The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-04-26

tention to my companion, who was
looking much amused, "can hardly
keep from laughing; but he should bear
in mind that at the time | had not the
least reason to suspect that there was
conspiracy between the three, and that,
therefore, when the wizard made men
ton of an aged person and female
and further when, by way of going
straight to business as he said, he Of
fered to write the name in full of the
deceased if l would set down the first
| letter, and he did so, right off, say it
wasn't very surprising if 1 began to
think that he was what he pre-
tended to be. 1 told him about the
/ hauntings, about the 'coachman,' and
nothing else, when he shook his head
and said he was afraid more had to fol-
low. The next manifestation, said he,
SIS the appearance toyou of the old lady
herself. By your statement | am sur
prised that you did not see her last
night. She was due. Probably she
will visit you tonight As have told
YOU, she had already visited me, and |
was more impressed than before with
his supernatural talent. [ asked how
many such appearances there were
likely to be, and he replied that it was
uncertain-it all depended on how soon
what the old lady required was ascer-
tanned and her wishes complied with.
''The sooner the better" said he, as no
doubt she would continue to trouble me
in some shape other and some of the
| shapes were such as shouldn't care to
1see twice-as long as she remained dis
satisfied. Could he give me any idea of
what she was dissatisfied with, and what
[ had to do with it? Not without COM
muning with her Would he do so?
For fee of E20 he would; but he was
afraid she would prove troublesome
subject, and it would probably take q
week. "Well, gentlemen" continued
the agitated chandler, Il am ashamed
to say that | thoroughly believed in the
fellow, and agreed to give him E5 down
and the rest if he fulfilled his promise.
| said nothing to Hamshire, though all
through the next week | was troubled.
some nights heard the meanings in the
wall, but the ghost did not appear
again. and at the end of seven days |
went to the wizard again. 1t was late
in the evening and he said he was ready
for me if | was ready for him, which, of
course, meant if had brought the E15.
| paid him the money, and then he adj
vised me, since what he had to show
me might give me a shock, to brace my
nerves with glass of brandy. | did as
he suggested and he seated me in q
chair and told me not to move, and then
he put out the lamp, making it pitch
dark, and in few minutes there began
to appear in letters of flame reflected
in mirror against the wall opposite
me the spirits message The letters
appeared one at time, quivering fol
several seconds and then disappearing,
and, speaking in the dark, the wizard
told me to remember the letters and
make out for myself what they spelled.
That wasn't very difficult. What they
spelled was: ''Give back to my
niece what have robbed her of, or
will haunt you to the end That was
all, but it was enough for me. | hardly
know how | got home, or what | did
when | got there. had only one thing
in my thoughts, and that was to obey
the 'ghOstly message and getmy peace
of mind restored. | lost no time about
it. The very next morning Ham
shire wife had come home from her
cousin's-I had them down and gave
up to them all the ready money old
Mrs. Ingledew had left me, and | gave
up the lease as well, asking nothing in
return but receipt for the property,
that | might show it to the wizard in
/, proof that had done what the spirit
required. But l wasn't to get off so
easy. My nerves had been so upset
that | had brain fever and came so
near to dying that Hamshire's wife,
when closely questioned by the doctor
as to certain things was always talk
ing about in my 'wandcrings.' in fit
of fright went on her knees and con-
fessed all about it, 1t was she who,
under her husbands directions, had
placed the 'coachman' in my bed. The
, horrible noises in the wall were made
, by cat, muzzled and suspended by q
string tied to its tail, and let down be-
tween the double partition of iath and
plaster, through a hole in the floor of
their room. 1t was she who acted the
ghost, which she could well do, being
: much like her aunt in features, or of
|, just her stature. She explained, also,
how that the wizard was in the con-
spiracy, and that the flaming letters of
the ghostly message were made with
phosphorus on the dark wall behind
me, and opposite the mirror in which
they appeared. The money was to be
I divided between them; but luckily the
division had not yet been made. 1t was
equally lucky for me that my doctor
:. was man of determination, and that
, he had lawyer friend of his own sort.
, Between them, and by threatening to
+ put the whole affair in the hands of the
police, they got back every pound OF
i my money, and that was the pleasant
news they had to tell me as soon as |
i got bit better and was strong enough
: to hear it. And here | am, after all, as
you see, and where Hamshire is you
I likewise have seen. As for the wizard,
, he hasn't been seen since. "-London
Telegraph.
"A week or two ago one of our best
, known peeresses gave her maid a
months notice, accompanying the
warning by smack on the face The
maid said nothing at the time, but
l brooded over her wrongs. On the day
that her month was up, after she had
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