Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-12-05


by the family upon my choice, and that
we were soon established in our new
home and before long felt as if we had
lived there all our lives.
The first two nights we were all so
tired that we slept sound as rocks, but
the third night their seemed some dis
turbance in the air. From the various
rooms, all over the house, might be heard
the tumblings and tossings of wakeful
sleepers, If | may use the term. About
twelve O'Clock storm arose, and not un-
til it had exhausted itself, did the MEM
bers of the household settle themselves
into entire quiet.
~ couldn't sleep last night at all, the
seamstress snored so right over my
head" complained mamma at breakfast,
heavy eyed from want of sleep.
ut seems to have been an epidemic, :"
replied 1. "Leila and 1 couldn't sleep
because Carol snorcd so over our
heads"
SITS no such thing never snored
bit, but cook was just awful" pro-
tested Carol, Indignantly.
Nonsense" replied l sharply, "the
idea of hearing the cook through two
doors"
Just here papa came upon the scene.
Something had evidently irrltated him.
81 must say, Edward, if I snored as
as you do, I'd do something to prevent
it. You must have something the matter
with your throat. I'd advise you to con-
suit specialist, sir"
Edward made no attempt at coptradic.
ton. When papa was in that humor, it
was far easier to let him think you had
done something than to convince him
that you hadn't.
The affair had grown funny by this
time, and we all laughingly declared that
as nobody seemed to snore and every one
seemed to hear it, we would Individually
and separately waken the next person
who disturbed our rest in the same way.
However, the nights passed with no
disturbance, and the circumstance was
forgotten until three days later. Mamma
came out on the piazza and remarked
casually: "Don't you think, Edna, dear,
it would be as well to wake Carol; it is
nearly 10 o'clock, and papa does not like
him to lie In bed so late, you know"
"Carrol, mamma" exclaimed, "why,
he's been up this four hours, and has
ridden over to Brenthorpe on an errand
for papa"
''Why-" began mamma. then turning
pale (she's very nervous, mamma ISL and
grasping me by the arm she whispered
hoarsely. tthen what is it?n
"What is what2" / asked in alarm,
struck by the expression of her face.
"Why, passed Carols door mo-
ment ago, and l distinctly heard him
snoring. / could swear to it,
at cannot be, mamma" laughed
uneasily, "we'll go see, and youth soon
see what trick your imagination has
played on you"
Passing into Carols room, mamma
soon saw that she had been mistaken,
for no Carol was there, and perfect
quiet rsigned. tapped her playfully on
the back and laughed at her imagination
when suddenly, was it from the ceilingl
was it from the foor9 Where was it from2
The air was filled with the most unearth-
ly, long drawn snore have ever heard.
We clutched each other and fled.
"Never mind, mamma" painted, as
soon us could get breath, as we looked
in each others pale faces, "it's nothing.
know it is nothing. feel sure it can be
explained in some way. 1t is startling at
first, admit, but it will soon be all right.
Don't speak of it to any one, and I'll try
70 GnJ ont what If ic ~
"Oh, don't, Edna! You'll be hurt
some way"
"Nonsensc, mamma! What can hurt
me?"
"Promise me that you won't do any
tkiEg without letting me know"
''All right. | won't take any steps
without consulting you. Now go sit on
the piazza, and rest from your fright.
Who are those ragmuffins the childien
have in tow, wonder"
There, at the bottom of the yard stood
the twins, Robbie and Norah, in earnest
conversation with the barefooted urchins,
who accented their remarks from time to
time by thrusting their bare toes into the
soft earth of the flower-beds. AS this
performance was not to my mind, pro-
ceeded to go down to demonstrate.
l found Robbie and Norah with hair on
end, open mouths and staring eyes, gazing
on the two bare-footed youths aforesaid,
as if fascinated. My presence broke the
spell. 'tSister Edna, they cried, "he
says it's haunted, he says there's a ghost
in the house"
Nonsense. children!'' replied l,
sharply, "don't you know that there
isn't such thing in the world as ghost?
You have no right to say such things
and frighten these Children" l added
severely to the offenders.
''I don't know notbin' about it," said
one of them, cowed by my manner,
"only what folks say; I never seen it.
Nobody seen it, cause it hain't woke ap
yet. It's sleepin' all the time and they
do say it sleeps just awful" could not
help it. My heart stopped beating, as
l remembered my experience of few
moments back. l, too, could testify
that it "slept Just awful"