Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-10-22

keeping room windows, and through
the entertained easement, they could
see grandmother Maple marching up
and down the room like a sentinel on
duty, her high-heeled boots tapping
on the floor, her fingers instinctively
wandering around and around the in
side of her empty snuff box.
Minny hurried into the room.
"Why, grandmother" cried she,
whatever is the matters Here are
the logs all burned down to white
ashes and the candle-wick guttering,
and you in such a futter as never
was What has happened, grand.
mother ?"
Mrs. Maple turned her keen blue
eyes upon her granddaughter with
an expression like that of sleep.
walker.
"Minny, come in" said she, "and
shut that door. Is that you Gilbert
Crofton, the great grandson of Job ?
Come you in also. Children" with
her old hands shaking as if palsy
stricken, "I've seen a ghost !"
Impossible !" cried Gilbert Crofton.
Dear grandmother, you must have
been dreaming" soothed Minny,
creeping up to her side and drawing
her down into the old arm chair be-
side the hearth.
"Dreaning" shrieked the old
woman, 81 was as wide awake as am
at this moment. | had been over to
see Mrs. Muir's sick child, and it was
close on ten o'clock when l got back.
And the minute / crossed the TIRES
hold, ! had that queer feeling of some
one being in the room creep all over
me. And there, sure enough in the
chair opposite, where he used to sit
thirty years ago, was your grandfather
Maple. with his Old cue-wig and his
suit of butter nut brown, and the very
green spectacles he used to wear for
his weak eyes. And he took his pipe
out of his mouth and looked at me
just as your grandfather Maple has
looked at me thousand times. And
says /: Reuben, is that you? And
says he: Yes, Dois, it is And says
1: oh, Reuben, what brings you
back to this world !? And says he !:
To wipe out the stains of wicked
world And then / began to tremble
all over, and says he: There's no
more offending nor giving offense in
the other world, Lois, and Job Crof-
tons soul and mine are at variance
no longer, and let the young man
Gilbert be your grandchild's husband.
And then he knocked the bowl of his
pipe on the edge of the andiron, as l
have seen him do before and he got
up and walked out of the room, just
like living creature. / have often
heard that ghosts can go through a
key.hole. When | reused up enough
to know what was going on around
me, the floor was covered with snow,
that had drifted in, and the candle
was blown out"
ooh, grandmother do you think
this was real" cried Minny, with
startled eyes.
didn't see it with my own eyes ?"
demanded the old lady. And might
have known that if he wanted to APP
pear, he could, for he had obstinacy
enough for anything, rest his soul |!
You may marry Gilbert if you want,
tomorrow, Minny! And perhaps
your grandfather's ghost will be easy
then !"
So the young folks were happily
married, and Gilbert came to live at
the farm, and managed all the old
lady's affairs for her. And she lived
to be hundred years old, before she
closed those keen blue eyes of hers
upon the matters of this moral world.
But one day, in turning over the
roomy, old garnet, Minny came across
red chest, clamped with brass, and
family odorous of dried lavender and
rose leaves. She opened it.
"Oh, Gilbert, look here ~ cried she,
"my great grandfather's best suit laid
up in camphor-gum and sweet herbs !!
Why do you suppose that grand
mother Maple has kept tt"
81 don't know, I'm sure" said Gill
bert. Perhaps for the younger gen.
Grafton to masquerade IMP
Minny sprang to her feet, sudden
light seemed to illumine her whole
face
colbert !" cried she, did YOU"
"No matter" said Gilbert, laugh
ing; "shut up the box, Minny, your
grandfather's ghost will never haunt
the house again"
And it never did.
n