Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-08-05
THE HAUNTED MAN.

In a whisper mind in the gentlest, the
most signing uf whispers j tell you this,
In fear and trembling, too, all thhe. time.
for il might hear me.
The fact is, have been haunted for the
past five years L. the sinpleminded,
calmly living, seyenth-rate literary man,
who pens these lines; and my innocent
bachelor life has been made n torment to
me by something of which, as you see, !
only dare speak in whisper.
But let me explain lot me give you a
sample of the kind Of annoyance TO which
am subjected, ana during which il al
ways seems to me that that l can hear the
silvery tinkle Of very small kind OF
laughter floating about the room.
1t was only yesterday that l required
my daily COMMUNICATIVE dairy in
which | record the triHes Of my life and
note my engagements. 1t was gone.
The book lies on my study table, and
was put out by my loss | searched book
case drawers, in foios, among papers,
turned out my desk, got into violent pres
piration, went and bullicd the servants,
rose into towering rage, and at last
quite exhausted and Tuning with annoy
ance, l threw myself into mig chair and
found that diary.
Whore did find it?
III tell you. That little book lay in its
usual place upon the study table.
Now you may argue for week and you
will not convince me that some spirit had
not hidden that book away until it was
tired of laughing al me, when the book
was replaced
At another time | hear the servant
come up with my boots rs / lie in bed.
She bumps them down as servants will
bump boots down, and, in that pleasant,
semi unconscious way of which one lies
of n morning, | seem to see those boots,
and | wonder whether they have been
carefully dried for the previous day was
wet and | have had a horror of damp
boots ever since | read somewhere that
they were prolific source of catarrh. |
want those boots; | open the door to get
them, and they are not there!
Now, | am certain that they we're there.
| heard the girl bring them, but all the
same, after a few minutes interval, |
ring sharply and the maid comes and
knocks.
My boots I'm waiting for them"
say.
please, sir, they're out here" says the
girl, in an III used tone.
Whereupon | go Indignantly to the
door, with brush in one hand, into which
I have sayagely driven the fellow brush so
that they adhere together, and my hair all
down over my forhead.
Yes, there are the boots and put wrong
MS to rights and lefts ms a matter of
course.
Now, how did these boots get away and
how did thoy come back. For | am sure
the girl did not bring them back this
timo.
There Is another way in which I'm
terribly annoyed. Being Il regular bus
man / provide myself with a 3-penny
piece, a i-penny or 6pence, and place it
in my vest pocket ready for alighting and
paying without requiring charge.
DO You think / can find the coin when
require Il! If you do you are mistaken,
grope for with my glove on; | hunt
for 1t with my glove Off | dodge first in
one corner then in the other, and each
time along the intermediate channel; but
no, there rs no coin, and the conductor
ironically asks me il | want to keep the
bus all day
OF course don't SO ! tumble ont
twoShilling piece, drop my umbrella in the
mud and wait for change.
get my change ana | bound to the
pavement shore shore ont OF the muddy
river, after narrowly escaping a run down
10y hanson, when to my annoyance |
am minus glove. and yes, there IT lies
IN the middle of the road, ground into
the mud by the hausomwheel.
Only q woc, ago / had my breakfast
spoiled low Il letter which came hy most