The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-02-10


 something supernatural in the room. and the equally undoubted fact that the app pearances and manifestations are con necsed with my grandfather, make me respect his desire to remain after death unmolested in what vas, in his lifetime, his favorife room."
 Laura was angry when she heard of this proposal. Did Jack, she asked, con sider her great-grandfather in the light of a common ill-bred ghost, one of those minimizing and vulgar ghosts who break the crockery, throw the furniture about, rattle chains, and arc disagrceable in the house! "Formy part,' she said, "I look upon the tenancy of this room by my dead ancestor as singular proof of the affection Tn which he continues to regard us. His spirit remains with us" she added, clasping her hands and turning her soft eyes, which were ss limpid as a pair of opals, up to the heavens, be cause he loves us still He Is oar guar dian angel, he watches over the house We are under his special protection, and l; VIC were to lose him, through any act of irrevcrence or intrusion, farewell! the luck of Meinbiing Hall "
 zck dcsIstec, though 10th to relinquish his intenle~ with the ghost. Indeed, when one thinks how seldom one gets the chance of talk face 10 face with d ghost, II Is not surprising that Jack was sorrowful when II vanished. have never myself had ssch talk, and with the ex- captions of friend who saw the ghost of Joe Morgan, another who was privileged 10 amuse Lady Kitty, and a third who re- eeived Lady Bab, think know no one who has actually talked with them. And, without going quite so far as certain learned counsel of my acquaintance, who ardently desires a half-hour's friendly in- terview with the devil, mus, say that there are many ghosts for whom one would suffer d great deal of inconveni- ence and time. Doctor Johnson, Enan- Asl .saMeasnhaIgs { saglIoslIa. Dl.laL Dee. Cotton Mathcr, George fsalmanAxar, the late Count ei Albany, Robespierre. and 0eraeiTus Agrippa, all occur 10 one m breath as most interesting ghosts, If they would only come am. talk m a friendly way and without frightening. one. Two or three days afterwards jack uied an- other hae. As he oould ..oi 5e ..iios. ed to sit dp .lH T IL and converse with the old ~at4 4hmaAes. he begged pefmission tast io see the loom. lie wet4sd nos sa II. only open the door and look round II b net, i-auf.. l.e said. -as II one wanted to % against yoaf ancestor ; ex- Pfess rus. but simply io Day kind oi- natk of respect-you know morning e..ll just 10 look al the place, not even to 20 mic the room."
 l believe that one Of the reasons why the Squire refused permission to spend the night n the room was that he WAS afraid of revelations You sec. he knew more than his children, he entertained well-iounded doubts as to the greatness of the House, he knew all abou, the shop, and II did occur to him that conversa- tion between his grandfather and son-in- law might be awkward. Fancy a poor relation turning up when you have been comfortably established for a generation and half, to remind your friends tha, the family crest was only forty years old or so. that the family history was fudge, and that the shop. the good, old, honest, despised shop, was the foundation, and not the restoration at all. of the house and fancy Membling asked to turn a guest into room where he might, and very probably would, be informed by the purchaser of Membling Hall how his money was made. -..Me have" the Squire nigh, have reasoned "a highly respectable family ghost. But there are reasons why that ghos, should be kep, in the family. and if il have disclosures 10 make or garrulous "reminiscences to pratt. tie upon, let these things be conveyed 10 the ear d d member oi the family only. Or. aS the ghost shows no inclination to leave his oan room. le, there be no dis closures at ali. There is al least no oc- easion to invite revelations about the shop.
 The leas, ghostly time in the whole day. take Il, Is the afternoon. Scances are always conducted after dark: old fashioned wizards used to conlurc up spirits at midnight; If devils. spec,res. iAfins, hobgoblins, lasted till the morn ing. they were gone al all events by dawn. The "garlsh light of day is pam iul to supernatural eyes they wink when Il begins. they wink horribly if they have to endure Il many minutes: long. long before noon they are away and in hid- ing. Who would have thought. then, tha, old Membling would have played the tricks he did. actually in the after noons You shall hear.
 l; was an afternoon in January-in the first week of the year. Snow was spread upon the fields. though 1t had melted on the roads there was gentle mis, rising from the earth. through which the sun was shining feebly, a blurred circle of pale glory without warmth. But the sun was already sinking and the pale winter twilight was going to begin. the mist and the white snow making It lighter than usual and yet ghostly, if one can use the word. of four-o'clock appearance afternoon ,ca-,,me manifestation. The light was strange.
 lack Dalmahoy and Laura. after lunch con, sat talking together. talking of the little noihines which please young lovers. Presently the conversation Jagged. Then some young and sprightiy devil. seeing the chance of doing little mischief, by firing Jacks imagination. which had al the moment nothing to work upon (be- ing tired of pretending imaginary perfec-