The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories

How it begins

It was never quite clear to me how Jim Shorthouse managed to get his private secretaryship; but, once he got it, he kept it, and for some years he led a steady life and put money in the savings bank. One morning his employer sent for him into the study, and it was evident to the secretary's trained senses that there was something unusual in the air. "Mr. Shorthouse," he began, somewhat nervously, "I have never yet had the opportunity of observing whether or not you are possessed of personal courage." Shorthouse gasped, but he said nothing. He was growing accustomed to the eccentricities of his chief.