The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-05-18
The Tretherick Ghost.

The TretherIck Ch08t.
The door closed sharply. Mrs. Treth
erick paused just within the dingy littl,
parlor, shaking from head to foot. He
face looked as gray as ashes, in the fain
light that pervaded the room.
"You are ill, motherW cried Hamish
dropping his book and starting up from
an easy-char, by the one window look
Ing westward.
mo; only frightened, my son."
She gasped out the words with diff
Guilty, caught at his arm for protection
and dropped breathlessly into th'
nearest seat.
"What has happened?"
II have seen the ghostW
"What ghost" asked Hamish, in /.
tone of utter bewilderment, for his mine
refused to grasp at once her meaning.
"The Tretherick ghost-the woman ii
grayw
The riddle was clear enoegh now
Ever since his earliest recollections
Hamish had heard Of. the woman IL
gray. She was a sort of banshee, that
as the legend ran, made herself visible
10 the Trethericks when any good or ill
fortune awaited them. Scores Of his
dead ancestors had testified to the gen
ulneness Of this apparition, and his
mother had seen 1t once before; ON the
). day of his fathers death. Some impor
tant event Invariably followed its ap
pearance, of which it seemed to be the
self-appointed herald.
"I'm going on a little exploring expe
dition, mother" he said, suddenly, aud
slipped out of the room before she had
| time to question him.
One or two lamps now burned dimly
in the halls and passages. After mo-
ments hesitation, he stalked straight to
the attic-stairs and began to ascend
them.
81 can't rest in this state of uncer.
tainty," he muttered, with an air OF gr i'm
determination. sit distracts me-"
He had reached the upper passage
hitherto a terra incogntta, for he had
been a resident of the rickety tenement
house something less than two weeks
when strange sort Of odor suddenly
filled his nostrils.
"Gharcoalp he calculated, and grew
ghastly white in moments time.
The odor seemed to proceed from a
room ON the right. He raped smartly
on The door no one answered. He tried
the knob; it refused to turn. Frantic,
desperate, thoroughly frightened by the
silence and the increasing odor, with one
blow of his foot he lifted the door from
its frail fastenings.
A small, scantily-furnished apartment,
filled with the fumes OF charcoal, burn
ing in small brazier upon the hearth |;
a tiny cot-bed in the fdrthest corner; a
stark, still figure stretched at full length
upon the counterpane.
Such was the picture Hamish Trether-
ick took in at a single startled glance.
TO rush forward, throw wide the win
dow, and toss from it into the alley be.
low the pan out of which death was
stalking SO grimly, occupied but mo-
men time. Then he leaned eagerly
| over ne bed.
He found as he had halfexpected, a
demure little figure, clad in sober gray,
lying upon it, the white face turned
6lankly to the wall. The eyes were col
ored, and long silken lashes swept the
cheeks. Two pretty, slender hands
were clasped over the lnotionless breast
as if mulely appealing to God for for
giveness.
Was she dead? Hamsh did not know
He rushed into the passage, shouted
wildly for help, and was back aga n in
stantiy, and had lifted the poor little
creature in his arms and born her to the
window, where he fell to chatting the
cold hands and colder brow.
| Mrs. Tretherick came hurrying up the
attic stairs to his. assistance. She
glanced quickly at the burden in hel
sons arms, and uttered a startled Cry
"The ghost Of the Trethericksw
| "Hushw said Hamish, sternly, "Don't
you comprehend? She is no ghost. Char.
coal has done it."
Mrs. Tretherick did comprehend, in
spite of this somewhat inc0herent ex
planation. Being a woman. OF eXpedi
ence, after moments silence, she said
"Bring her down stairs. This is nc
place for the poor thing. PIl help you.'
But Hamish required no assistance
His trail burden seemed light as 6
FEATHER, and he bore it easily to the little
parlor below, where Mrs. Tretherick, de
| clining such assistance as was profferet
by the other inmates Of the house who
fnow came trooplng' about the door, had
soon restored a semblance of life to the
relaxed limbs OF her selt-imposed charge
Presently the soft, brown eyes opened
and an inquiring glance was swept ovel
Hamish's lace and his mothers.
| "Where am II" said soft voice. "Is
this heavenW
1Poor childl' Mrs. Tretherick kissed
the white lips tenderly. "You are will
friends; fear nothing"
| "Alas, have no friendsV
1 Such a sad, hopeless tone as 1t was
Tears rushed into Mrs. Tretherick'
eyes.
1--WE all have our sorrows OF one kin,
or another. 1t is the lot OF humanity"
"You look SO happy, SO serene, mad
am, can scarcely believe you hav
known. Il grief"
Mrs. Tretherick smiled.
"You would lind my heart full OF scars
If you could only see it. Let me tell yo
some of my troubles. i have lost tn
dearest husband. woman ever had
Three months ago believed myself t
be IA very rich woman; now Hamish an,
l must earn our brea1 from day to day ;
| At this the brown eyes opened, and
look Of interest frightened the palli
face.
"It must have been sad change for yo
from wealth to poverty"
every sadw;
"Wiil you tell me how it happenedw
sit is y long story. Our wealth wa
Inherited from my husbands Ia Ger.
new will, Of which nothing had bee
known, came unexpectedly TO ligh
u three months ago, and we were CON
PEELED to give up everything."'
A close intimacy grew up between tn
two women. lu less Than week the
. became like mother and daughter
Myrtle shared with the Trethericks i
any delicacy they we're enabled TO pre-
cure. and earned little money hersel