Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-12-11
ADVENTURE WITH FEMALE GHOST,

The spectre not condescending TO notice this
Or llant sally, Samson Brown devoted his en-
ergies to the Interpretation of the strange hero
glyphics. With an acuteness that would have
done honor to the reader Of a roll of papyrus
he at last succeeded in eliciting the facts that
one" Marget Stubs" had defrauded one John
Joanes" Of moneys to the amount of one thou
sand pounds, and, oscillating between uneasi-
ness at the thought of possessing illgotten
treasure and unwillingness to part with a
sum considerable, had hidden the latter be-
meath a stone in the coal cellar. The operations
Of conscience had likewise prompted Marget to
draw up written confession of her guilt, and
to place it where, in all human probability, il
would never be found. The thought that after
death she would wander about as an ugly ghos.
and with her own hand indi ate the spot wher,
the paper was concealed, had clearly never en-
tered the mind of Marget Stubs
- Madam ~ said Samson Brown, "eh? Oh,
you are there, are you 30 he continued obsery-
ing that the ghost had shifted into another cor
ner. Madam, L infer from the Ill written
rigmarole have just waded through and from
the impressive manners in which you revealed
to me the place Of its concealment, that you are
the person described as Marget Stubs p.
The ghost bowed.
g should spell Stubs with two BIS myself
but everybody understands his own business
best. Lit appears, then, that you defrauded
o1eJohn Joanes-with whose name, L must OBJ
serve, you take strange liberties-to the tune
of one thousand pounds p
The ghost began to toss its arms about, with
every sign of the widest agony
Now, my dear creature pray compose vopr-
self, or we shall never get on at all +" said Sam
son Brown. Listen to me- and let us perfectly
understand each other. From what I have
read about ghosts in general, and reasoning by
analogy, arrive at the conclusion that. till
your affair with John Jones, his executors, ad-
Illustrators, or assigns is made completely
straight you are compelled to walk about these
premises every midnight
The face Of the ghost was distorted by ma
licious grin.
Il perfectly understand the meaning of that
expression Although, as / said before Won
are compelled to walk these premises. YOU feel
sort of wicked pleasure in frightening other
people"
The ghost placed its hands before its eyes.
But you do not Brighten mo at all-Inark
that. You do not brighten me in the least. In
TACT, L ind your society rather agreeable than
otherwise. Inever saw ghost before; there
fore your apparitiOn has, az least, the charm of
novelty"
The ghost began to assume an appearance of
anxiety. y,
Therefore, you perceive, if you expect that
! am gong TO bother myself with looking after
John Jones merely for the sake of procu ring a
cessation your visits you are very much mis-
taken. As long as L am tenant of this bouse ,,
ne added, with a smile Of something like GAL
lantry, there shall always be a corner at YOUR
service" ''ui
Inc ghost was completely puzzled 1t not
only looked cadaverous-it looked stupid
Consequently" continued the relentless
oamson Brown, . if you wish to bring these
little freaks to termination, it is YOUR own
pleasure, not mine, you are consulting. So
come, ne went on, giving his hand a sudden
slap on the table, ''to make long matter short.
what will you allow me per cent. to wind mn
this affair with the Joneses21
Inc female figure glided slowly up and down
the room for few seconds with its right fore
niger pressed against its forehead When this
movement had ceased, it held up its right hand
with all Its fingers distended
Five per cent. for special transaction like
this. exclaimed Samson Brown, perfectly com
pretending the sign; 'ridiculousl I'll see Won
and the JOneses
A short voluntary cough prevented the com.
pletion Of the sentence
Again did the ghost glide up and down N.
room; and when II stopped once more, both il,
tended. ui'
Ten" cried Samson Brown. "Ten ner cor,
on thousand pounds is round bundred
MAKE your mind easy, Mrs. or Miss Stubs.
the cellar, and the Representatives of Jonas ave
reasonably come able, this business shall bs
settled 10 the satisfaction Of everybody -
=, NO sooner had he uttered these word, than
Ine gnost vanished. How it went, Samson
Drown neither knew nor cared He tried "a
resume his study of the Economist bnt 49,
statistics had lost their power of prodpci,a a.
e1eitement, and after few preliminary wc,ds
re tell asleep in his chair "0N''
sleep did not occasion any loss of ill.,;
Oreams In haunted house are of more tben
raf ,aIue' and things of more than ordi
nary value were not likely TO be overJooL.d r.
samson Brown. He fancied be was ,nan ~
Jaeent village, at the shop of one Jona,ba
Jones, barber by profession. To whose 80
what unskiiiul hand he had entrusted his cbin
aser cut MIN not unfrequently: but-
strange to say, while some thing ike bIoo5 go
apparent on the razor, not a SINGLE H. 80; "-
from the wound P i'sueu
when he woke in the morning. Samson
brown proceeded straight to the coal celia
where after some little rumaging, he found tbs
one THOUSAND pounds mentioned in the ILL writ
ten document 1t was a curious ayyregate of
notes, gold, silver, and copper, and Was NOT 20
De counted without some little troubla g.
ecn Dro"n, however, ascertained that was oil
IShl' and allowed it TO glide gently aJong H.
i SiI .. his hand into his breeches- posket
Iibs,.,;o, outioned up with a greal deal OF de-
n Ht4on anu an air of intense satjsfao,;o,
If any of our reader, have baor uon;
fancy tnat Samson Brown was 40 NIB eaS ." 70
OF gam that be had no sense of r;ab, IoVer
we peg TO correct them in their eT1onsn VI wrong
~ IL LII '1I9ar scamp would have gon.
POuhCs In his
left the shade of Mrs Stubs to tro,RS Tchet' and
tage iill the end Of time. But Samson ' R, cot
would as soon have committed a fo,a nrown
nave been guilty of an act so manifestIy Wy as
therefore went to the village indicated =
ms dream; and, after sundry inquiries, actnaIn |
found a BARRIERS shop tenanted by one 10y
,rnn Jones. TO the respeetability of Jones
,; sPort bore Indifferent testimony nsr'
10y 70 peer seemed to be among his Ie,S;n,
P rppaI and this PECULIARLY il was sad
skill sbich u against tina, manipulative
ton. However, several 80 m Dsroer yoca-
ants, when they had detailed sunS ~ d;, INFORM
bic facts in connection with Jones . hh,sLeppts-
heads with exceeding gravity, and mo- their
everybody had its rights Jone. sad SAID that if
been very different person from wha, lave nase
was III report were true, this would bavsb.
d m,Sny ossirsSie- Entering the dirty and di.
ofol fly tnor, samson Brown perceived an ind;.
Vihnal sui dirtier and still more di.ord.rIu
quo OF ,nese ungainly, scottish figures, that seem
n1Eer 10 Do intoxicated and neve, 49,. -
rQh