Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-04-25
CHAPTER XIV.

LNSOi- NbiIIo tclAc up NutChiS HUN /
his work. what are you talking about, |
Biiah:"
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 0 Il good hour before.
Bilah cast q nervous glance over his
shoulder, and his voice dropped to some
thing approaching a cadence of awe as he
made reply:
"You'n hardly b'lieve what [ tell you, Mr..
Norris, but it's the Twin truth that l saw
Edsoh that night, in the old room there to
the right of you, as plain as | see you now.
l was goins about, lockin' up as usual, and
as / came in from the countin' room the
door there stood open, and l saw Edison in
the lookinT-glass over the dressin' table,
Just as l used to see him. dozens of times.
as Invent on my round. was all struck of
nheap, and stood starin' at him and him at
me for nigh onto q minute. 1t was Edison,
and it want him, but the diff
was just what you'd look for in d ghost
wasted and yaller and worn. the spookiest
lookin' c~ritter-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 l went
into it, expectin'I 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 imaginin' Ed.
sons face to the top of it was what they
call a 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 hin That's what gets me! Why
didn'tt the ghost show itself to him. Some
good might have come of it then, if it had
scared him out of stayin' round O. nights,
which I couldn't see the use of noHay,' and
Bijah gave his head d dubious shake.
sit proves to have been a most fortunate
thing, outside of the result to him, Bijah
Childer left every account straight and
clear. The business has been SO simplifed
that, inexperienced as / am. l find no diff.
Guilty in understanding it, and there was
even a draft of what he intended to do in
regard to all the important in erests Of
the bank. Mr.. Everleigh was much moved
by SO many evidences of his forethought.'
In~yoluntarily the bank porter's Coun
tenance frightened.
"Sos 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. | 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
q plain apartment, bare enough now, with
hooks or the wall where the clerks hung
their outdoor apparel. Tn 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 would not show it at the spot
where the other had stood when lie saw his
vision.
Had Edison himself been therea 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 0 n Norris that this must be the
explanation Of the case.
You see, there amt q place where a 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.n
"What is this:'' asked Norris. STOPPING
over q small door sunk in the wainseotting.
"Thata That's nothin' but a cubby-hole
under the stairs. Don't think even a ghost
would want to cuddle in there. Bolts
rusted in, l 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 pie 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 sees" said Biiah. GOOD Lordr'
1t was only the ringing of the telephone
bell which gave him such 4 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
! There was an indistinguishable growl at
the last, as if the speaker were in no good
humor, and, in truth. the banker seemed
both vexed and troubled when his clerk ap-
peared before him.
sIngot has resigned" he announced. 81
expected to extend his leave, at some in
convenience to myself. He is a thorough
accountant, and / will find it hard to re-
place him satisfactorily at a moments no
tice.n
"That is not all that is troubling you,
sirln
"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, even when her marriage was spoken
of, that he intended to keep the manage
ment of it 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 to do thisa"
Gas her husband he will have. Though
Lyman has acted as her guardian. I 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.
If the girl herself wishes it, l don't see that
will have any choice except to pay it on
demand
Ar they, them thought the marriage
was deferred"
"For . week, Ingot tells me. 1t will be
mp tomorrow. l think myself it would be
In better taste to whit until the crisis is
over for Lyman, poor fellow! but 1 believe
ngot wants to get it over in case the worst
comes. He plans to leave the city in that
event with his bride"
A cloud of displeasure still Swallowed the
bankers brow. HIS sympathy was all
with Lyman, and Ingot's cool view of the
! situation. together with what savored
strongiy OF m~ercenary calculations, had I'M
pressed his late employer most unpleasant
IL. Norris heart sank with the news, but
be turned his thoughts resoluteIy to that
part of it which most affected Mr.. Ever.
leigh.
"lngot can make you trouble in the event
OF Lyman's DEATH he suggested.
ut 10 not that which worries me. l car
meet any demand he may make, though II
may Inconvenience me somewhat to do so
It Is the fact thst they can not wait until be
Sin his grave. He was such a promising
young man, too, and ! had sach comfort in
| ~denenIlin1 unnn him am a little disan