Jack is one of that ilk . Just as he made the remark , Davenport sauntered in and , finding out what was going on , volunteered to tell a ghost story himself -- something that had happened to his grandmother , or maybe it was his great-aunt ; I forget which . It was a very good ghost story as ghost stories go , and Davenport told it well . Even Jack admitted that , but he said : `` It 's only second-hand too . Did you ever have a ghostly experience yourself , old man ? '' Davenport put his finger tips critically together . `` Would you believe me if I said I had ? '' he asked . `` No , '' said Jack unblushingly . `` Then there would be no use in my saying it . '' `` But you do n't mean that you ever really had , of course ? '' `` I do n't know . Something queer happened once . I 've never been able to explain it -- from a practical point of view , that is . Want to hear about it ? '' Of course we did . This was exciting . Nobody would ever have suspected Davenport of seeing ghosts . `` It 's conventional enough , '' he began . `` Ghosts do n't seem to have much originality .
But it 's firsthand , Jack , XXXXX that 's what you want .
Jack as from great-aunt if in of on that to