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

OF our way home"
The shower, however, showed no in
dication of abating in its vigor. The
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, dear oh, dearr' 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
l hadn't eaten the last of those sand
wiches! Oh, oh! what is thatl" flut-
tered Barbara
An. unusually vivid electric flash had
revealed something white and spectral
at the window. All three girls jumped
at once.
"The ghost !'' shrIeked 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
bsra. 1--WE shall be robbed and mur-
dered :"
"Not while we are three to one" said
composed Dorcas.
/ And az the same moment q voice sound
ed hurriedly at the door:
/ "Please, may l come in. / know it
seems intrusion, but it's raining a deluge,
and Pm wet throagh."
"Come in by all means" said Mary.
And the ghost entered, dripping like
fountain.
"All in the dark" said he groping his
/ way.
There are no gas jets here" said
Dorcas, ironically.
"But we might have little blaze of
site ks" hazarded the new arrival, shak-
! ing h mself like Newfoundland dog.
''I saw by that last glare of lightning,
| that there was heap in the corner, and
Pvc got my match. box intact"
"Oh, thut would be splended." 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 hungry" walled Barbara.
The stranger was evidently used to
mountain camping. He had fire kin
/ 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
most savory smell.
"lou must be good genius" cried
Mary.
"im only tramp" said the ghost.
"And I'm ever SO much obliged to you
. 'a1 f,r lof it,,r in, -
"Wc couldn't have kept you out il we
had tried, +" said Dorcus, frankly.
/ "You don't think Iwould have thrust
myself in here against your wishes! Even
a tramp wouldn't do hdt, " said the young
man.
/ The sticks blazed cheerfully up; the
ghost economled them to keep the
/ tamcs alive as long as possible. He told
I thrilling tales of his experience in these
woods; he made himself most agreea-
/ ble companion.
"Are you from the Valley House"
asked Dorcas.
"No; l am camping just where it
happens"
"lh!n said Mary. Then you are poor,
like usl Weare shop-girls, on our vaca.
| tom
For" she said to herself, 81 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 it A little more trout, Miss-Miss
| Halei And how did you come out IN
these wildeInesses2'
SO then, of course, little Barbara, who
was generally the spokeswoman Of the
assemblage, related ali her efforts to
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
tha tailor's young man from Cut Il Fits,
next door to Archer's! | thought had
seen your face before! But if you ever
get to the head of the irm-and a man
can achieve almost anything he pleases
do pay your employees a decent
summ
L 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 wongs,
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 'em, ," 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 a flood of glory on the
dripping scene.
1--WE can go home now,n said Dorcas,
clapping her hands. "And 1 dare say,
young man, with pretty air of pa:ron-
age, "Mr. Morris could make you up
bed on the kitchen floor at our house,
without charging very much for it.
al should be delighted if he could, ."
said the young man, meekly.
And SO it was arranged.
The girls made au 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.
"Ie see, ~ said Old Man Morris, 'that