The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-06-21
THE DEAF GENTLEMAN.

nonsense, sald MOS. hudge. DOM
tell mel"
Mrs. Rudge stood up in the middle of her
kitchen. tall, rigid and inyincible as a female
grenadier The two maids quailed yisibly
"But saw it myself, ma'ain, said Jemi-
ma the cook
Nothing on earth but fog and cloud"
said Mrs Ridge.
81 seen it too, ma'am,' said the waitress,
of clear, moonlight night, when the air
was that clear you could eoant every star in
the sky. Something all in white, ma'am.
tNeighbor Dickles white heifer suggest
ed Mrs Rudge. 1T often breaks the
fence, and strays in"
All, but" triumphantly interrupted
Ellen, I" there amt no COW goin' as floats off
into the air."
Nonsense" said Mrs. Ridge, for the
second time.
''The boarders is all talkin' about it" said
Jemima, sturdily.
Well. said Mrs. Ridge, g let 'em talk"
Folks is gittin' that nervous as they amt
willin' to stir out after dark, except by twos
and threes, added Ellen.
They're deal safer from night air in
the house." said Mrs. Ridge.
And if you please, men," said Jeniima,
with a hysterical giggle, "I'd wish you to
understand, months warning from to-day
"On account of the ghost 2" said Mrs.
Ridge, lifting her eyebrows
WE'LL yes, ma'am, it is on account of the
ghost" said Jemima. "There is things,
maam, as no girl can stand, Aud when
house gets to be haunted
Hold Your tongue !" said Mrs. Ridge,
angrily. ''Of all fools, superstitious fool
is the worst, to my mind ~
She went briskly to work on her apple
dumplihgs, while the two maids bridling
and tossing their heads, departed on their
various duties.
Mrs. Ridge belonged to the much-abused
rank of boarding house keepers, that valiant
little army who fight the world under such
manifest disadvantages All her life she had
presided over red brick house in the city,
until the delicate health of her little girl rem
dered country mir and new milk necessity.
And then she changed her tactics, and took
roomy old mansion on the shores of the
Housatonic Ris II, for the benefit of summer
boarders.
1t came cheap,-on account, as the agent
said, of its size rendering it unrentable to
parties in general, and of a general state of
disrepair into which it had fallen. (Since
the rumor of supernatural visitations, how.
ever, people had darkly limited that it was
the Ghost which had kept Red Court Grange
so long in the narket.) And Mrs. Rudge
had grasped at it as decided bargain,
bringing some of her boarders with her
among the others deaf old gentleman who
bad recently engaged her best apartment.
"Going into the country ?n the deaf gen.
tleman had said, when, after many reiterated
shoutings, she had succeeded in making him
comprehend her intentions "Well, ma'am,
I've no objections to that. Give me q com.
Portable room and good fare, and I'd as soon
live under the trees as under the telegraph
poles"
Some other boarders had been of the same
opinion, and the vacant places of the disaf-
fected ones had been readily filed by adyer-
Using. Red Court Grange was comforta.
BILE place, and the hunting and fishing in the
adjoining woods were considered particular
ly fine, SO that Mrs. Ridges establishment
had risen into enviable distinction, when
chat unlucky Ghost precipitated itself upon
the scene and spoiled ALL
Nobody knew when or how it began TO be
whispered about No one could speak any,
thing definitely about il. There 1T was, q
vague rumor, an appalling shadow. And
the only person who could be said to be in
total ignorance of it was the Deaf Gentle
man.
"Ihope to goodness nobody will tell him."
said Mrs. Ridge, despairingly, after she had
received notice from three of her lady board
ers that "that they should not require the
apartments after the first of the following
week. because / know he's little in
clined to signs and tokens and superstitious
ideas. He got up from the table as pale as
chalk yesterday, because some one spilled
the salt; and I've known him to come back
from walk, before he had got thirty rods
away, and stay in the house all day, because
poor little gray rabbit ran across his path,
just that and nothing more Aud if ever
he should get to hear of the Ghost he'd leave
me right straight off,
Captain Pilchard, however, straight,
stout are-shouldered naval officer, laugh
ed scornfully at the idea of the Ghost
"A pack of rubbish" said he.
"Just exactly what I say myself, Captain
said Mrs. Rudge, with tears in her eyes.
" But they won't one of them believe me.
And my hoarders are giving me notice to
quit, and for all can see, lifting her apron
to her eyes, 81 shall be ruined, and all for
no fault of my ownl"
Madam" said the Captain, who was moi
without sort of untutored chivalry of his
own, "dont be afraid. I'll settle the Ghost
for you'll"
81 wish to goodness you would, sir" said
Mrs. Ridge.
II will" said the Captain.
"But please don't mention it to the Deaf
Gentleman" imploringly added Mrs Ridge.
II WON'T" said the Captain.
Because of all my boarders," pursued
the poor woman, she's the best and prompt.
est pay, and gives the least trouble. And
think it would go to my heart to part with
himi"
GAN right, ma'am," said the Captain.
And Mrs. Ridge returned to her house
keeping cares with a heart many degrees
lighter.
"Of all good, kind, thoughtful creatures"
she said fervently to herself, "that Captain
Pilchard is the kindest |"
And when Mrs. Waterford came to tell her
that afternoon that she and Mr. Waterford
and the three Miss Waterfords had decided
to go straight on to Newport, instead of re-
naming, as had been their original intention,
at the Grange until September, Mrs. Ridge
heayed deep sigh.
is it ON account of the Ghost, ma'am?'
she said, spasmodically