Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-01-30


which you might SO easily have known
if YOU had not been so stupid, runs thus:
NV mamma and Mr. jerks were form
eriy near neighbors, and Mr. jerks fell
violently in love with mamma, and Of
fered her marriage, and mamma refus-
ed him, and Mr.. jerks went mad, and
one day he presented a pistol ct his
head, and"
Good gracious
"Would have killed himself, but
omebody knocked him down, and the
pistol went off, and mamma was stand
ing close by, and
"Mercv on mel
"Was nearly killed--with fright.
Then, when Mr. jerks came to his
senses, he was SO sorry, and though he
couldn't have mamma for she married
papa, and he lived many years. yet he
made a will in mammals favor, leaving
her every thing. He told mamma SO
positively one day when he was poorly,
taking some Cruel Then he died; but
though search was made, high and low,
no will could be found, and a rich old
heir-at-law came in for every thing.
And there's the reason mamma cannot
bear that place. And, please, what is to
be done?"
It was a curious story. and had not
heard a word of it before. And as to
what was to be done, that was puzzle.
| could move, of course, but where to,
and with what prospects of doing better,
and where were the costs Of removal to
come from? So | said | must argue
the point with Mrs Barton, and this |
did, and having overcome her scruples,
il was agreed the marriage should take
place at once, and that we should all
live together and face the ghost II need
be, and, which were of much more I'M
portance, the difficulties of the situation.
And so Lucy and were married, and,
Of course, were supremacy happy: and
it was not until three writs had been
served upon and four lawyers letters
been sent me, and the gas company had
cut off the gas, and the landlord given
me notice to quit, that with just little
feeling of apprehension we began to
consider what next.
One night, after rather long confer
ence on the state Of affairs, when Lucy
had apparently fallen into a deep sleep,
[ reused up suddenly, fancying | heard
a sound below. Very gently rising, so
as not to wake my wife. [ left the room,
and looked down the stairs into the
shop. A little light entered through
some apertures at the top of the shut
ters. and to my establishments and alarm
| saw a figure in white behind the cOun-
ter, in the act, as it seemed, Of opening
one of the canisters Was it Mr.. Jenks's
ghost? The light was insufficient to show
me more than the bare outline of the fig
ure, and the slight movement of the
arms. | watched with rather a beating
heart. confess, for a minute, and then
[ thought that before seeking closer
quarters with what might be an appari-
ton. but which much more probably
was q burglar in his shirt-sleeves. [
would don some garments ; so. refrain
ing from going back into the bedroom
and frightening my wife, [ went to an
upper room and procured some there.
Then | again descended, and the figure
was gone. went into the shop all
in order. So, much marvelling. | went
to bed.
When next morning | told the story
my companions were scared.
q Let us go-let us get out Of the I'M
lucky place. said my wife, passionate
". Whatever there is, Harry. sell 1t
at an alarming sacrifice and then you
get a secretaryship under Government,
or judgesh;p in the colonies, or some
thing of that kind. Mammals sixth cous-
ms husband is-is-well,I forget what he
is, but there's some connection Or other
between him and member of Parlia
ment, and he must do something for
you. that's what it comes to. So now,
please, we'll 90 as soon as possible.
1t was painful, but it was necessary,
to explain to my dear young wife that
the bowers of her mammals distin-
guished relative, even should he be
willing to exert them, were probably
limited. Lucy would not believe it.
And the letter was written-and was
not answered. y
Well, now for the workhouse. And
upon my word | do think something
dreadful would have occurred, but.
A few nights on-again that sound
Lucy" I said, gently, but she did not
rouse, and thought perhaps had bet
ter not disturb her. 1t was quite dark
as [ very quietly dressed in part, and
then stepped out on to the stairs.
Again, a little light of very early morn
ing through the shutters revealed faint
ly white figure behind the counter in
the shop, its arms waving to and fro,
and its head bending over as though
speaking to-a customer. | strained my
eyes, but nothing more could | make
out than the head of the figure was
white.
cit must be the veritable jerks" |
said to myself and that is his night
cap. Where is the carving knife,
thought
One would have thought the appari-
ton heard me, for it moved aside, took
something and waved it in the air. 1t
was my shop carying-knife.
Presently the figure rose, and began
to ascend the stairs. 1t was hard
matter to stand my ground. but did,
and then | saw before me Lucy, my
wife She was walking in her SleeD