The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-02-14

such child there, though there had been one
once. but he was dead. Mistress said pre-
tended TO see il for the sake of impcrtincnce
and she discharged me; but | knew by hel
Is trembling that she supposed l had seen
ghost / went to a doctor, and he called II
optical delusion, and it would soon pass
-, away, and sure enough, | have not seen II
y: since left the house
5 II was a queer story; but Mrs. Culvcrton
believed it, and before she left the olllce she
hired Jessie to fill Johanna's place for the
space of one month from that day The same
IL evening she came and went to work with Il
II will.
Dinner time passed comfortably and tea
t: time came. The Cuvertons never ate any,
thing but Il biscuit or cake at this meal, and
cups were handed around in the room. Jcs-
y sic came in at the appointed hour win her
| tray, served every one and then stood smiling
before Mrs. Culverton as she said:
;: "Plcase, ma'am, let me pass you, the Old
gentleman has not been helped. Yes, sir, in
, minute"
"The old gentleman cried Mrs. Culver
ton
"Yes, Northumberland you in the corner
there, please"
There's no gentlemen, young or old, there"
said the lady. II can't imagine what you
took for one
white and left the room. Mrs &. followed
At first she could receive no explanation,
but by and by the girl declared she saw an
old gentleman sitting in an arm chair in the
corner, who beckoncd to her, and she fanCied
| in hurry for his tea
"What did he look like" asked Mrs, Cul.
vcrton.
ale was thin and tall" said the girl; "his
hair was white and very long, and / noticed
that one of his knees looked stiff, and thick
gold headed cane beside him."
Uncle Hram!' cries Mrs Culverton,
upon my word you've described my great
grand uncle, who has been dead for twenty
years"
Jessie began to cry.
81 shall never keep Il place" she said |
you will turn me away now"
"See as many ghosts as you please" she
said "as long as you don't bring them before
my eyes" and went back to her tea without
saying word to any Of the family on the
subject although she was extremely mys-
titled.
Surely, if the girl had never seen her uncle
Hiram-which was not likely, considering
that he had been dead nearly her whole life
time-shc must have seen something in the
ghost line, and if, indeed, it were uncle HI
rams spirit, why should he not come to aid
always had some superstition hidden in her
soul, and she soon began to believe this YER
sion of the case
The next morning she went into the kitchen
and closing the door, said to jessie:
My good girl, do not intend to dismiss
you, so be quite frank with me- | do not be,
lieve that those forms are optical illusions;
feel sure that they are actual spirits. What
do you think ~
81 think as you do, ma'am, said the girl
Our folks have always seen ghosts and
grandfather had the second sight for ten
years before he died"
If you should see the old gentleman you
told me of again." said Mrs. Culverton, "be
sure and tell me. I'll keep the story from
the young folks, and Mr.. Culverton would
only laugh at it; but you described my dear
uncle, and my belief is you saw him."
The grl promised to mention anything
that might happen to her mistress; and from
that day an interchange of glances between
them and subsequent conference in the
kitchen was of regular occurrence.
The girl saw the appariton seated on the 4,
sofa in the parlor, seated at the dinner table, ;
walking in the garden, and so life-lkc was it
that she found it impossible to refrain from =
passing plates and cups and saucers to it, to d,
the infinite amazement Of people who saw !
only empty mir in the same spot. =
by and by she inevitably spoke of her +,
ghost as the old gentleman, and was no more /,
affected By his presence than by that of a
living being. If it were an optical illusion, :
it was the most singular on record.
But all this UhIe-ghosts or no ghosts a.,
the figure never spoke, and never did any.
thing to help the Culvcrtons in their dilem-
ma, and the lawsuit was nearly terminated
without the shadow Of n doubt in Jabez
Hardy favor.
In three days all would be over; and the
Cuvcrtous, who had earned their property,
If ever mortals did, by Kindness and attention
to their aged relatives, whom they truly loved i
and honorcd, would probably be homeless.
One morning Mrs, CuyCrton sat over her {
breakfast after the Others had left the room \
of this, when Jessie came in. '
"I'yc something to tell you, ma'am,' she c
said. There's Il change in the old gentle q
man" +
"What do you mean ?" asked Mrs Culver !
ton. q
"I'vc seen him twice at the foot of my bed v
in the night" said the girl; "and though al. a
ways before me he has been kind and pleas. {
ant looking, now he frowns and looks angry. b
He beckons me to 90 somewhere, and don't X
dGre-in the night time" &
"You must" said Mrs CulvcrtOn. | know Il
he'll come again, and I'll sit with you all S
night and go where you go 1t may be of o
great use to us all, Jessie II
II shan't be afraid, ma'am, if | have com h
pany,' said Jessie in the most matter of fact o
manner, and carried out the breakfast things.
All day they never spoke on the subject; il
but on retiring jessie found her mistress in Il
her bed room wrapped in Il shawl. d
I'm ready, you see" she said. And Jes d
sic merely looscned some buttons and hooks O
and lay down dressed, Id
Ten o'clock pasSed-even twelve. Mrs II
Culyerton began to doubt, when suddenly v
she saw Jessie's eyes dilate in amost peculiar 1
manner, and in an instant more the girl said '
Why, here he is, ma'am!' '
"ThCrc' no one there" said Mrs. Culverton. n
"Oh, yes, ma'am! | see him." said the 5
.glrl. "lIe's in great excitement, ma'am d
Hes taking out his watch to look at, and the I
chain is made out of such yellow hair, II
thought at first it was gold" ,