Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-22
A GkOst Who Made Himself Useful.
(Fyoaa .scriLaey's NonAlu.l

From .ScslLaer's NonA,yl
bat why should we suppose such things?"
Crled Lightbourn, impatiently; 'swhat need is
there for them? what good do they door evil?
its disclosing anything not before revealed, tell
ing you anything Won didn't know, doing any
thing not to be done by ordinary means and
common hands? Where is the proof that their
claims to supernatural Importance and consid-
Grafton have any ground whatsoever? What
excuse have the spirits for disturbing us? What
can they effect, not reached already? What do
they give us a. a compensation for the drivel
they compel us to put up with? Is it not pitt
farce, all of it.
LOveiace gently shrugged his shoulders .sDid
he ~ ~ ''''u
No" quickly answered Bertha; but con-
suited her once"
'-COnsulted her!" cried Iightbourn. LOOKING
sharply at his wife.
why not?'' She Is a fortune-teiler-bah ,
she told me my age less i've years of the fact,
ami my forttne-it was not possible. Test-me-
dunn, she called herself, an.l-I tested her. A
poor, pale thing, who was ashamed to look me
Why could beat her guessing myseir!,
Lovelaee.
80, yes: a well-written lecture well MEM
cried, some skill in the Evolutionary tricks
some passion and fervor OF her own. some of that
strange fury that is born the hearts of most
actors when they come before an audience-it is
all easy enough to understand. But the fact
stands added Lightbourn, .sthat the spirits
know nothing. accomplish nothing, are of no
earthly use, AMI therefore differ 80 entirely from
all other created things, that, to my notion, we
would have no right to believe i'm their exist
enee, even were IT brought palpably to the con-
yletOn of our senses"
They are not like ghosts, those thin and
nim,y spiIlts,' struck IN knoN. .'Ghosts are
very useful creatures; somewhat strange and
starting IN their ways, perhaps, but highly ser
VIceable when they choose. 4 have known a
ghost to save mans life, and, by the bye. that
same amlsble specter was the means of intro
hie, perhaps, for was haif-starved, and had no
credit"
DO tell us about it, Mr.. Knox 80 cried Bertha:
I've read ever 50 many ghost stories. but never
heard one told in all NV life. and know Won
can do 1t nicely" And the little lady settled
herself in an attitude for listening
YES, said Knox, jauntily, Il intended t (,
tell IT. and have the reputation OF telling tn
best story ON our circuit. The Judge alway,
sends for me when he has the govt; nothing nut !.
hm INTO such prompt and balmy sumber as one
'.'Wiiliam the Trumpeter was a good water
man, quoted LOyelace.
.'St.' cried Bertha, lifting finger, and Knox
began
. had only been at the bar a few months but
they had see med weary long ones. Ii hal taken
all my money 10 furnish my office aud its shelves,
and pay the frst six months rent. Then
knew that Charlotte was waiting for me. and
II practice didn't come soon, my clothes would
become ihtolerably shabby. My best coat was
very shiny about the elbows any how. and where
the next one was to come from 4 could not ina
CINE In a county court there Is always a little
help Tor juniors, however, and I had made
enough BIZ battery and larceny cases, and by
collections, TO pay for a meageT sort OF board.
j hat was all; and you NAV fancy how INV heart
fhumPed up into my throat when one day Gran
bison asked me TO assist him in a murder case !,
He was our great gun" In those DAYS before
politics had made him 50 fat and law. and was
indeed, barring some small defects Of manner,
a great LAWYER and n0ble-hearted man.
.'Knox, ;" said he to me in his pomrous wav. A.
he put his fat white hands on my shoulder
You do not push yourself enough, my young
freBi. Il have been observing you, and per-
ceive yos lack the essential quality UPON which
bright forensic career depends. Get impu-
dence, friend Knox; increase your store of that
indispensable attribute of success, or prepare
To be written down failure! How would Won
like 10 aid me in Jake Moere's case? There
say no more-l see how il is with you. Come To
my ONCE tonight and talk 10 over with me-
Jake MoOres case A real murder and the
only one that hal been committed in our county
Tor years! The most important ease on the
docket; one that would be reported in all the
80, ! am not such charitable fellow A. vou
,hlnk, said Grandson, as / began to thank
MN at his ONCE that night. al am busy, and
IdLy., maven time To study up this case, and
y heeus study. Tor there's some mystery about
~, or my instincts are at fault. You have appli-
cation and ambition, and it is profitable 10 us
o,u laMyeTs 20 serve ourselves By means OF you
glory OF u, and you'll have the work to do. act
A., toek the ease Tor you. and for that murder
2nfrAafE
in her pathetic wide blue ewes, By the way
will have TO work for a ridiculously small fee
don't tell sTybOdy-and let's divide. It's the
preliminary process in every partnership case,
you'il find by and by. Ahem there's haIf
table 70 nae.
did not know until years after, that this
came out of his own pocket AMI that Jake
Moore had not paid him n cent OF zee. Few peo-
pie know the big heart that beats within the
hmse pody Oh our rat and insolent Senator, after
Viewer hem nor haw about fees Young man!r
cried he; '.it i fatal TO yourself and Injurious to
the whole profession No good LAWYER GU yht 10
think himself wen paid no m liter what ne. Ies,
s.ood sertice ought 10 be always invaluable.
Now To the case"
And he briefly detailed To NE the cir,um
stances under which Jake Moore had been
arrested, and the grounds OF suspicion against
him.
Jake Moore vas a shoemaker In the yillay. of
Humberg, an the western part OF the county-a
worthless, drunken fellow, who worked at hi.
trade about two DAYS in the week. to get M Jnay
ior making himself drunk the other 1--WE. He
had driited into the village some dozen years
before that, with a slattern, red-haired wife. a
puny, sick,y baby. q cow, ri z, his tools. and
Magon-load OF broken-down household gear
hs worthless ways were thought TO be his che
fauh, for he was good-natured, hsppy-go
sucky, WHO tid not even beat his wife. in,ierd
Vas IsRutsd TO be beaten BY her. When tn !,
mexieah war was about half over, Jake took a
hum, patriotic lever, or an overdose of rum
was never rightly known which-and eniis,el .
coming BACK aiter was over With . szber-cat
On the head and a pension. The ,sound or
something else, had changed his temper. ssi
while he drank as much as ever he was snli.n
norose, and not tAlkative, even in his ems
He and his wife quarreled savagely and vhs,,
she died. wear or two later, Jake ira nsf,vr,si
his ill-temler 30 his daughter, Q trail. tinai.l
girl, whom he beat sometimes sew ereiv tina,
the neighhors had to interfere.
Such were the antecedents of Jake Moore.
when, on the 18th day of August, 1850. the body
Of the unk nown stranger was found an rayine
near the little stream-ssPotfS Levei'' IL was
ealled-that flowed through the meadows and
was stiff and cold when discovered by two
screaming schoel-ehiIdren straegling amO1R the
bushes after biackberries-stiff and cold aud
frish.fnliy disfgured with a wound across the
throat nearly from ear to ear. from which bloof
had poured 50 copi0usly a. to stain the bod '