The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-05-14

"Ah, the aesthetic taste lacking. You
call this waste; but you don't under.
stand the art Of economy. This green
dish, that looks as if it were deformed,
and that cost me exactly five cents,
will look SO foreign and fantastic in
the garish light of America that my
friends will think I have brought them
bonanza. Besides, I like to spend
without counting the cost; l hate to
count my money. Ihate poverty, or
genteel sufficiency."
"1n other words you love luxury"
"Have l ever confided my love to
you? l love plenty, I confess. I
should die ofeconomy;itis is worse than
the gout for cramping one."
"You must marry q millionaire"
said Mrs. Adams.
"FiIst catch your hare" suggested
Ladislaw.
'There's the Herr Docter,"I heard
Mrs. Adams say in an aside to
Ladislaw.
"But he's not millionaire, nor to
caught with chaff."
wondered if the Doctors ears were
as keen Us mine; but his face betrayed
nothing.
I think it was in Heidelberg that
We met again our friend of the steam
ship, Mr.. Finch. We had climbed to
the Schloss, and found him seated in
a loop-hole, SO to speak, behind it's
curtain OF ivy, sketching the scene.
"Mr. Finch!" l cried.
eyes," said the Doctor; "a bird in
the hand"
"He looks more like one in the bush
just now," us he hoped down from
his perch to greet us with etfusion.
welcome to my studio," he said;
81 am just sketching the valley of
the Neckar in passing"
"What q lovely old ruin this is!'
said Ladislaw.
~ like to think of the lords and la-
dies who made love OH that old bal
cony in the sweet June weather." Mr..
Finch replied, cor when the moon
light overlay the valley, who are only
q handful of dust to-day"
81 suppose their ghosts walk there?"
asked Ladislaw.
Certainly. What's an old ruin
without q ghost?"
ooh! | wish l could see one!" l
cried.
The Doctor "pshawed." "You base
materialist! you do not deserve the
vision"
'If you will come up here with ME
some starlight night" vouchsafed Mr..
Finch, 1--WE may be able to unearth
one"
"And Mrs. Adams will come too"
said Ladislaw.
1t was Mr.. Finch who "pshawed"
this time, but beneath his breath.
Certainty" put in the Doctor.
"Alrs. Adams is as eager to see ghost
as yourself. You should extend to her
all the advantages OF foreign travel" /"
But, for all that, Mrs. Adams did
not see one. l met Mr.. Finch on the
staircase the following evening, and
we slipped out OF the hotel and up to
the Schloss, while the Others supposed
was writing letters in the retirement
of my own room. Was livery wrong?
dare say Mr.. Finch thought so. We
wandered up and about the old place
with its haunting shadows, startling
bats and owls and all sorts of night.
moths from the tapestry of ivy, while
he repeated ghostly verses and
whispered a good many ghostiy
nothings. And had myreward. For
while we rested i'll arecess that looked
out upon the dark sky and river, the
moon shot out O beam between the
clouds, and revealed the shadows ol
two figures OH the balcony.
''There, told you you should see a
ghost. You are not faint? 1t is really
only two lovers" said Mr.. Finch.
Was faint? Judge whether the sen.
sation that possessed me was fear or
pain. had recognized one OF the sliad-
ows as that OF the "Herr Doctor" As
they stirred and walked slowly out OF
sight, saw that the lady was veiled,
and leaned contidingly upon the doc.
tors arm. But what business was
that of mine? What was the doctor
to me, or | to the doctor? Plainly
! nothing.
II think we had better 90 down."
said presently, to Mr.. Finch.
"Those shadows that passed." he
said, "area noble lady who eloped one
dark night with her physician. They
have been dust these hundred years
but as punishment are doomed to re
trace their steps every night. Don't
you want to stay till we see the old
noble, her father, with all his retainers
and men at arms, stalk in ghostly
pursuit?''
"S'mother night" ! answered, frivo.
lousy. "1f Mrs. Adams finds an
not in my room"
"Whnt wO,lld she do2n
"Send the Herr Doctor after me-"
"And the Herr Doctoris not a favor.
ite," complacently, us we went slowly
down the steep.
Hay awake till late that night, won
dering who the yelled lady might he
The doctor looked very innocent next
morning, and SO did IL hope.
"Why do you look at me in that
tone OF voice?" he asked, when my
eyes had been involuntarily fixed up
on him for some time, trying to un
ravel the mystery.
~ was looking into vacancy"
answered, briefly.
Speaking OF vacancy, have you
seen Mr.. Finch today"
"N1r. Finch is highly aesthetic ma
ture," began.
"And you love the @sthetic-bird
of a feather!"
"By the way" l ventured, "why
didn't you come up and play cards
with us last evening""
"Did you wait for me?" he asked
regarding me gravely.
II can't say that l did. But / hate
to play with dummy"
"And did you play with dummy?
"Is this the New England Catechism,
Herr Doctor?"
1.-The New England conscience and
Catechism went out OF fashion, be
lieve, some time ago."
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