The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-04-10

have chair? One tires so soon stand.
ing. You will find the old chair by the
cabinet comfortable-if anything car
be comfortable, she added, drearily.
/ certainly had no thought of going
TO bed and leaving the hoase and It's in
mates to the caprices of q mad woman
and turned invoIuntarilyt to tie corne!
she had indicated. IN Oh chair stool
there which, to nv reco lection. hai
not been out of it, place since
first rented the house. She had not
turned her head as she spoke, TO look
Cor Il, but referred TO its position with
perfect confidence as if she herself
might have placed it there. brought
it nearer to the fire and sat down, find
ing it as she had said. very comfortable.
As soon as l was seated she began in
low monotone and with many pauses,
to talk. but not more to me apparently
than to herself and for her own relief.
The quality of dreariness in her voice
that l had already noticed did not pre-,
vent its having n sort of minor music
which was far from disagreeable.
Il cannot help feeling that this is my
house. 1t was once, not quite two years
ago before I-died.
| gave start which she must have
noticed, for she repeated: Yes, before
/ died. / am 4 ghost. Does that
brighten YOU? Do not let i'll never
harm any one-I am only UNHAPPY"
She lifted her hand, and though il
was held between me and the fire, saw
none of the rosy color which freight
makes as it shines through translucent
human flesh and blood. She twisted
the wedding ring slowly round and
I round-everything that she did was
done slowly and 1ifelessly-and said
Sometimes wish to take my ring of,
it reminds me so; but | died with it on
and | must wear it. ="
While she had been speaking | had
called to mind the fact that the owner OF
the house was in reality on his second
wedding-iourney, having lost his first
wife within six months after their mar
riage. This must be the supplanted wife.
Having come to this conclusion, start
ing with the hypothesis that ghosts
exist, | was ready to understand when
she said:
He is very handsome, do you not
think SOP
] glanced at the portrait on the wall,
toward the original of which | began
to have distinct sentiment of dislike,
but | said, every handsome, to satisfy
her.
''He had dark gray eyes," she went
on, of all eyes in the world the dark
gray can saw the most. HE was very
lonely.when died; he travelled every
where; | was lonely, tool wanted tC
see him, and | used to come back some
times. He never saw me. but when
was near him he could not help think.
ing of me. One day l found him in his
room in little hunting-hotel in Swift
erland. When [ went into the room be
was reading, but soon he began to fee
my nearnesS. He threw down his book
crying. shall never be able to forget?
and left the room. He wished, then, tc
forget me- | had never thought Of
that. l had been happy before, in g
quiet way at the times when l was al
lowed to 90 to him, but that was nj
over. l never followed him again.
After that it seemed as if should die
of my loneliness and my longing to set
him."
looked up quickly as she spoke this
last sentence, a strange one for a per.
son already dead to utter, but she had
not noticed and went on.
''Since | could not be where he was
| came to the house where we had beer
so happy together. l wandered through
the rooms at night and looked out Of
the windows where we had stood SC
often and watched the sea; but never
disturbed anything. did not want the
servants to know that / came.
| thought had suffered all there was tC
suffer When we think that, there is
ALWAYS some new trouble on the way tC
us. One night found an open letter
on the table. 1t was in his hand, and
| kissed it. Them read it. 1t wa:
TO the housekeeper, directing her t.
rent the house. He was to be married
and to travel again"
There was a long silence. My hear
rose in pity for the poor young thing
who had believed in vows of ete-na
love and remembrance, and it grew
harder toward the original of the pOr
trait. l could say nothing of my own
but the words of Scripture fell involun
tarily from my lips: Like the remem
brance of a guest that tarrieth but 8
day" She paid no heed to this job:
comforting, but rested her chin upot
her hand and, with her eyes still fiHeC
upon the fire which was now indeed
nothing but emhers. went on:
II cannot blame him-he was lOnelj
and that was the only way TO help it
But they will come back and [ cannot
bear it, and so l shall he driven from
here. | wonder if she looks rs [ useC
to. If she did, ever so little, and
could know that that was what drew
him, how it would comfort me''
''I have net many wives since died
wives that lived with their husband.
nearly lifetime. and yet within a veal
their places were filled. They tell mt
that it is to be expected and that Lshal
grow used to it."
1T can not last forever, l know: bu
oh, Iwant TO see him so,'
l bent my head to hide the tears thai
gathered as the monotonous voice ended
in this plaintive cry. When l raised
nv eyes, sat alone; the armchair wa,
empty and there was nothing to REMIND
me of my guest except chill in the
air, as if the wind had swept through
the room sat still, thinking, think
ing, until fell asleep. In the gray o
the morning, l awoke. .---
Was it dream? 1 asked myself, bu
the two chairs stood there together tc
convince me that it was nOt.-Nary W
PlRmner, in Current.