The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-04-10

brain. Are the drains wrong2"
 The drains are right-it is the chm- ney which is wrong. The sweep infests the chimney"
 What chimney?'
 The stack belonging to the state rooms You may have observed gilly- flowers grow out of it.
 |" l don't believe word of it, said Mr Cordcr impatiently. don't and won't believe in ghosts-no educated people do give credence to these foolish super stitions"
 Exactly said the lawyer. also do not believed word about the sweep but unquestionably our domestic ser wants are not so highly educated as to be superior to vulgar terrors, and it has been found impossible for any one to re- tain their servants who has tried tO live at The Views
 But who k this swcep2 What is he? When did he live? Or rather, when did he die?
 The story is not romantic and the incident is not very remote Some five and-twenty years ago i'll the late propri etors lifetime an unfortunate sweep engaged in cleaning the chimney> of the state apartments fell in the chim- ncy. He had been to the top and looked out; i'll descending a brick gave way, it is supposed, under his foot, and he fell the whole depth of the tlue and broke his neck or back. or both, and died an hour after 1 remember the circum- stance. After that popular superstition would have il that the sweep hauntS the ,l C Pyl.: I Il iS to be heard creeping up one Hue and down another, and sometimes as falling He Is said to have been seen at the top of the chimney, looking out and waving his brush Also on moonlight nights, to have been observed in some of the state rooms seated on the stone fender in a pensve attitude, with his head in his hand
 And pray said Mir Cordcr, with de- cision in his tone, :" is he surrounded by phosphorescent light, and does he ex- hale the odor of brimstone?'
 Oh, dear, mo- answered the solici- tor He is very black and smells strongly of soot D
 :" If the ghost had been figure in chain mail. or d woman in white. there would have been some satisfaction in having ones house haunted; it would give it responsibility, unused Mir Cor der. But-a chimnev-swcep-a chimney-sweep that only died tother day. "Tis veXing
 Come along Charles he said after q pause, to his son, and rose from the chair We must be off and to The News. How about these other parties, no N-- tli., (
 You mean Mrs White and her daughter" answered the lawyer. "Of course they leave You have only to give them notice that their services will not be required, and they must depart l am sorry for them. Mrs. White is an excellent lady, highly regarded through out the neighborhood, much respected by the county people, If, sir, you could possibly retain her in any capacity in the house, believe it would give gen eral satisfaction, be q kindness to her and that you would not regret it vour- self; a more trustworthy honorable, la- dy-like person l do not know. If you had desired a housekceper-
 " do not want one. said Mir Corder, curtly
 When Mir Cordcr and his son were in the street. Charles" said the former we must go at once and give the old woman and her girl notice t0 quit We'll do it as genteelly as we can, but we'll do it.
 So Mr. torder and Mir Charles went to the wing of !" The YcwS inhabited by Mrs. White
 That portion of the house inhabited by Mrs White was completely cut off from the other portions The fate owner had at one time contemplated the conversion of the mansion into two res idences, believing that by this means he would be better able to find tenants To effect this, and to make both dwell ing equally convenient, he had walled up doors communicating between the parts of the house in such manner as to give one of the state rooms on each floor to each tenement. Thus the part oc cupied by Mrs. White had large and handsome room on the ground floor and another on the first floor, and the same with the wing occupied at present by Mir Corder and his son.
 That gentleman when admitted was surprised and impressed by Mrs White; he found the old woman,' as he had deSlgnated her, to be a lady with sweet face, mddle-agcd, but we'll preserved, with the manners of cultivated society. Mir Charles Corder was not less sur priSed by the girl Miss Mabel White --a very pretty girl of eighteen Selt-po>- sessed, and with plenty of conversation
 Mir, Corder at once felt that his posi- ton was difficult; he was conscious of his social inferiority, and nervous be- cause obliged to turn this charming lady and her daughter out of the house
 He talked about the weather, about the gardens, about the greenhouse, about the furniture about the neighborhood and the neighbors; incidentally he learned from the widow that there was a baronet within five miles who had three unmarried daughters and he resolved mentally that his son should marry one of them