The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-10-03


rain still poured down in sheets; the
thunder still beloved through the rocky
gorge where the cabin had been built;
the lightning still lit up everything with
sudden spurts of blue flame, like panto-
mime effects.
"Oh, dearl oh, dearl" said Barbara
wringing her hands; lit must be mid
night"
at can't be but nine o'clock yet, " said
Mary.
"And I'm so hungry Oh, how wish
/ hadn't eaten the last of those sand
wiches oh, OH what is thatl" hut-
tered Barbara
An. unusually vivid electric flash had
revealed something white and spectral
at the window. All three girls jumped
at once
"The ghost'' shrleked Barbara, stop
ping her ears aud shutting her eyes as
tight as was practicable.
"a stray white cow" suggested Mary.
"a young man in flannel tennis
suit" said Dorcas, the closest observer
of ell.
Don't let him come in, said Bar
bara. 1--WE shall be robbed and mur-
dered !"
"Not while we are three to one" said
composed Dorcas.
And at the same moment voice sound
ed hurriedly at the door;
"Please, may / come in. know it
seems intrusion, but it's raining deluge,
and Pm wet through"
''Come in by all means" said Mary.
And the ghost entered, dripping like a
fountain.
i. "All in the dark" said he cropping his
way.
fThere are no gas jets here" said
Dorcas, ironically.
"But we might have a little blaze of
site ks" hazarded the new arrival, shak-
ing h mself like Newfoundland dog.
al saw by that last glare of lightning,
that there was heap in the corner, and
I've got my match. box intact"
''Oh, thut would be SPLENDID :" cried
Dorcas. who was wet and shivering.
"And I've got some fish on a string
outside, and we could have some sup
per-" suggested the ghost, cheerfully
''rm 500 hungryw walled Barbara.
The stranger was evidently used to
mountain camping. He had fire kim
died in no time, and the fish, cleaned
by aid of his pocket-knife and washed
in one of the pools outside, were pres
emily boiling over the Goals, emitting a
most savory smell.
"You must be good genius" cried
Mary.
''I'm only a tramp" said the ghost
'And Pm ever so much obliged to you
young ladies' for letting me in"
1--WE couldn't have kept you out ii we
had tried,n said Dorcus, frankly
"You don't think Iwould have thrust
myself in here against your wishes! Even
a tramp wouldn't do udt, said the young
man.
The sticks blazed cheerfully up; the
ghost economized them to keep the
tamcs alive as long as possible. He told
thrilling tales of his experience in these
woods; he made himself a most agreea-
BILE companion.
"Are you from the Valley House,"
asked Dorcas.
NO; l am camping just where it
happens"
",lh" said Mary. Then you are poor,
like usl We ARE shop-girls, on our vaca-
tion."
'For," she said to herself~"I am de-
termined he shall not take us for other
than we are"
And observed the ghost, 81 should
think you were having a very jolly time
of ir A little more trout, Miss-Miss
Halei And how did you come out In
these wildeInesses9n
So then, of course, little Barbara, who
was generally the spokeswoman of the
.l.l sa1 IL hA. a..
secure summer board.
"You see," said she, "Mr. Archer
pays us so small salary that we haven't
much margin for luxury"
''He ought to pay you more" said
the ghost. ''l'm in business myself. l
know how it is. People can't be ex-
pcctcd to live on nothing"
Il do believe" cried Dorcas, ''you are
the tailor's young man from Cut & Fits,
next door to Archer'sl | thought l had
seen your face beforel But if you ever
get to the head of the lirm-and a man
can achieve almost anything he pleases
do pay your employees decent
sum-"
1 WILL" said the young man in the
white flannel tennis suit.
And he spoke as if he meant it.
And then Dorcas discoursed still more
learnedly about the rights and wiongs,
the in Justices and petty trials of life be-
hind the counter.
1--WE are ladies, you see," said she,
''and we expect to be treated like ladies.
But suppose you have your troubles,
too"
"Lots of 'eu, " said the young man,
gazing absently into the fire. Every
one has, suppose"
So that they all became great friends.
At midnight the rain ceased, and the
moon burst in food of glory on The
dripping scene.
owe can go home now" said Dorcas,
clapping her hands. "And l dare say,
young man" with pretty air of pa:ron-
age, "Mr. Morris could make you up a
bed on the kitchen floor at our house,
without charging very much for it.
81 should be delighted if he could"
said the young man, meekly.
And so it was arranged
The girls made an extra toilet next
morning, to meet 'the ghost" as they
called him, at the breakfast table.
But to their infinite disgust, he was
gone when they descended.
aye see, - said Old Man Morris, "that
there white flaming suit o. his'n had
shrunk mp with the wet, so it wasn't
fairly presentable, and he Just cut across
lots afore daybreak, an cleared out.
Il told you so, said Barbara. "He
was ghos'. and being such, he dis
solved into thin air at cock-c crow ~