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

old Mrs. lngledeW must presently leave
behind her. And she, like the weak
minded simpleton she is, listened to
and encouraged him, though she
dared not do so openly, for the old
lady, her aunt, though past eighty, still
had a viXenish temper, and if there was
one thing more than another she
strongly objected to it was Martha
getting married. But that didn't prevent
it. The aunts constitution seemed to be
at last breaking up, and Mister Ham
shire, thinking he had so good thing
in hand that he had best secure it with
out delay, pressed his suit with the
niece, and they were quietly married.
Not so quietly, however, but that the
old lady, who was bedridden by this
time, somehow heard of it, and was so
deeply offended that she made new
will in place of the old one, in which
the niece appeared as the legatee, and
seemingly with no other object than to
increase the bitterness of her relatives
disappointment she bequeathed, with
small exception, the whole of her prop
erty, including the shop business, to
past-middle-aged bachelor ledger, who
occupied room in the house slow
and harmless individual who lived on
a small pension paid him since his re-
tirement from some Government Office.
The exception mentioned was that the
niece was to have the furniture as it
stood in two rooms on the premises,
and the privilege of residing in them
rent free for the term of twelve months
after the aunt's demise. That event
happened about month after the Sc
cret marriage, and you needn't be told
that Hamshire was furious when the
will was read. He was first disposed to
quarrel with the fortunate inheritor, but
discovering what timid and nervous
person he was, and how easy it would
be to impose on him, he affected to
make light of the matter, and, with his
wife, took up his abode in the apart
ments provided for them, while Mr..
Wicks, the bachelor, having nothing
else in particular to do, resolved on car
rying on the chandlery business him
self. But now, having revealed somuch
to YOU" said my medical friend, in
conclusion, ''Mr. Wicks himself shall
tell you what next happened"
Mr.. Wicks, on whom we called that
same evening, was nothing loath. He
is an easy-going looking man, of short
stature, and so stout that the only indi-
cations of his shop apron being secured
by strings appear in the bow in front.
He has polished bald head, and large,
mild blue eyes, and is, | should Judge,
of Il nature 50 unsuspicious that if the
credit system is q recognized feature of
the concern he will probably extend the
business far beyond the condition in
which old Mrs. Ingledew left it, what
ever his ultimate profits may be. He
exhibited great trepidation when he
was informed that Mr.. Hamshire was
still resident in the neighborhood, but
became somewhat treasured when he
was informed that it was highly i'm
probable after what had transpired that
he (Mr Wicks) would ever be troubled
by him again. II am heartily glad to
hear you say so, sir" said the chandler,
"but one never knows what such a cum
ming rascal as he is may be up to.
pity his wife and forgive her, though
she did very nearly brighten me out of
my life by appearing to me as the old
lady's ghost. But no doubt it was he
who put her up to it, ''But it was
some time before you suspected him?"
My good sir. had no reason for doing
so. He used to laugh at my ridiculous
nervousness. well remember how he
laughed" continued Mr.. Wicks,
wincing a little still at the unpleasant
recollection, '''when found the devil S
coachman in my bed" Found what?"
"The devils coachman, sir. That was
the first of it, and it happened when
/ thpry boI hnn,, in bn,,1a
than week. Three nights in success
sion the confounded thing appeared
there, though of course | killed it each
time. | didn't know what it was called
till Hamshire told me. 1t is a-sort of
beetle, long and narrow. with two little
horns on its head. | showed the last
one to Hamshire, and he laughed and
said it was a good thing | was man
OF too much sense to believe in the SUI
perstitious nonsense ignorant people
put so much faith in. They call that
thing the devils coachman,' said he,
and they believe that it is sent by Old
Nick to make known to the person to
whom it appears that he will be making
a journey his way shortly | never was
q supersttious man." continued the
innocent chandler, land of course |
wasn't frightened, but | had lived in
the house a good many years, and such
a thing had never happened before, and
it wasn't pleasant thing to happen
now. | had the bedding all turned out
and the bedstead examined Ham
shire's wife used to attend to that sort
of thing, just as she had always done
and | saw no more 'coachmen, But
something great deal worse was in
store for me. Two or three nights
after, when had been in bed Il little
while and the clock on the mantel shelf
had just done striking twelve, | heard
sound that caused my head to bounce
up off the pillow as though it was an
India-rubber ball. 1t was the most
horrid dismal groan, sir, that ever was
heard by human ears, and it seemed to
come from inside the pillow. | am not
a drinking man; | never was. All |
had in that way all the evening was
one glass of warm rum and spruce after
| shut up the shop, so there could be no
mistake as to my being sober. The
sound was like that of q person with a
dreadful pain in his inside, and who
was giving vent to his feelings with his
lips tight shut to keep him from scream