The "Almost Ghost" Story

Guests and staff at the Island Inn have been telling stories about Mrs. Godfrey's ghost for more than half a century. You can read about her in my book, Digging up Uncle Evans.

Recently I had the good fortune to hear another story about the "ghost" at the inn. A guest had collected a number of shells on the sound side of the island. She lined them up on a shelf in her room, then went out sightseeing with her husband. On their return one of the shells had mysteriously been moved.

This happened several times. The guest had heard stories of Mrs. Godfrey's impish behavior, and was spooked. When she found the shell moved again she accused her husband of playing tricks on her. He denied it. Finally convinced that her husband was not the culprit, she slept uneasily that night. When she awoke at 2 a.m. and saw the shell on the floor she immediately called the front desk, and demanded to be moved to another room, one that was not haunted. Of course, the inn was full, and there were no spare rooms. The guest stayed awake the rest of the night.

In the morning light she noticed the shell moving across the floor. Spindly legs extended from under the shell. The hermit crab was marching around searching for salt water.

Embarrassed, the inn's guest reported the solution of the mystery to the front desk...and returned the hermit crab to its home in the sound.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of the recent skirmishes islanders have had with North Carolina legislatures over the issue of ferry tolls...and a 1955 newspaper editorial advocating free, state-operated ferries across Hatteras Inlet. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082113.htm.