The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-01-13

/ dl QlSlOuglutHJ, DuI MI. SOptI,
getting this, fell into the snare, and left
his hat unguarded for moment; only for
one moment, but that was enough. With
a scream of triumph the wind caught it,
and whisked it off into the darkness, and
there he sat, bareheaded to the beating of
the pitiless rain. There was no help for
it, that he knew at once, for the hat must
be miles away by this time, so he tied
his handkerchief over his head, though it
was very soon wet through, and drove
| dOggedly on The rain got down his neck,
and through the handkerchief, and under
the handkerchief and into his eyes, so that
he could scarcely see, and into his ears, so
that it sent cold shiver all through him
there was one particularly cold and pen
| etratng drop that made him shake his
head, as it went on its voyage of discovery
into the inner cavities of his ear-and all
| this time that brute of a horse was lodging,
| first on one side and then on the other,
and the very hedgerows, as well as he
could see them in the darkness, seemed,
blOw1 as they were with the wind, to be
| setting 10 one another in ghOstly fashion;
| and it vas altogether the most uncomfort-
able drive that Mr. Soper had ever had.
But the only thing to be done was to
whip his horse, and keep him in as straight
line as possible.
| "TOm Soper"
He pulled up suddenly, all in a tremble,
and looked over his shoulder, expecting
to find some one in the spare seat of his
| gig, for the voice that called him seemed
close TO his ear, but no one was there; and
| then he peered into the darkness right and
| left, and then, with an angry shake of mis-
shoulders, muttered, "Bah! twas only
| fancy. What a fool ann Get on, old
horse" And, with a lash of his whip,
away he went again, splashing through
| the mud.
tom Soper"
There was no mistake this time, yet,
| though he turned round very sharply, he
could see no one; and then his hair fairly
stood on end, except that portion that was
| held down by the handkerchief.
"WhO's that ?" said he.
You can't see me-" said the mysterious
voice, $50 it's no use looking"
"Who are you?" asked Tom Soper
The Ghost of the Last Will and Tesla
ment of Lady Dudgeon."
"Good Lord ~ exclaimed the unhappy
man, and sat plump down on the wet
cushion; for he had stood up, you must
understand, when he looked around.
Yes, Tom, tits all true what the pro-
You thought you had destroyed me, didn't
| you, when you threw me on the fire, and
watched the smoke go curling up the
chimney but you didn't destroy me, you
| only killed me. My body, the black Gin
der, was buried in the dust bin my spirit,
that smoke that you watched, went up the
| chimney and Joined the clouds Rather
mixed company up there, Tom, can as
| sure you-all sorts Of low fOrgeries and
| lies-so that am glad to get down again :
| and now, at this present moment, Tom,
| am snugly enscOnced, in the shape of q
| drop of water, in your right ear-nO, it's
no use, you can't get at me with your fin
ger-and there mean to remain until
evaporize."
"Shall you be long evaporizing, sir ,"
asked Tom, humbly.
| "Yes, some time am such big drop,
you see. But don't you make any mis-
| take, you have not got rid of me when
do. | mean to take lodgings there, so that
l can run up-or, | should say, run down
| Whenever l like, and find myself at
| home. / mean to haunt you, Tom"
GOOD Lord !" said Tom, for the second
| time, "was ever man haunted with the
ghost of last will and testament be-
| fOrey"
Perhaps not. And, what is more, there
is the ghost ofthe codicil somewhere about.
I'll take lodgings in your other ear for
| him, for shall be sure to meet him in my
ramblings abroad"
| "Heaven defend me ~ said Tom, "for
am an old man, and very repentant."
| "Ah Tom, Tom! how could you do
such thing? Robbing that poor girl of
her money, not to mention the five hun
dred pounds left to the clergyman in the
codicil How could you find it in your
conscience to rob that good man and that
innocent girl, ehg"
"I had no conscience, then," said Tom,
whimpering, but it has grown upon me
since, and I'm very sorry: and I'll build
another literary and scientific institution
if you'll leave off haunting me-"
Literary and scientific institution
RUBBISH
"Pll leave all my money to the poor
when die"
at won't do, Tom, it won't do. You
must set the wrong right"
"Give up the money!" said Tom, in
great fear
"Well, might ask you to do that with
perfect justice, and to pay interest for the
time you have had it but won't do that
for reason best known to myself"
"You don't mean that l have not long
to live ?"--he was more frightened now
than ever.
"Never mind what / mean," said the
voice "only when people have come tc
your age they shouldn't get wet through
If you had not burnt the will, you woulo
not have had the money, you would moi
have built the literary and scientific insti
tuition and if you had not built the lite
rary and scientific institution, you woult
not have been here tonight; and If yol
had not been here tonight you would no
have got wet through; and if you had no
. got wet through, you would not have
faheml
"What shall do oh, what sltaN do !!
said Tom, " am 80 very sorry"
You must do this" said the ghos'
"and must make haste and tell you, 10
RI am evaporizing very fast You mus
, make your will at once-the very firs
, thing tomorrow morning"
, $50 pressing as that" murmured Tom
? and in the first place, you must leav
that five hundred pounds to the clergy
nan; he has sixteen children already, an
! will be very glad of the money"
G "Yes, yes," said Tom i" do that, an
( leave the rest TO Fanny Champion
e "No such thing Leave half to Fanny
2 and the other half to Jerry Simpson"
9 "Jerry Simpson and what has h
p done?"
!, "When Fanny was living with the oil
It lady, Jerry fell in love with her, but wa
8 too proud, or too modest, or too sOmethin
+ or other-you would think too foolish-t
/ cav ANYTHING to her, as she was the