The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-09-03
A FASCINATING GHOST.

WANTED--A young gentleman who knows
how 70 spell, and who writes good hand, To
do copying in the country for two or three
months. Must remain In employers house.
Address in own hand, stating what salary IL
expected, X, box 400, this Office.
This was an advertisement cut out Of the
Epening Post one spring afternoon. For half
All hour had stood the vOclfer0us offerings OF
Fourth editions" and Extras" without num-
Der, and for half an hour sheets OF various pO.
itical compilations had been thrust under my
nose without effect, for had been out Of em.
plOymcnt 80 long that my stock Of money was
nearly exhausted, and It had been good
many days since | had allowed myself the
luxury of q paper. But at last was overper-
suaded by remarkably small but pertinac'
ious newsboy, and for fear of further tenn ta.
tons put the paper hastily IN my pocket and
went home.
As | looked around my room tina. evening
realized how bare 1t was of either furniture
or adornments; how unlike All, well, there
was my paper; and unfolded ii with all the
glee of a child over new story book. There
was, of course the usual political news, the
usual number of railroad accidents and Grim.
inal proceedings; there were items Of interest
to inventors and theatre-gOers and travellers !;
but nothing for me. I had no money to in.
vest, or for theaters or travelling. SO skip
ped all that and went on to the advertisements,
and the only one of them all worth reading
was:
WANTED--A young gentleman who knows
how To spell, and who writes good hand 10
do copying in the country for two or three
months. Must remain IN employers house.
Address in own hand, stating what salary is
expected, X, box 400, this office.
| read it two or three times, and then dccid-
ed 1t was worth trying. So | hunted up a
sheet of paper and addressed X. as follows;
"MY DEAR Mr., Mrs. OR Miss X--I notice
your advertisement in t0day's Issue Of the
Ecening Post. My handwriting you ian see
for yourself My spelling, think, Is usually
correct, and there is no doubt l am a gentle.
man. AS to salary, don't know what to say
Il don't wish to value my services at more
than they're worth. Should you mean by re-
main in employers house that l would be
boarded and lodged at your expense, my price
that il, asking price,-is five dollars II week.
Yours respectfully, JAMES w. WoICoTT"
The next afternoon heard from my friend
X who proved to be man. His letter ran
thus:
JAMES w. WoLCoTr, ESQ My Dear Sir !:
You may he u gentleman, write u good hand
and know how to spell, but you're fool.
inclose sixty-threc cents, the fare to -. You
will take the seven A. NJ. tram tomorrow
morning from the Grand Central Depot, and
when you arrive at - ask for my carriage,
as it will be there to meet you.
"Yours, ETC., Sol HUMpHrHys"
Sol Humphreys the last man in the woHld
| would voluntarily have written to. and for
employ meni, too! Two years before had a
very nice little Irritation with pretty Mabel
Humphreys, and 1t had gone so far that If the
crash in my affairs had not occurred believe
there might have been an understanding if
not an engagement. But as 1t was, / put away
all thoughts of love and love making and
dropped pretty Mabel very suddenly. withou.
any kind of an understanding, and | had not
seen her since. And now TO think had fairly
got myself into it again. But. | reflected |
might not see much of Mabel, after all. So
much the better. Bread and butter was a ne
cessity and | would go and mako the very
best Ot It.
The next morning | caught the tram, but
missed my breakfast, and by the time reach
cd the house WAS decidedly hungry
Mr.. Humphreys met me at the door. and
was pleased to see he did not seem to rcmem.
Der me at all He put up his eye glasses and
inspected me from head to foot.
so you're james w. Wocott, are you,
young many"
| told him he was not mistaken. l always
had that name-born with it, | believed.
After breakfast Mr.. Humphreys led the way
into the library, aud m0tioned me to take
chair while he explained what my work was
To be. He had been writing history, or text
book, of fern-he was an enthusiastic bOtanist
and wanted it copied for the press. The work
of rewriting the whole thing legibly was more
than he wished to undertake, 50 he had adyer
tiscd for nm amenueDsis
49,, hal ala, Il
Humphreys started up. Get your hat, MIR.
Wolcott want to show you around"
All through the house and all over the place
he took mt, and when he go. To The farther ex-
tremity of the grounds he paused and point
ing to huge stone house beyond, said:
"l'm trying 10 buy that house; I'm very
anxious 10 yet 1t, but my daughter seriously
onjcct,."
asked HIM why she objected.
"Well. you see II hash been occupied late
ly, and she says IT'S gloomy; says IT'S haunted,
and she wouldn't like To live in it,
MISS Humphreys can't really believe that
to he true" answered.
81 don't know whether she does or not She
is away now, but will bc home tomorrow, and
perhaps will he more reasonable"
The next day Mahle arrived She met me
politely, went through the Introduction grace
fully and acted rs il she had never seen me
before. There was not the slightest glance OF
recognition; she evidently intended to consld-
or me recent acquaintance. With curious
inconsistency could not help being little
disappointed, while at the same time | was
immensely relieved. don't know what had
expected start, a blush just the shy, pleased
look of girl toward an old friend not yet
forgotten; nor was II haaghtlness, hardly veil.
ed anger, disgusty Whatever had expected,
got nothing at all but pleasant, meaningless
words great polieness. great civility. l had
nothing whatever to do with, and could have
no interest in, the intimacy that formerly ex.
listed between Mabel Humphreys and James
w. WOlco,t. he was one man and was an
other. Aud 40 the days wen, on aud she was
always friendly with her fathers copyist