The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-05-24

perfect orchestra was concealed be-
low.
"By--, I'll know the reason why!I
I'll see if a shotgun viii master you,
rascal!" shouted Mr.. Sterne furiously,
and the window went down with a
slam, and from muffled voice below
it was evident to Lucy that he was nc
tually engaged in getting that said
shotgun.
She forgot her momentary super
stitious fear in the far greater one that
he, whom she felt sure was no other
than Frank Allen, the doctors son,
would be shot and wounded by her
father SO she sprang to the door,
sped down the stairs and along the
hall toward her fathers room, in which
all was still.
Opening the door an extraordinary
sight met her eyes. The lamp was
burning, and in its light she saw Mr..
Sterne in his trousers and shirt stand
ing in the middle of the room, shot
gun in his hand, staring at the win
dow, with aface which was perfectly
white, while his eyes seemed about to
fall from their sockets.
"What is it, papa?" cried the girl in
terror, as she caught him ny the
arm.
Her touch seemed to arouse him
from his stupefacation, and he stag
gered back into a chair, the gun al
most falling from his hand.
Owe shot at many a rebel in the
war, and I've hit two burglars, but
there's no use firing at thing like
that" lie gaspcd, as the .perspiration
started in streams from his forehead.
AS he finished the sounds of the
banjo became fainter for moment,
then grew louder again, coming from
the right, and died away to left rs if it
was going around the house at railway
speed.
Faster and faster the phantom BAN
10 circulated around the place, until,
with an ear-splitting ping, it stopped
short and all was still.
Mr. Sterne sat staring at tho win
dow as if he still saw some horrible OBJ
ject.
"What was it, papaf Did you see
auything?" asked Lucy with trem-
or, as she glanced hastily at the win
dow.
| "Sesi saw a banjo floating in the
air before the window, and it came
straight for me as got the gun, and
then when it was within three feet OF
the window it sailed away, and the
devil, or whatever it was, playing all
the time"
BY that time the servants were
down stairs and knocking at the door
and Lucy had to send them back
again to their rooms with the assur-
ance that some one had been serenad-
ing her, although the cook shook heI
head and looked doubtfully over h9i
shoulder rs she expressed her opinion
| that
ut was moighty quare kind OF
music to play fur a young Teddy
Sure an it sounded loike fiddle from
the bad place
The rest of the night Lucy passed
with her father, whom she had some
difficulty in calming, but at last sue.
ceeded, she going to sleep on the bee
and he sitting in chair
The next morning he spent severa
hours in examining the walks and the
lawn, but at last abandoned bis search
] for any traces of the ghostly musician
OF the night.
Lucy puzzled over the matter al
day, at one time concluding that i
was trick Of the irrepressible Franz
in revenge for Mr.. Sterne's unyieldinI
Q opposition to his attentions 10 her, am
8 then abandoning the explanation 0
any human agency, because of the az
. parent .impessibility of the sounds be
ing produced by boy or man.
9 That night tire house was agail
Q aroused by the same mysteriou
sounds, which, however, were softel
y and did not continue so long, nor wa
e the strangely rapid circulation Of tn
q unseen instrument about tho house r,
II peated.
n But the next night it began Q
twelve with renewed energy, and wa
r only stopped by Mr.. Sterne at las
q growing frantic, and appearing in tn
., lawn with shotgun.
g He patrolled the grass for an hou
vowing he would shoot any one II
T. saw. But the most careful search di
Is not discover even cat upon which
10 vent his rage.
The next morning Lucy stole OF
ID before breakfast in a last effort to fin
clew to these remarkable occuxren
K es, and much to her establishment sh
r, found it.
N As she was walking on the lawn b