he was born, and Lord Napier himself said--"

"Look here, do you know what you are talking about?" we asked him
at this point.

He said "No," but he knew it was every word of it true, because his
aunt had seen it herself. Whereupon we covered him over with the
tablecloth, and he went to sleep.

And then Uncle told us a story.

Uncle said his was a real story.



THE GHOST OF THE BLUE CHAMBER
(My Uncle's Story)



"I don't want to make you fellows nervous," began my uncle in a
peculiarly impressive, not to say blood-curdling, tone of voice,
"and if you would rather that I did not mention it, I won't; but,
as a matter of fact, this very house, in which we are now sitting,
is haunted."

"You don't say that!" exclaimed Mr. Coombes.

"What's the use of your saying I don't say it when I have just said
it?" retorted my uncle somewhat pettishly. "You do talk so