Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-15

besugs, unfortunate applicants. sup
pose, standing around. Behind tbs
counter were . man and womao, and 60
the former, having prejudice In favor
Of doing business with my Own sex,
begottsn perhaps Of shyncss, ! applied.
He kept me waiting long time. Then
be looked over Q prodigioas ledger, ann
read me out numerous applications
which were perfectly useless. Atlsss.
however, be camc to ono which
thought would do. ] told him so, aud
b. shereupon invited me TO wait little
longer, ga the "youpg man" In ques-
ton was likely to call shortly. At FIRST
| refused, but on consideration | de-
cided TO 20 out and have my hsir cut,
and then to return and see il tho young
man vas there.
When came back. some twenty
minutes later, the small Office was full
Of people. AS entered something ia
The look Of the place and the attitude
Of the figures struck me as familiar.
But dismissed the idea at once. The
shopman came to meet me.
1.-The yourg man is here, sir" be
said, and be turned, with q wave OF hts
hand 10 figure behind him. The
figure advanced. It was tho figure OF
a good.lookipg boy rather than OF a
msp. slight and fair, and with the head
little dropping. As the boy raised
his face TO look at me started back.
Feature for feature, as clear as it could
be, it was the face / had seen in my
dYesm,
don't know what followed | don't
know whether my conduct appeared
very strange. / don't know what tho
boy said to me, or what said to him.
l have only q vague idea that generally
asstntsd to everything. And | know
that when / went home to Tullybar-
dane, Sydney Loeb went with me As
my man.
Tullybsrdane is a desolate place. 1t
lies IN narrow gorge which runs down
straight TO the shore. The bills slope
up OH either hand aud end in tumbled
rocks and caverns where the sea-fosm
breaks and the sea waves sing. The
old Grange is a rambling house. From
its windows you can look over the
beach, and only the falling gardens
separate you from it. On the right
band is the library, which faces down
a long avenue Of frs to the sea, aud
beyond the library stretches the de-
serted part Of the house, which for five
snd.thirty years l have been meaning
to repair. The library was rather a
gloomy room, communicating only by
long passage with the other inhabited
parts OF the house. Indeed, the whole
house was rather lonely. For myself,
| never minded that, but fancy it
struck my new servant as q bit soil.
tary and weird.
Now must tell you about the doings
of this young fellow. A day or two
after my return both my mother and ]
began TO notice something strange about
him. 1t was not that did not like
him, for took strong fancy to him
at once, and here, FIVE and thirty years
after, he lives TO this day, less. think.
Of a servant to us than faithful and
trusted friend. But certainly his be-
hayior was odd, and the lrst thing we
observed was this:
Ore afternoon was sitting with my
mother in the drawing.room. My mo-
her had ordered tea. Personally, ] am
sfIaid Of these unwholesome drinks,
and never have taken to that surrep-
titious fashion OF working in an extra
meal in the afternoon. But ! was sit
ting with her and talking very discon-
for felt thoroughly depressed.
Presently Sydney came in with some
cups Of tea on tray-a detestable
plan Of taking tea if you must take it,
but one to which my dear mother was
partial. lie handed the tray to my mo-
her, and be handed it TO me. Then, to
our surprise. he walked straight across
tberoom TO big armchair that stood near
he window and handed the tray to the
Empty chair. But the armchair, or its
occupant. refused it apparent
w., and the man withdrew.
am endowed with large fund Of
Scottish humor. and l burst out laugh
ing. My mother was equally per-
picked.
He must have thought there was
some one sitting there" she said. He
must be very short-sighted, poor boy.
It's very strange"
"He must be as blind as q bat," I
answered, "or else has been playing q
joke on us. j never saw any
thing so absurd in my life.''
But in the next few days l was des.
tined to see stranger things. asked
Sydney if he we're short-sighted, but he
denied the charge with warmth. And
yet the more l watched him the more
obvious was it that he was always
meeting invisible people. Once, as |
Glanced to see him coming down stairs
distinctly saw him draw back, press.
ing himself against the wall as if to
allow an invisible person to pass. An
other time I saw him walk to tn, front
door, open it, and hold it as if for an
invisible visitor to pass out. After
that could stand it no longer. am
The worst possible hand at fsult-inding
with servants, but | vas determined to
have an explanation of this. SO that
afternoon l spoke to Sydney.
Sidney" said bluntly, "are you
given to seeing ehosts?"
81, sir ." he answered, with smile
of astonisbment. "No, sir; never
saw a ghost in my life."
"Then, what the devil do you mean,"
broke out, "by behaving in the way
you have been doiDg:"
The boy stared. Evidently he thought
me off my head. l determined to speak
more gently.
Then" / said, "who was that per-
son you showed out Of the house this
morning?" / knew / had him there,
for was sure nobody had called.
"0h, you mean the old gentleman in
gray, sir /? He left no nsmo. | thought,
sir, be seemed to be at home 10 the
house. l had seen hun here so often,
SIR"