American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-05-29

'Will you try it p said pretty Laura
WILDER to me. Dare you sleep in
the blue room tonight ? e,
Dare! Tiiete are few things l
would not dare for you. | dare do
anything that you ask
But l don't ask it. l only want
TO know what you think about this
story of the ghost, for | confess it
frightens me to DEATH
EWill you promise to run with
your hastshorn bottle TO my rescue if
YOU hear me screamY
mo, indeed, I'll promise no such
thing. I'm sure my knees would
give way under me, and | should
need all my hartshorn myself
well, then, | suppose the ghost
must get me, for l shall sleep in the
blue room tonight, and if | am car,
ried off bodily, or die of fright, I'll
leave my fortune to YOU
'Al right cried Richard WILDER
from his sofa corner. Get That
down in black and white, Cousin
Laura. I'll draw your will, Fred
let's see the thing through
And laughingly he went off to get
his writing desk.
Now for it, said he. Make your
will, old fellow; I'll draw it up in
good FORM
So l dictated and he wrote.
The will was made, signed, and
witnessed. and Laura WILDER was
named the heiress to my fortune i'll
case of my death ensuing that night
Il don't half like it, said she, as
Dick left the room to put away the
document. Its all well enough fol
a joke, but suppose something
should happen to you accidentally
or suppose you should really SEE tht
ghost p
And her blue eyes half filed will
tears, and her sweet face expressed
snch horror, that. l burst into one o
my intOlerable fits of laughter tha
always Overtake me at the wrong
moment.
Don't laugh begged Laura
please don't. Indeed | see no FIJI
in such subjects. Death and ghost
are not TO :be laughed at; and besides
| am afraid of Dick he is a vii
kind of man he has lived in Sout
g, America all his life, nobody know
where, till he is but half civilized
Did you see how his eyes CLEANED
and did you hear him laugh, Nhe
, you signed your name? 1t frighten
me to ijooke about such things. Pleas
f don't laugh
'Well, if l were to stop laughin
every time you were frightened,
should soon be melancholy enough
but I won't talk about such things
if YOU don't like the subject
Burn that silly will, them pc
sisted she. why should you leaN
your fortune to me?
And twinkle in her eye told II
she well knew why, but that, bcin
a woman, she must cOquette:
why shouldn't |, Miss Laura
beg leave to assure do not inter
to die of fright, but live to enjoy n
own money
'Ohr was the only answer 81
made to this somewhat rude rept
but her downcast eyes said Tath
more. Laura, began impetuOusl
.who should have my fortune if n
YOU Do you not know that 81
possess my heart and soul-tht
why should not my money follow
EOh! for PHYS sake stop. Nc
you're worse than when you talk,
Of death and ghosts. It's of no cons
qu ne, thanlie. Good-evcning.'
And off she ran laughing, leaviI
me alone.
IWho on earth can account for
wOman's -. whim ? | solloQuize
Here is q girl as gentle as slmligl
as timid as bird, full of love 70
; mankind, yet even she must try
,, fiirt, even she will laugh at a fellC
the minute he tries a little sentimcl
Quoting Dickens, too. Never min
Miss Laura we've laughed togeth
many time, and we will do it aga
in spite Of ghosts, and Dicks, a
Dickens, | don't like that Dick a
better than she does, though. He
an impertinent fellow, and under
Els assumed bonhomme, there is g
cealed malice. | heard he wanted
/. marry l. tira. Well, Yet him t
Who's afraid ? Not ~
With these thoughts cccTPtI
my mind, | went slowly up the 0
|. fashioned stairway, which was G
+ of the chief beauties to me Of this o
fashioned house Of the WiIbers,
which | had hccn a g,icst for th