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

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| CHAPTER XIV.
| WHAT THE PORTER SAW.
"pd ought to n known that suthin' was
goini 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 n ghost comes back to ha'nt the
places what it knew in life, specially IL that
place warnt 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,
Bijah!"
Bijah was the porter of the establishment,
and he was waiting for the new clerk to get
through with his business and go home, us
the others had done good hour before
Bijah cast nervous glance over his
shoulder, and his voice dropped TO some
thing approaching a cadence Of awe as he
made reply:
/ "You'll hardly b'lieve what I tell you, Mr.
Norris, but it's the Twin truth that saw
Edsoi that night, in the old room there to
the right of you, rs plain as see you now
was goini about, locRin' up as usual, and
as I came in from the countin' room the
door there stood open, and saw Edison in
the lookin'-glass over the dressn' table,
Just as used to see him, dozens Of times.
as Invent on my round. was all struck OF
a heap, and stood starin at him and him at
me for nigh onto a minute. 1t was Edison,
and it want him, but. the difference
was Just what you'd look for in a ghost
wasted and yaller and worn, the spookiest
lookin' critter-and while looked, he went
out OF the glass, and the room was as empty
as you see it now. won't deny there was
a cold creep down my back when went
into it, expectin' hardly know what There
was an old coat hangin' on the wall, and
took it into my head to reason out that that
was what I'd seen, and my imaginini Ed
sons face to the top of it was what they
call q noptical delusion. Wuss luck for poor
Mr. Lyman, though / 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," and
Biiah gave his head q dubious shake.
{" 1t proves to have been most fortunate
thing, outside of the result to him, Bijah.
Childer left every account straight and
clear. The business has been so simplified
that, inexperienced as am, / find no diff
Guilty in understanding it, and there was
even draft of what he intended to do in
regard TO all the important interests Of
the bank. Mr.. Everleigh was much moved
by SO many evidences of his forethought."
Involuntarily the bank porter's coun-
tenance frightened.
SO! Well, now, I'm downright glad
that there wasn't any thing Of the Edison
business afoot / misdoubted, somehow,
though l couldn't noway think it of Mr.
Lyman, neither. l don't keer now if the
ghosts do walk" and Bijah whistled 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. 9-
Had Edison himself been thcrel He could
not doubt it, knowing, as the other did not,
that the defaulter lived but why should he
come there why war with his companion
in crime, if Lyman Childer had been that
companion! More and more had it been
borne in on Norris that this must be the
explanation of the case.
g You see, there amt place where cat
could hide said the porter, coming up
! while these 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 oven a ghost
would want to cuddle in there. Bolts
rusted in, reckon; it hain't been open for
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, quarter Of an inch thick, showed no
trace of having been recently disturbed.
'sYou seeyp said Bijah. "Good Lordl'
1t was only the ringing of the telephone
bell which gave him such start Norris
answered the call, to receive message
from Mr.. Everleigh.
Glad you are there yet. want you TO
come up to tho house at once. Something
to tell you Of Importance"
There was an indistinguishable growl at
tho last, as if the speaker were In no good
humor, and, in truth, the banker seemed
both vexcd and troubled when his clerk ap-
I. pearcd before him.
"Ingot has resigned" he announced. ~
expected to extend his leave, at some in
convenience to myself. He is q thorough
accoun tant, and will find it hard to re-
place him satisfactorily at a moments no
tice.n
"That is not all that is troubling you,
sir,"
"No, it is not. There is that chlld's money
which Lyman put with his into the firm.
We are on our f'et now, SO that 1t can BIO
repaid, but her brother gave me to under
stand, even when her marriage was spoken
of, that he intended to keep the manage
ment of 1t until she became Of age. Ingot
has given me notice that he intends with
drawing IT,"
An indignant flash came into his hearers
eyes
"Has he the right 10 do thisi"
"As her husband he will have. Though
Lyman has acted as her guardian, l chance
to know that he never took the legal steps
TO become SO in fact. You see, before this
recent fortune came 10 them, they owned
nothing but the house they 1.-Two in, and
there was no one to dispute his authority
II tho girl herself wishes " ] don't SOC that