Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-10-28

house and discovered this fact, were
afraid TO come out again. This idea
made him more shaky and chilly
than ever. What If he should see
both ghosts with q whole family OF
little ones coming round some OF the
bushes towards him He forgot en-
tirely, or perhaps never knew. that
such . thing as two ghosts haunting
a house, much less q family OF them.
was altogether unorthodox. Isaac
conld not stand this agony OF fears
any longer. He was afraid TO go
home BIZ himself, and he was afraid
to stay at the gate by himself. SO be
TO get into the house Is
quick as he could. Even il he vas
to be scared to death he would like
TO share his fate with somebody else
And so he silently slipped up the
path, his heart quaking as be passed
each bush from behind which the
ghostly household might lump out
upon him. And then quietly, and
trembling IN every joint, he slowly
opened the door and entered the
house.
This door opened directly into the
kitchen of the mansion, and, standing
in the shadow of great cupboard,
near the entrance, Isaac saw a sight
which somewhat astonished him.
There was nothing gaosily about the
scene, and that perhaps surprised
him more than anything else, for mis-
mind was prepared for the contem,
plation Of something weird ana
dreadful. Opposite to him was a
large open fire place with wood IRE
blazing on the hearth, and' an iron
potsuspended from the crane over the
flames. A candle stood on the man
tel-piece, and its light, together with
that of the fire, dimly Illuminated
the large room. In front of the fire.
place, some on chairs and stools, and
some On the floor, sat the party
which had left the store. On one
side of the hearth, with her face half
turned towards him, Hannah sat on
a low stool. She seemed to be telling
a story to the villagers, who were all
listening with great avidity.
Yes" said Hannah, Il soon
found that it was a hard thing for
woman to get along when her hus
band had gone off and left her. And,
when had sold my furniture, piece
by piece, things got so bad and l had
so little work that I thought must
60 somewhere else if l wanted te
make a living. And then my eyel
giving out made it still worse. Ii
couldn't get coarse work to do,
could do nothing at all. And so
came here, knowing there was q mil
here, and there might be bags &c
make, and you all know what hare
times l have had since first entered
this village. II it hadn't been fol
this house l wouldn't have had
place to shelter me. lam not throw
ing this up to you at all. / suppoe'
everybody is alike about these things
but It Is all owing to the ghost that
have even kept this roof over m!
head. If he had left l should hav'
had to have gone too. He was tn
best friend had in the world, for b.
gave me q house to live in. Blu
things have been so bad lately tina
have even had to give up tn
ghost!"
Here the attention of the compan,
became very marked indeed. Wa
| Hannah a snirif nowS
II expect" Hannah continued
THAT / shall now have to leave thi
place, and where ! shall 60 I am sur
don't know. ] suppose sOmebod,
will soon want this house, for Their
isn't q ghost here any longer.
The attention Of the party grew
positively painful.
"Yes, you'll never see him again
had to have something to eat, AM
be 10 now cooking in that pot!"
Half the company sprang to thei
feet. and the rest trembled en- II
floor.
"Ohl you needn't be frightened.
said Hannah, . grim smile spreadiD
over her face; "it 10 only Q rabbit
q big white onel"
After q second of bresthless a
tonishment the company broke int
clsmorous outcry. Some laughed
some doubted. some couldn't under
stand it at all, and some had Away
understood it. Everybody talked
and nobody listened. Some wer
angry, but most were amused
When. at last, comparative quiet va
restored, Hannah explained.
She had really thought 1t was
real ghost when she came there, bu
she must have q house to live IL
ghost or no ghost. She had oul
been there Q few days, however
when she discovered that the spir
was only white rabbit, butshe keT
the secret to herself in order to s.cur
q lodging. At last, a. she had cal
before, being entirely out of foot
she was obliged to trap the rabbit
which was very tame, and make
stew of him. And il was the clatte
and fall of the old box that she use
for Q trap that had frightened th
boy Abe that night, when he cam
i TO tell her the miller had no moi
bags for her to make. .
Now" said she, "you hav
heard il oil. I hoped you wouldn
ind. it out; but it cant be helpe<
now it's done. Ill have . suppel
and something to eat Tomorrow, a
maybe rext day, for It's . big rabbi
and then I suppose eomebodv vi
take thu, house, and I'll have to 60.
i The party steod quietly. Nobod
said enythlng. for nobody had IN.
thing TO say. 6evefak0f them though
thai the house was . very good on
J | and might be got cheap:
i Hannah leaned her head upon b.
hand. .sI suppose you don't believ
what I've told you, said Oh
People hardly ever do believe
lone woman, when she b . strange
Il IL no use saying I'm respectabl,
when I've got nothing TO show for ]
A married woman without an
money, and no way Of making AM
can't expect much when her husban
goes on and deserts her."
Il but reckon he can come BAG
again. Hannahl" said Isaac Harri'
striding across the door towards II
fireplace.
i Mrs. Harris sprang to her feet.
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