The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1888-11-15
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
WHAT THE PORTER SAW.
"rd ought to a known that suthin' was
goin' to happen. / had warnin', but was
so sot up in my own conceit that wouldn't
take it. tell you, Mr.. Norris, faint for
nothin, that ghost comes back to ha'nt the
places what il knew in life, specially IL that
placs warn't likely to raise comfortable
feelin's, and no one can tell me as Edison
would enjoy these here premises even in
spiritooaI sense"
."Edsonr' Norris looked up quickly from
his work, "What are you talking about,
Bijahw
Bijah was the porter of the establishment,
and he was waiting for the new clerk to get
through with his business and go home, as
the others had done good hour before.
BijGh cast n nervous glance over his
shoulder, and his voice dropped TO some
thing approaching a cadence Of awe as he
made reply:
.sYou'll hardly b'lieve what / tell you, Mr..
Norris, but it's the Twin truth that saw
Edsol that night, in the old room there to
the right of you, rs plain as sec you now.
was goin' about, lockin' up as usual, and
as | came in from the countin' room the
door there stood open, and saw Edison in
| the lookin'-glass over the dressin' table,
Just as used to see him, dozens of times,
as went on my round. Twas all struck OF
heap, and stood starin at him and him at
me for nigh onto minute. 1t was Edison,
and it want him, but the difference
was just what you'd look for in ghost
wasted and yaller and worn, the spookiest
| lookin, critter-and while j looked, he went
out of the glass; and the room was as empty
rs you see it now. / won't deny there was
cold creep down my back when went
into it, cxpectin' hardly know what There
was an old coat hangin' on the wall, and l
took it into my head to reason out that that
was what I'd seen, and my imaginin' Ed
sons face TO the top of it was what they
call noptical delusion. Wuss luck for poor
Mr. Lyman, though l reckon he wouldn't
a took much stock in my spook story if I'd
told it to him. That's what gets mol Why
didn't the ghost show itself to hint Some
good might have come OF it then, If it had
scared him out of stayin' round o. nights,
which couldn't see the use Of noway,n and
| Biiah gave his head a dubious shake.
sit proves to have been most fortunate
thing, outside of the result to him, Bijah.
Glider left every account straight and
clear. The business has been so simplified
that, inexperienced as am, find no difli-
Guilty in understanding it, and there was
even draft of what he intended to do in
regard to oil the important interests OF
the bank. Mr.. Everleigh was much moved
by so many evidences of his forethought.n
Involuntarily the bank porter's coun-
tenance frightened.
"Sol Well, now, I'm downright glad
that there wasn't any thing Of the Edison
| \. lad 4zl Oh.
though couldn't noway think it of Mr..
Lyman, neither. 1 don't keer now if the
| ghosts do walk" and Bijah whistlcd cheer.
lily as he went about his task Of clearing up.
: Norris, having finished his work, passed
into the room which had been occupied by
/ Edison when he was cashier there. 1t was
plain apartment, bare enough now, with
hooks on the wall where the clerks hung
their outdoor apparel. The old coat to
which Bijah referred still hung in its place,
and by walking back to the outer room,
Norris convinced himself that the angle OF
reflection wodld not show it at the spot
where the other had stood when he saw his
vision.
Had Edison himself been thcrel He could
not doubt it, knowing, as the other did not,
| that the defaulter lived but why should he
| NOlilC G-Wuy war WIN hio YUM dniOl
| in crime, if Lyman Childer had been that
companion! More and more had it been
borno in on Norris that this must be the
explanation of the case.
sYou see, there amt place where a cat
could hide,n said the porter, coming up
while theso thoughts were passing through
the young mans mind. THAT ar detective
talked like the burglar might have hid in
side, but it want in here, I'll be bound"
"What is thisi" asked Norris, STOPPING
over small door sunk in the wainscotting.
"Thati That's nothin' but cubby-hole
under the stairs. Don't think even ghost
would want to cuddle in there. Bolts
rusted in, l reckon; it hain't been open for
q year"
The bolts gave readily under Bergman's
touch, however, and the door swung noise
lessly back. A pile OF old ledgers almost
| filed the space inside, and the dust on
them, a quarter of an inch thick, showed no
trace of having been recently disturbed.
"You see?" said Bijah. "Good Lordl''
1t was only the ringing of the telephone
bell which gave him such a start. Norris
answered the call, to receive q message
from Mr.. Everleigh.
"Glad you are there yet want you TO
come up to the house at once. Something
to tell you of Importance"
There was an indistinguishable growl at
tho last, as IL the speaker were in no good
humor, and, in truth, the banker seemed
both vexcd and troubled when his clerk ap-
pearcd before him.
"Ingot has resigned" he announced al
expected to extend his leave, at some in
convenience TO myself. He is thorough
ILL a. -. -.