through so much together." "But look, you already have a great offer from Carvanna. That was fast." "Well, I know my lessons played in my heart, and those questions were easy." "You're almost there. Now to just accept the offer and schedule a pickup or drop off." "How'd you do it? How were you so strong in letting go of your car?" "Well, I already made up my mind, and Carvanna's so easy." "Yeah, true. And sold." "Go to Carvanna.com to sell your car the convenient way." "Judy was boring." "Hello." Then, Judy discovered Chumba Casino.com. "It's my little escape." Now Judy's the life of the party. "Oh baby, mama's bringing home the bacon." 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