The Ghost of White City

By Donald W. Larson

Ted White a ten-year-old boy recently moved from Minneapolis to Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range and solves the mystery of a haunted house in the ghost town of White City. A mysterious Jesuit priest also adds to the mystery as he seeks a rare Douay Bible stolen from a church in Chicago. Also, there is a problem regarding sudden infant death syndrome of which Ted White is able to give comfort to his mother.

A haunted house, mysterious happenings, a refuge for two boy’s horse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781796099089

Donald W. Larson

Don Larson grew up in the little mining town of Bovey on Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range. He worked in the Hunner Iron Ore Mine near Coleraine, Minnesota, for the M. A. Hanna Mining Company. Shortly thereafter Don launched a career in teaching where he taught in the Coleraine Van Dyke Elementary School for thirty years. Since his retirement, Don has traveled extensively both in America as well as abroad.

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THE GHOST

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WHITE CITY

DONALD W. LARSON

Copyright © 2020 by Donald W. Larson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 04/23/2020

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CONTENTS

Cast of Characters

1     Two Men in a Cafe

2     Bill and Tom Meet Ted White

3     The Last Day of School

4     They Climb a Fire Tower

5     Ted White Learns about Horses

6     A Practical Joke and Its Consequences

7     A Drawing for an Arabian Mare

8     Ted White Has a Horse of His Own

9     Ted and Bill Must Sell Their Horses

10   On to White City

11   They Explore the Cemetery

12   The Old House

13   Things Begin to Happen

14   They Meet Gustav Schmible

15   The Theft of a Rare Bible

16   Father Joseph Borelli

17   They Return to White City

18   They Explore a Secret Room

19   Hilma Maki Talks of a Crib Death

20   Ted Talks with the Baby’s Mother

21   Bones or No Bones

22   Ted and Bill Return to the Haunted House

23   Ted White Enters the Haunted House Alone

24   The Bible Thieves

25   The Police Arrive at the Scene

26   Ted and His Friends Return to the House

27   Ted White and His Mom and Dad

CAST OF CHARACTERS

CHAPTER ONE

M ANY YEARS AGO, a young boy named Theodore Drobis White moved with his family to Carson Lake, a small mining town on the Mesabi Iron Range in northern Minnesota.

He sat alone in Pantages Main Street Cafe located between the First National Bank Building and Juro’s Bar on Carson Lake’s main street.

You look like you’re really feeling sorry for yourself this afternoon, kid, a tall golden-skinned waitress said. Why are you staring at the calendar?

It’s May 31, 1934. Tomorrow is my birthday, Ted said

Then you should be happy, the waitress replied. Having a birthday party?

No.

How old will you be?

Eleven.

I haven’t seen you in here before. You new in town?

Yeah, we moved here just last week, Ted answered.

Where from?

The Twin Cities.

So what’s so bad about Carson Lake?

Nothing I guess. But it is so different from the city. It scares me. Sometimes I feel like something really bad is going to happen, and I wonder what I’ll do here all summer.

There’s lots to do here. You’ll see. What’ll you have?

I want a great big double-rich chocolate malt, Ted answered.

Chocolate malt, extra thick, coming up.

Soon Ted began to draw the cold thick malt into his mouth. First, he drank slowly and daintily, then steadily, occasionally making a sucking noise through the straw. The milky sweetness tasted good in his mouth, and as it filled his stomach, it gave him great comfort.

He began to become distracted by two men sitting in the next booth. He wished he could hear what they were talking about, but the sound of their voices was masked by the noise of a vacuum cleaner the waitress was using to clean the carpet on the other side of a low divider in the closed section of the dining room.

One of the men had gray hair. A few black strands spoiled what otherwise would have been a perfect snow white. His skin was swarthy, browned by a lifetime of working outdoors under the sun. A gray mustache added dignity to his facial features. He lifted half a grilled cheese sandwich he was eating, and long strands of golden cheese pulled apart from the other piece.

The other man was bigger and younger; his dark brown full head of hair nicely and carefully combed. The expression on his face was cocky, and his mouth often curled into a mean sneer. Ted thought he seemed to be listening intently to the older man who talked low and in an authoritative manner. If only Ted could hear what they were saying.

Finally, the waitress was finished with her cleaning, and she turned off the vacuum cleaner.

We’ll do the job and then hide out in the place where you grew up … you know where I mean … we’ll be safe there as long as we have to be …

But to steal from the church, I don’t like it … How old did you say it was?

It’s a Douay, maybe one of the first printed, maybe about 1609.

Come on, let’s get out of here. Time is beginning to weigh against us, if you know what I mean.

The two men abruptly rose from the table and left the cafe.

If only I knew what they were talking about, Ted thought. Maybe I should follow them and see where they are going. I always thought it might be exciting to follow a couple guys and see what they’re up to. If only I had the nerve. If only …

CHAPTER TWO

T OM, THOMAS PETERSON, aren’t you ready yet? Bill Bonovich called as he tossed a small rock at Tom’s bedroom window. Get on the stick, we’re late.

What do you want? answered Tom poking his head out of the window.

I’m getting sick and tired of doing the same old nothing all the time. Every day we do the same thing. I come to geat you, we take off down the alley and head for school. And school’s the same old stuff over and over.

Listen to you, Tom said. Don’t you know what day this is?

Friday, stupid. Think I don’t know it’s Friday?

Yeah, but it’s not just any old Friday. It’s the last day of school, Tom said. One more day and then three whole months of nobody telling us what to do. Just think, no more school and nothing to do.

That’s just it, Bill said. It’s either the same old stuff or else nothing. So we’ve just got to think of something to do that’s new. And the only new thing I can think of is Ted.

Ted? Ted who? drawled Tom.

Oh, Tom, can’t you remember anything? You know, Ted White, the new kid, the one who just moved to Carson Lake from the city. He lives across the tracks at the Bugaloosa location. He’s only been in our class all week. But I guess you’d forget your head if it wasn’t fastened on. Let’s go over and get him on our way to school. At least we’ll start out the day doing something different, Bill Bonovich sighed as he spoke. Sometimes he became disgusted with the slow ways of his friend, Tom Peterson.

Oh, sure. I remember, Tom answered. But why him? He’s hardly said two words since he’s been in our class.

Maybe he’s a little shy. So what’s wrong with that? And maybe that’s one more reason why we should go over and get him, Bill said.

Shy? I don’t care about that. But that’s not the only thing that’s wrong with him. I hear he’s queer.

How’s that? Bill asked.

All he does is wander around alone on that old dry tailings pond, Tom replied.

The Tuefelsdroichke? That’s a wicked place.

Why is it called that?

How should I know unless it’s the way you go to get to places you shouldn’t, Bill said.

The two boys left Tom’s yard and in minutes were standing on the sidewalk in front of Ted White’s house. Bill rapped loudly on the back door. Bill and Tom always knocked on back doors never front doors because front doors were for grown-ups and dressed-up people.

Hilda White, Ted’s mother, came to the door. Hello, boys, she said, speaking in a slight but pleasing Finnish accent. What can I do for you, boys?

Is … is Ted White home? You do have a son, and his name is Ted, isn’t it? He’s in our class at school, and we saw him when you moved in last week. We thought maybe we’d come and get him on our way to school, Bill said.

That’s real nice and thoughtful of you, boys. I’m glad you came. I’ll call Teddy and tell him you’re here. It’s about time he’s on his way to school anyway. But please, you boys, keep the noise down. I haven’t felt at all well this morning.

But we haven’t— Bill Bonovich started to say.

Teddy, oh Teddy, Mrs. White called. Will you come downstairs, please? There’s a couple of boys to see you.

By the way, Mrs. White, Bill said. Does Ted have a chemistry set? We saw a lot of test tubes and flasks and stuff when you were moving in last week.

Yeah, we even saw what looked like a Bunsen burner, Tom said excitedly.

Hilda White frowned.

Oh, no no no, she said. Ted’s dad would never let him have anything like that. You must have seen some of the medicines my doctor prescribed for me.

Ted White was much shorter than most boys his age, and his pale white skin made him look rather unhealthy. But he wasn’t. He was as strong and healthy as any boy his age. If only he had more color to his skin.

His mother smiled. If only her son wasn’t so shy, if only he’d do things more on his own instead of always allowing himself to be led by others.

Hi, Ted, Bill said. "We thought we’d pick you up on our way to school today.

Gee, I’m glad you did, Ted said, looking through a pair of steel wire glasses.

Tom nudged Bill in the ribs and whispered, This guy looks more like a milk toast than I thought.

Keep still, answered Bill. You’re always going by what people look like. Can’t you see how glad he is that we’re here?

Don’t forget your manners, Ted, Mrs. White said. How about introducing me to your friends.

Aw, Mom, Ted said, hanging back.

Ted! Mrs. White said.

Well okay, these are the first guys I’ve met since we’ve come to the Iron Range. Mom, I’d like you to meet two of my classmates, Bill Bonovich and Tom Peterson.

Don’t talk to me about the Iron Range, Mrs. White cried. I hate this place. If we stay here very long, I know it’ll take at least ten years off my life.

Hi, Mrs. White, Bill and Tom chorused together.

Well, of course. Hello, Tom. Hello, Bill, she said. I hate to rush you, boys, but look at the time. You’ll be late for school.

Holy cow! Bill cried, glancing at the wall clock. It’s almost eight thirty.

The three boys dashed out of the house and ran down the street. They reached the school yard just as the bell began ringing. Bill led the way in through the