The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-05-30

breakfast
The eyes Of Mrs. Griffin searched
his face, but she said nothing. Meth
er did he.
"I'll not let her triumph over me-"
he bravely resolved III try it anoth
sr night. Beside, poverty drives me to
it,"
Throughout the day Thompson's
thoughts were not upon the ribbons
which he was selling, for he was a clerk
in fancy goods store, and when bed
time finally came, he perturbedly
sought his room. This time he dis
carded stimulants to bolster up his
courage. 1t was rather late, and he
read a while before retiring. Then
he carefully examined every portion
Of the room, but could discover moth
ing unusual or unaccountable. Get
ting i,to bed, he reached for the lamp,
blew it out, and sat ton a chair.
The moment he did SO the pheno.
menon appeared exactly as before, and
in nearly the same spot-a great glow
ing eye, that seemed to burn into. his
Probably Thompson would have
had fits Or spasms if relief had not
soon come to lis overwrought nerves.
AS he gazed, spell.bound with horror,
the thing moved slowly away as be.
fore, AMI disappeared. Thompson nerv-
ously lit the lamp, resolved not to en-.
dure the darkness at least. His first
impulse was to fly from tho room but
the idea Of free board for a month sug-
gcsted itself to him so sweetly that he
could rot bear to relinquish it. Be-
side, he felt bolder in the light, and
resolved to be man. Musing over ii
he fell asleep.
At breakfast his paleness caused re.
mark, and his nerves were not entirely
under control. He spilled his coffee
repeatedly, and his appetite did moi
seem good. During the day his troub
led spirit found no rest, yet he brave
ly resolved not to give it up. Anoth
er night would he face the horrors o
the haunted chamber.
He retired early, blew out his lamp
and lay with wide open eyes awaiting
developments. No luminous disc a ap
peared and he congratulated himsel
thereat. He began to doze at length
and would have dropped off into sleeI
had not faint glimmer of unearthlN
light started him, He sat up wildly
in bed, and gazed upon the we'll re
membered spectacle. The refnlgen
spot appeared in a further corner o
the room and slowly moved to the pos
ition which it had occupied on the pre-
vious nights and there it shone anc
glared like very demon flaming from
the lower regions. Thompson's blooc
curdled and he could scarcely repres
q shrek of horror. just then Sigh
sound met his ears, as if of caution
footsteps across a bare floor, followed
by subdued whisperings. Gradual,
these grew louder and then there wa
an explosive sound. Thompson knel
the nature of that sound too well to.b
deceived. 1t was
"a large amount of lovers bliss
Let off in one tremendous kiss
and it sounded as if it came from a.
adjoining room. Then he heard tn
voices, loud enough to be distinct
understood.
"Sute, don't do the like of thai
Barney" said one, reproachfully.
"Why not, me darling," said tn
other "sure it's good to take, an
harmless as pure whiskey,"
! "If they're ghosts" thought ThomT
son "they'ro quite earthly in thei
, brogue."
The voices were here lowered, an
; Thompson could not distinguish tn
, words but he concluded that tn
] speakers were in the adjoining room
. But why were they so plainly hearC
, He arose to investigate. In one col
ner, partially hidden by a shelf, was
round, stovepipe hole leading into tn
/ room from which tho voices proceed
5 ed. ea
. The mystery was explained.
' The round spot of light had bee
|. thrown through this hole from lam
in the next room,
[ Thompson moved table beneat
< the hole, climbed upon it, and locke
s through, There sat Barney, the maj
!. servant, and Kate, the maid-servan
;. courtiug in vigorous style. The ROOF
i was used for storage, and the coup
o had used it for trysting place. Q
j, barrel stood the lamp which ha
caused all the trouble,
d Thompson was worldly wise, and
O he staid ont his month of free boar
IS silently, Then he explained to MI
e Griffin the phenomena which hS
n previously scared away dozen boar