, 1886-07-10

And with this comfortable after-break.
fast skepticism, concerning all spirit
world manifestations whatever, / was met
in the passage-way leading from the din
ing-room by the sallow, loni, haired
Genius of the night before, who beck
oned me mysteriously aside into the par
lor.
What do you want?r l demanded i'm
patiently, sitting down on n hair-cloth
sofa, under a large steel-engraving of
Washington crossing the Delaware. The
Genius closed the door behind him.
you have beheld it." he said, in a
sepulchral voice.
"Beheld WHAT"
"a vision, a similitude OF the great
and mighty dead" and the genius glarcd
at me rather fiercely.
Yes. | have" said 1, sharply, a good
deal startled in spite of myself. II laid
it to the mince pie"
"Mince pie! Oh, what has that gross
compound in common with spiritual crea-
tions?' And the Genius wrung his
hands.
~The pie was good" said I, stoutly.
But look here Mr.. Raphael
smith, said the artist.
We'll, Raphael Smith, then, you seem
to be posted in this matter; tell me about
the ghost l saw last night, the second
one l mean, when l got into the wrong
room?"
"1mpious man. the first to venture I'M
idden into the presence of my crea-
tons" and Raphael scowled again.
We'll, l didn't stay long" said l, de-
p~recatingly.
Long enough to complete the work of
ruin. Look you" he grasped, clutching
my arm. by your foo~lhardiness, to use
ordinary language, you involved me in
great pecuniary loss, and l now claim,
as a slight compensation. the sum Of
So, 900"
And will you," said l, with consider
able establishment, "be kind enough to
explain, in very ordinary language, the
meaning of this very extraordinary de
mandf7
"Know them said Raphael, that l am
a sculptor, and live in this hotel. In one
of the rooms above is my studio"
Good"
Il had just completed a plaster model
for a statue of the late Judge lockwood,
which was intended to adorn the public
square of this town. My price was to
nave been IS, 200. Last night, you, i'll
starred man, dared to burst open my
s~tudio-door, and the strong draught of
wind caused thereby blew over my work,
and completely destroyed all my work
of months"
"Oh, what | saw. then, was n real
ghost. after all. Well, | own to being
pretty well scared. You art affected
me very powerfully -
Don't jest" replied Raphsstel. grimly,
NOR yet delay the paltrv r>cuniary com
pensation."
l was not wi; ..o1t experience in oe..-
ing wit, eeniuses. Had the statue peer
orf.-ed by the town, or anybody in it =?
; well no, not exactly. He couldn't say
that it had, and he further was obliged
to admit that no disinterested parties had
seen the work to judge its merits. Then he
reluctantly allowed that the landlord
might come in and arbitrate between us;
and so the upshot of the whole matter
was, that the 5000 was whitfield down
to $500, and the $500 melted into $50,
and finally a S. bill, with the promise of
a future order, should my native hamlet
ever conclude to erect an efigy to her
most distinguished citizen, proved suf-
ficient to mollify the injured artist.
A b~arrow-load of the late Judge Jed
woods remains, in plaster, was being
wheeled out the back way when / left.
On top of the heap of arms, legs, fingers,
ETC., lay a round bald head, with a nose
and one plaster eye attached. l thought
for a moment, as l passed, that a chalky
smile o%verspread the fragmentary feat
ures at the terror which they had in
spired the night before.-J. C. Joy in
Tid-Bits.