The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-09-23
A FASCINATING GHOST.


wv how to spell, and who writes good hand, Il
90 copying In the country for two or three months
Must remain in employers house. Address in owl
hand stating what salary is expected, *, Box 140o
this office.
This was an advertisement ] cut catoi
the Evening Post one spring afternoon.
In the old days | had been book-keepgl
for the late concern of Skinfjnt, Starve-
himout g. Co., and while with them
had been getting good salary, and, to
my sorrow be it said, lived pretty well
up to it; so as / made nothing by the
failure Of the concern, and lost my place
rs well, had to come down very low.
l had saved little, more by good luck
than from forethought, and this little,
used with the strictest economy, and
added to by few dollars made here and
there in odd ways, was all that had kept
me alive for eighteen months. However.
l didn't feel quite disposed to go to the
dogs yet, for there was always chance
Of something turning up in great city
like New York.
As l looked around my room that
evening I realized how bare it was of
either furniture or adornments; how IN
like. All, well, there was nay paper /;
and unfolded it with all the glee Of d
child over new story-book. There
was, of course, the usual political news.
the usual number of railroad accidents
and criminal proceedings; there were
items OF interest to investors and theater
goers and travellers but nothing for me.
had no money to invest, or for theaters,
or travelling. So | skipped oil that and
went onto the advertisements. and the
onl y one of them all worth reading
twice was the advertisement quoted
above.
L read it two or three times, and then
decided it was worth trying. So I hunted
up sheet OF paper and addressed x
as follows:
"My Dear Mr.; Mrs. on Miss X: / notice
your advertisement in to-day's issue of the
E0enSng Post Myhandwritng you can see for
yourself: My spelling, think, is usually cor
rect, and thelg is no doubt am gentleman.
AS to salary, / don'tknow what to say don't
wish to value my services at more than they're
worth. Should you mean by remain in emf
ployer's house, would be boarded and lodged
~ your expense, my prlce-that is, asking
E Yours respectfully, 4
"JAMEs W. WoLooTT."
The next afternoon | heard from NV
friend X, who proved to be man. His
letter ran thus
JAMES W. WoLooTT, ESQ.,:
My dear Sir-You may be a gentleman
write good hand, and know how to smell hnt
you're a TOOL. 1 inclose sixty-three cents the
rare to - You will take the O. m. train TO-
morrow morning from Grand Central Denot
ana when you arrive at -, ask for INV
carriage, as it will be there to meet you.
Yours, ETC.,
s. Sol. Humphreys"
Sol. Humphreys THE last man in the
world would voluntarily have written
to, and Tor employment, too! Two wears
before had very nice little filtration
with pretty Mabel Humphreys. and il
nad gone so far that if the crash in my
AFFAIRS had not occurred, I believe there
might have been an UNDERSTANDING n
not an engagement. But as it was /
put away all thoughts of love and love.
making and dropped pretty Mabel yery
suddenly, without any kind Of an undag
standing, and I had not seen her sinca
ana now to think ] had fairly got myself
into it again But, | reflected. I might
not see much of Mabel, after all. Sal
much the better. Bread ana butter VIA
q necessity and [ must go and make the
best of it.
The next morning I caught the train
but missed my breakfast, and by the
time reached the house was decidedly
hungry.
Mr.. Humphreys met me at the door
and I was pleased to see he did no.
seem to remember me at all. He pu1
up his eyeglasses, and Inspected m,
from head to foot.
$50 you're James w. Wolcott, art
you, young man?"
I told him he was not mistaken. j
always had that ame--born with it, ]
believed. .. -..
"And you think you're gentlemany.
l begged his pardon didn't thin
anything about it; it was a self-evident
fact.
The old fellow grinned. "suppos,
you come in and have some breakfast
You haven't had any, I suppose ?p
/ said had not. Ak&Ae
Well, come in and have some"
After breakfast Mr.. Humphreys Lee
the way into the library and rnotionet
me to take q chair. while he explaine(
what my work was to be. He had been
writing history, or text book of ferns
he was an enthusiastic botanist-and
wanted it copied for the press. Tht
work of rewriting the whole thing legi
bly, was more than he wished to under
take, so he had advertised for an amanu
ensis.
After this had been explained to me.
Mr.. Humphreys started up. "Get your
hat, MIR. Wolcott I want to show you
around.
All through the house and all over tn,
place he took me, and when he got t,
the farther extremity of the grounds he
paused, and pointing TO a. huge stons /
house, beyond. said: "Tm trying t,
buy that house; I'm very anxious to ges
1t, but my daughter objects.
asked him why shs ohiscted. u.s.
"Well, you see, it hasn't been occu
pied lately, and she says it's gloomy
says it's haunted, and she wouldn't Iikt
to live In it." sf5H 4
Miss Humphreys can't really believ,
that to be true" I answered.
don't know whether she does O
not, She's away now, but she'll b.
home tomorrow. and perhaps she'll be-
more reasonable" w ftS
The next day Mabel arrived. She me
me politely, went through the introduc
ton gracefully, and acted as if she hat
never seen me before. There was no
the slightest half-glance Of recognition
she evidently intended to consider m,
a receat acquaintance. With curiou
Inconsistency I could not HELM being
little disappointed, while at the same
tlme1 was immensely relieved I don't
know what I had expected-a start
blush, just the shy, pleased look Of a
girl toward an old friend not yet forgot
ten or was it haughtiness, hardly yelled
anger, disgust? Whatever / had ex-
pectedd, l got nothing at all but pleasant,
meaningless words. great politeness.
great clylllty. 1 had nothing whatever
to do with, and could have no interest
in, the intimacy that formerly existed
between Mabel Humphreys and James
w. Wolcott; he was one man and I was
another. And SO the days went on. and
she was always friendly with her fathers
copyist