Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-06-10
WOODBURY. N. J., THURSDAY, JUNE TO-

there is such strange effect from the
sunset light We went down to the
hall, and he threw the door wide open
l saw nothing but the same low gray
clouds, the same wan gray atmosphere
that had depl essed my spirits all day
long.
's How stranger he cried. just as
reached the steps the clouds suddenly
parted in. the west, and blood-red
light illumi mated everything; trees
walls, stones, were crimson in the glow
T rushed in to call you and now it has
van shed as instantly as it came. But
how pale you look, Kate Are you i'll p
You may imagine that l felt heartily
ashamed of my folly. And yet, scold
myself as / may, never can be at ease
in this room when it begins to grow
dusk. always have horrible fear o
seeing those yellow spots and streaks
suddenly tuln blood-red again. Ol
course it's absurd; nobody knows that
better than I, but | can't help it."
Elsie sat looking thoughtfully at her
sisters's bugbear for a few moments
then her blue eyes flashed with delight
and clapping her little hands like q
child, she sprang from her chair, ex-
claiming, 81 have it, Kate dear, have
it; just the very idea. Well change
the old manteipiece completely with.
out using anything but a little paint,
and, moreover, not anger the old mans
ghost by even driving nail into the
beloved souvenir of his youth"
ssPaint!' asked Kate, deubtfully,
"I'm used to being helped out of diff
culties by your bright ideas, Elsie, dear,
but don't see how paint"
Don't you?" interrupted her sister.
quickly. "Of course not. else it would
be your idea, not mine Listen quietly,
then, to my superior wisdom'-draw
ing up her pretty figure with an air of
mock dignity as she spoke" and I'll
elucidate. You remember the pair OF
Sorrento brackets / brought home, and
| which you admired so much yester-
dayP"
Yes; but what have they to do with
my bugbearp"
"Didn't you say the inlaid-work
looked like painting?"
Yes"
"Well, then, here is my idea, my
brand-new, bright idea, ever so much
easier to carry out than my wise sis
ter's blistering of fingers and hammer
ing of thumbs. You see the long mar
row panel over the hearth?"
eyes"
"And the two oblong panels, one on
each side, and the little square panels
above themP"
"Well, what in the world have they
to do with Sorrento brackets?"
"Wait a minute. You see, too, how
very deeply sunken they are in the
woodwork, much deeper than should
think necessary, but just the thing for
my idea. I'll get very thin pieces of
wood to fit over them exactly, paint
lovely garlands of poppies, corn-iow-
ers and wheat on the long panels,
charming little bouquets on the square
ones, then you can have the rest of the
wood ebonized, and l assure you your
bugbear' will be far from the least
pretty thing in your drawing-room.
Where's your yard-measure, KateP'
and in q second her white fingers were
deftly taking the dimensions Of the
various panels
sThe system of modern humbug had
begun thirty years ago, Kate, This
mantelpiece isn't half so substantial
as the work put into the old mansion
century before. Why, the central panel
is really shaky; the wood has warped,
suppose; perhaps it ratified a little
the other evening, and your lively i'm
agination made you fancy you heard the
chink of money"
Perhaps so. I'm ready to admit
anything in sheer gratitude for being
delivered from the sight of those horri-
BILE streaks and splasnes. You're
jewel of sister, Elsie, and Harry
dear old fellow will be as delighted
as am. 1 know he has been on the
point of telling me to have it taken
away dozen times; then the recollec-
tion of his uncle's last words stopped
him. | wouldn't have had it demolished,
much as it has tormented me, but your
idea will make a complete transforma-
tion. Yes, it will be lovely. / can see
it in my minds eye already"
"And you shall see it in reality in ten
days. / sha begin as soon as l get
home tomorrow, and work like Tro-
jan to deliver you from your ghostly
visions. Such funny thing for you
to be superstitious. Kate"
Mrs. Van Schenck to Miss Elsie Her
ton:
"Oh, Elsie, my darling, lam the hap
piest little woman in the world, and all
through your idea Let me try
whether / can tell the story intelligibly,
for it all happened scarcely two hours
ago, and sit scribbling, while my lord
and master. like the king in Mother
Goose's rhymes, is counting out his
money / really feel giddy with the
sudden plunge from dread of approach
ing ruin to the possession of wealth be-
yond our dreams; and just here let NE
assert that really did hear the chink
of money that ghostly afternoon.
sHarry brought the box of panels
down from the city, and after dinner I
pretended l could not wait till to-mor-
row to try their effect, and begged him
to open it. I really only did so to divert
his thoughts from his business cares; he
looked so white and sad, poor fellow,
that | had little interest enough even in
laying my ghost. He hesitated mo-
ment, then said: have something to
tell you, Kate; but it can wait till we
have seen Elsie's pretty work And
added under his breath, but l caught
the words: Trouble will come to her
soon enough, poor child
ave easily wrenched off the lid, and
Harry really seemed to forget his wor-
ries a moment while admiring the
lovely garlands and bouquets. I'm so
glad you chose morning for the
| little square panels. I never saw any
thing so perfect as the way you have