The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-07-05
CHAPTER XIV.


CHAPTER XIV.
WHAT THE PORTER SAW.
"rd ought TO a. known that suthin' was
goin' to happen. had o warnin', but was
so sot up in my own conccit that wouldn't
take it. tell you, Mr.. Norris, tain't for
nothin' that ghost comes back to ha'nt the
places what 1t knew in life, Especially II that
place varn't likely to raise comfortable
feelin's, and no one can tell me as Edison
would enjoy these here premises even in q
spiritooal sense"
"Edsonp' Norris looked up quickly from
his work. "What are you talking about,
Bijahp
Bijah was the porter Of tho establishment,
and he was waiting for the ncw clerk to get
through with his business and go home, as
the others had done good hour before.
Bijah cast nervous glance over his
shoulder, and his voice dropped to some
thing approaching cadence Of awe as ho
mado rcplyi
"You'll hardly b'lievo what tell you, Mr..
Norris, but it's the livin' truth that / saw
Edison that night, in the old room there 10
tho right Of you, as plain as sec you now.
! was goin' about, lockin' up rs usual, and
rs ! 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 sec him, dozens of times,
us went on my round. Twas all struck Of
aheap, and stood starin' at him and him at
me for nigh onto q minute. 1t was Edison,
and 1t want him, but the difference
was just what you'd look for in a ghost
wasted and yaller and worn, the spookiest
loolsin' critter-and while looked, he went
out Of the glass, and the room was as empty
4 Al.
a cold creep down my back when went
into it, expectin' 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 " was what they
call noptical dclusion. Wuss luck for poor
Mr.. Lyman, though ! reckon he wouldn't
o. took much stock In my spook story If I'd
told it to him. That's what gets mel Why
didn't the ghost show itself to him, Some
good might have como Of 1t then, IL 1t had
scared him out Of stayin' round o. nights,
which couldn't sec tho use of noway," and
Bijah gave his head dubious shake.
st proves to have bcen most fortunate
thing, outside OF tho result to him, Bijah.
Childer left every, account straight and
clear. The business has been SO simplifled
that, inexperienced as / am, l find no diff
Guilty in understanding it, and there was
evena 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.
$50. Well, now, I'm downright glad
that there wasn't any thing Of the Edison
business afoot l misdoubted, somehow
though / couldn't noway think it Of Mr.
Lyman, neither. / 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 tho wall where tho clerks hung
their outdoor apparel. The old coat to
which Biiah referred still hung in its place
and by walking back to the outer room,
Norris CONVINCED himself that the angle of
reflection would not show 1t ut tho spot
where tho other had stood when he saw his
vision.
Had Edison himself been thcre2 He could
not doubt 1t, knowing, as tho other did not,
that the defaulter lived but why should he
come there-why war with his companion
In crime, II Lyman Childer had been that
companionl More and more had II been
borne In on Norris that this must be the
explanation Of tho case.
You see, thero amt place where cat
could hide" said tho 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 thisl" asked Norris, stooping
over small door sunk in the wainscotting.
"That! That's nothin' but cubby-hole
under tho stairs. Don't think oven q ghost
would want to cuddle In there. Bolts
rusted in, reckon; it hain't been open for
q year."
Tho bolts gavc readily under Bergman's s
touch however, and the door swung noise
lessly back. A pile of old ledgcrs almost
filled tho space inside, and the dust on
taem, quarter of an inch thick, showed no
trace of having been recently disturbed.
"You secg" said Bijah. "Good Lord"
1t was only tho ringing Of the telephone
bell which gave him such start. Norris
answered the call, to receive a 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"
lnere was un NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. grOWl aJ
the last, as II the speaker were In no good
humor, and, in truth, the banker seemed
both vexcd and troubled when his clerk ap-
peared before him.
"Ingot has resigned" he announced. ~
expected to extend his leave, at some in
convenience to myself. He is o thorough
accountant, and will find 1t hard to re-
place him satisfactorily at moments no
tice."
"That 10 not oil that is troubling you,
siri"
"No, 1t is not. There is that child's money
which Lyman put with his into the firm.
We are on our feet now, so that it can be
repaid, but her brother gave me TO under
stand, oven when her marriage was spoken
of, that he intended to keep tho manage
ment of it until she became of ago. Ingot
has given me notice that he intends with.
drawing it,"
An indignant fash came 'ato his hearers
eyes.
"Has he the right to do thisi"
"As her husband he will have. Though
Lyman has acted US her guardian, chance
TO know that he never took the legal steps
to become so in fact. You see, before this
recent fortune came to them, they owned
nothing but the house they live In, and
there was no one TO dispute his authority.
u the girl herself wtshes It, ] don't sec that