Hearing　the　groans；　Wilberforce　Chaster　sat　up　in　bed　and　listened。　　Then　he　peered　around　in　the　darkness。
  〃Ha！　what　is　that？〃　he　gasped；　as　he　caught　sight　of　the　skulls。　　〃Am　I　dreamingor　is　thatOh！〃
  He　started　and　began　to　shake　from　head　to　foot；　for　directly　in　front　of　him　was　the　skeleton；　moving　up　and　down　in　a　jerky　fashion　and　glowing　with　a　dull　fire。　　His　hair　seemed　to　stand　on　end。　　He　dove　under　the　coverings　of　the　bed。
  〃The　room　is　haunted！〃　he　moaned。　　〃Was　ever　such　a　thing　seen　before！　This　is　wretched！　Whatever　shall　I　do？〃
  The　groans　continued；　and　presently　he　gave　another　look　from　under　the　bed　clothes。　The　skeleton　appeared　to　be　coming　nearer。　He　gave　a　loud　yell　of　anguish。
  〃Go　away！　Go　away！　Oh；　I　am　haunted　by　a　ghost！　This　is　awful！　I　cannot　stand　it！〃
  He　fairly　tumbled　out　of　bed　and　caught　up　his　clothing　in　a　heap。　　Then；　wrapped　in　some　comfortables；　he　burst　out　of　the　room　and　ran　down　the　hallway　like　a　person　possessed　of　the　evil　spirits。
  〃Come　be　quick；　or　we'll　get　caught！〃　whispered　Joe；　and　ran　into　the　room；　followed　by　the　bell　boy。　　In　a　trice　they　pulled　loose　the　strings　that　held　the　skulls　and　the　skeleton；　and　restored　the　things　to　the　doctor's　room　from　which　they　had　been　taken。　　Then　they　went　below　by　a　back　stairs。
  The　whole　hotel　was　in　an　alarm；　and　soon　Mr。　Mallison　came　upon　the　scene。
  〃What　is　the　meaning　of　this？〃　he　demanded；　severely；　of　Wilberforce　Chaster。
  〃The　meaning　is；　sir；　that　your　hotel　is　haunted；〃　was　the　answer；　which　startled　all　who　heard　it。
  CHAPTER　XII。
  THE　PARTICULARS　OF　A　SWINDLE。
  〃This　hotel　haunted？〃　gasped　the　proprietor。　　〃Sir；　you　are　mistaken。　　Such　a　thing　is　impossible。〃
  〃It　is　true；〃　insisted　Mr。　Wilberforce　Chaster。　　〃I　shall　not　stay　here　another　night。〃
  〃What　makes　you　think　it　is　haunted？〃
  〃There　is　a　ghost　in　my　room。〃
  〃Oh！〃　shrieked　a　maid　who　had　come　on　the　scene。　　〃A　ghost！　I　shall　not　stay　either！〃
  〃What　kind　of　a　ghost？〃　demanded　Andrew　Mallison。
  〃Aera　skeletonand　some　skulls！　I　saw　them　with　my　own　eyes；〃　went　on　the　victim。　　〃Come　and　see　them　for　yourself。〃
  〃This　is　nonsense；〃　said　the　hotel　proprietor。　〃I　will　go　and　convince　you　that　you　are　mistaken。〃
  He　led　the　way　and　half　a　dozen　followed；　including　Wilberforce　Chaster；　who　kept　well　to　the　rear。　　Just　as　the　party　reached　the　door　of　the　apartment　Joe　and　the　bell　boy　came　up。
  Without　hesitation　Andrew　Mallison　threw　open　the　door　of　the　room　and　looked　inside。　Of　course　he　saw　nothing　out　of　the　ordinary。
  〃Where　is　your　ghost？〃　he　demanded。　　〃I　see　nothing　of　it。〃
  〃Don'tdon't　you　seeera　skeleton？〃　demanded　the　man　who　had　been　victimized。
  〃I　do　not。〃
  Trembling　in　every　limb　Wilberforce　Chaster　came　forward　and　peered　into　the　room。
  〃Well？〃　demanded　the　hotel　proprietor；　after　a　pause。
  〃II　certainly　saw　them。〃
  〃Then　where　are　they　now？〃
  〃II　don't　know。〃
  By　this　time　others　were　crowding　into　the　apartment。　　All　gazed　around；　and　into　the　clothes　closet；　but　found　nothing　unusual。
  〃You　must　be　the　victim　of　some　hallucination；　sir；〃　said　the　hotel　proprietor；　severely。
  He　hated　to　have　anything　occur　which　might　give　his　establishment　a　bad　reputation。
  〃No；　sir；　I　saw　the　things　with　my　own　eyes。〃
  The　matter　was　talked　over　for　several　minutes　longer　and　then　the　hired　help　was　ordered　away。
  〃I　shall　not　stay　in　this　room；〃　insisted　Wilberforce　Chaster。
  〃You　need　not　remain　in　the　hotel；〃　answered　Andrew　Mallison；　quickly。　　〃You　can　leave　at　once。　　You　have　alarmed　the　whole　establishment　needlessly。〃
  Some　warm　words　followed；　and　the　upshot　of　the　matter　was　that　the　fussy　old　boarder　had　to　pack　his　things　and　seek　another　hotel　that　very　night。
  〃I　am　glad　to　get　rid　of　him；〃　said　the　hotel　proprietor；　after　Wilberforce　Chaster　had　departed。　　〃He　was　making　trouble　all　the　time。〃
  〃We　fixed　him；　didn't　we？〃　said　the　bell　boy　to　Joe。
  〃I　hope　it　teaches　him　a　lesson　to　be　more　considerate　in　the　future；〃　answered　our　hero。
  Several　days　passed　and　Joe　had　quite　a　few　parties　to　take　out　on　the　lake。　　The　season　was　now　drawing　to　a　close；　and　our　hero　began　to　wonder　what　he　had　best　do　when　boating　was　over。
  〃I　wonder　if　I　couldn't　strike　something　pretty　good　in　Philadelphia？〃　he　asked　himself。　The　idea　of　going　to　one　of　the　big　cities　appealed　to　him　strongly。
  One　afternoon；　on　coming　in　from　a　trip　across　the　lake；　Joe　found　Andrew　Mallison　in　conversation　with　Mr。　Maurice　Vane；　who　had　arrived　at　the　hotel　scarcely　an　hour　before。　The　city　man　was　evidently　both　excited　and　disappointed。
  〃Here　is　the　boy　now；〃　said　the　hotel　proprietor；　and　called　Joe　up。
  〃Well；　young　man；　I　guess　you　have　hit　the　truth；〃　were　Maurice　Vane's　first　words。
  〃About　those　other　fellows？〃　asked　our　hero；　quickly。
  〃That's　it。〃
  〃Did　they　swindle　you？〃
  〃They　did。〃
  〃By　selling　you　some　worthless　mining　stocks？〃
  〃Yes。　　If　you　will；　I'd　like　you　to　tell　me　all　you　can　about　those　two　men。〃
  〃I　will；〃　answered　Joe；　and　told　of　the　strange　meeting　at　the　old　lodge　and　of　what　had　followed。　　Maurice　Vane　drew　a　long　breath　and　shook　his　head　sadly。
  〃I　was　certainly　a　green　one；　to　be　taken　in　so　slyly；〃　said　he。
  〃How　did　they　happen　to　hear　of　you？〃　questioned　Joe；　curiously。
  〃I　answered　an　advertisement　in　the　daily　paper；〃　said　Maurice　Vane。　　〃Then　this　man；　Caven；　or　whatever　his　right　name　may　be；　came　to　me　and　said　he　had　a　certain　plan　for　making　a　good　deal　of　money。　　All　I　had　to　do　was　to　invest　a　certain　amount　and　inside　of　a　few　days　I　could　clear　fifteen　or　twenty　thousand　dollars。〃
  〃That　was　surely　a　nice　proposition；〃　said　Joe；　with　a　smile。
  〃I　agreed　to　go　into　the　scheme　if　it　was　all　plain　sailing　and　then　this　Caven　gave　me　some　of　the　details。　　He　said　there　was　a　demand　for　a　certain　kind　of　mining　shares。　　He　knew　an　old　miner　who　was　sick　and　who　was　willing　to　sell　the　shares　he　possessed　for　a　reasonable　sum　of　money。　　The　plan　was　to　buy　the　shares　and　then　sell　them　to　another　partya　brokerat　a　big　advance　in　price。〃
  〃That　was　simple　enough；〃　put　in　Andrew　Mallison。
  〃Caven　took　me　to　see　a　man　who　called　himself　a　broker。　　He　had　an　elegant　office　and　looked　prosperous。　　He　told　us　he　would　be　glad　to　buy　certain　mining　shares　at　a　certain　figure　if　he　could　get　them　in　the　near　future。　He　said　a　client　was　red…hot　after　the　shares。　　I　questioned　him　closely　and　he　appeared　to　be　a　truthful　man。　　He　said　some　folks　wanted　to　buy　out　the　mine　and　consolidate　it　with　another　mine　close　by。〃
  〃And　then　you　came　here　and　bought　the　stock　of　Malone？〃　queried　Joe。
  〃Yes。　　Caven　made　me　promise　to　give　him　half　the　profits　and　I　agreed。　　I　came　here；　and　as　you　know；　Malone；　or　Ball；　or　whatever　his　name　is；　pretended　to　be　very　sick　and　in　need　of　money。　　He　set　his　price；　and　I　came　back　with　the　cash　and　took　the　mining　stock。　　I　was　to　meet　Caven；　alias　Anderson；　the　next　day　and　go　to　the　broker　with　him；　but　Caven　did　not　appear。　　Then　I　grew　suspicious　and　went　to　see　the　broker　alone。　　The　man　was　gone　and　the　office　locked　up。　　After　that　I　asked　some　other　brokers　about　the　stock；　and　they　told　me　it　was　not　worth　five　cents　on　the　dollar。〃
  〃Isn't　there　any　such　mine　at　all？〃　asked　Joe。
  〃Oh；　yes；　there　is　such　a　mine；　but　it　was　abandoned　two　years　ago；　after　ten　thousand　dollars　had　been　sunk　in　it。　　They　said　it　paid　so　little　that　it　was　not　worth　considering。〃
  〃That　is　certainly　too　bad　for　you；〃　said　Joe。　　〃And　you　can't　find　any　trace　of　Caven　or　Malone？〃
  〃No；　both　of　the　rascals　have　disappeared　completely。　　I　tried　to　trace　Caven　and　his　broker　friend　in　Philadelphia　but　it　was　of　no　use。　　More　than　likely　they　have　gone　to　some　place　thousands　of　miles　away。〃
  〃Yes；　and　probably　this　Ball；　or　Malone；　has　joined　them；〃　put　in　Andrew　Mallison。　　〃Mr。　Vane；　I　am　exceedingly　sorry　for　you。〃
  〃I　am　sorry　for　myself；　but　I　deserve　my　loss；　for　being　such　a　fool；〃　went　on　the　victim。
  〃Have　you　notified　the　police？〃　asked　Joe。
  〃Oh；　yes；　and　I　have　hired　a　private　detective　to　do　what　he　can；　too。　　But　I　am　afraid　my　money　is　gone　for　good。〃
  〃You　might　go　and　reopen　the　mine；　Mr。　Vane。〃
  〃Thank　you；　but　I　have　lost　enough　already；　without　throwing　good　money　after　bad；　as　the　saying　is。〃
  〃It　may　be　that　that　detective　will　find　the　swindlers；　sooner　or　later。〃
  〃Such　a　thing　is；　of　course；　possible；　but　I　am　not　over　sanguine。〃
  〃I　am　afraid　your　money　is　gone　for　good；〃　broke　in　Andrew　Mallison。　　〃I　wish　I　could　help　you；　but　I　don't　see　how　I　can。〃
  The　matter　was　talked　over　for　a　good　hour；　and　all　three　visited　the　room　Malone　had　occupied；　which　had　been　vacant　ever　since。　　But　a　hunt　around　revealed　nothing　of　value；　and　they　returned　to　the　office。
  〃I　can　do　nothing　more　for　you；　Mr。　Vane；〃　said　Andrew　Mallison。
  〃I　wish　I　could　do　something；〃　said　Joe。　　Something　about　Maurice　Vane　was　very　attractive　to　him。
  〃If　you　ever　hear　of　these　rascals　let　me　know；〃　continued　the　hotel　proprietor。
  〃I　will　do　so；〃　was　the　reply。
  With　that　the　conversation　on　the　subject　closed。　　Maurice　Vane　remained　at　the　hotel　overnight　and　left　by　t