The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1890-07-16
NO. 926

knew exerything,' said the old lady.
with sudden superstftious glance over
her left shoulder, as something seemed
to rustic at the easement. "And do
believe his ghost would haunt me if /
didn't give good heed to his last words.
No, no; Gilbert Crofton can never be
your husband, and you may as well give
up the idea first as last"
And Minny Maple cried herself to sleep
that night.
"Fcr 1 never, never can marry him
without Grandmother Naples consent"
she sobbed. "Ill stay single for his sake
until the day of my death; but never
can disobey the kind old soul who has
taken amother's place to me and brought
me up from baby"
But the next night there was an apple
bee at Deacon Dangerfeld's, and Minny
Maple was there. Gilbert Crofton did
not make his appearance until late.
Colbert, said the little fiancee, who
sat reproachfully amid crimson ava
lanche of apples, "what makes you Sc
lateY'
Eve been busy" said Gilbert. "But
never mind, SO long as am in time for
the Virginia reel =
And they walked homo together
through the snow drifts, talking hap
! PLY of what might be if only Grand
mother Naples adamantine heart could
| be softened.
But, late though it was, with the old
clock on the stroke Of l., there was
light shining redly from the keeping
room windows, and through the incur
tanned easement they could see Grand
mother Maple marching up and down
the room like sentinel on duty, her
high heeled boots tapping on the floor,
her fingers instinctively wandering
around and around the inside of her
empty snuff box.
Minny hurried into the room.
| why, grandmother, cried she, what
| ever is the matter? Here are the logs all
burned down to white ashes and the
candle wick gathering, and you in such
a fiutter as never vast What has hap
pened, grandmother"
Mrs. Maple turned her keen blue eyes
upon her great-granddaughter with an
expression like that of sleep walker.
"Minny, come in" said she; sand
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,
"rve seen a ghostf"
"Impossiblein cried Gilbert Crofton.
Dear grandmother, you must have
| been dreaming" soothed Minny, creep
ing up to her side and drawing her down
into the old armchair beside the hearth.
''Dreaming" shrieked the old woman.
~ was as wide awake as / am at this
moment. had been over to sec Mrs.
Muir's sick child, and it was close on 10
o'clock when got back. And the min
ute crossed the threshold l had that
queer feeling Of some one being in the
room creep all over me. And there, surc
! enough, in the chair opposite, where he
used to sit thirty good year ago, was
your great-grandfather Maple, with his
old cue wig and his suit of butternut
brown, and the very green speetacles he
used to 1Saar for his weak eyes. And he
took hispipe outpf hiamouth and looked
at me just as your Grandfather Maple
has looked at me o thousand, thou
sand timex ffnu says I: Reuben, is
that your And says he: Yes, Lois, it
Isl And says L; oh, Reuben, what
brings you back to this world? And
says he: TO wipe out the stains Of
wicked world. And says l: Are
you happy, ReubenY And says he;
Yes, and that's the reason | want
others to be- And then began to trem-
BILE all over, and says |: is it anything
can do, ReubenY And says he: There's
no more offending nor giving offense in
the other world Lois, and Job Crofton's
soul and mine are at variance no longer
Says he: Let there be peace, Lois, and
let the young man Gilbert be your grand
child's husband And then he knocked
the bowl of his pipe on the edge of the
andiron, as I've seen him do it so often;
and he got up and he walked out of the
| room, just for all the world like living
| creature. I've often heard as ghosts can
| go through key hole, but your Grand
| father Naples ghost opened the door and
forgot to shut 1t after him into the bar
gain. So, when l 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"
"Oh, grandmother do you think this
was realr' cried Minny, with startled
| eyes.
Didn't see it with my own eyes, and
hear 1t with my own ears" demanded
old Mrs. Maple. cts your grandfather's
| ghostl And might have known that Ii
he wanted to appear he could, for he
had obstinacy enough for anything, rest
his soul! You may Marry Gilbert Croft
ton If you want to, tomorrow, Minnyl
And perhaps your grandfather's ghost
will be easy them"
So the young people were happily mar
ried, and Gilbert came to live at the
farm, and managed all the old lady's af-
fairs for her. And she lived to be hum
dred years old before she closed those
keen, blue eyes of hers upon the matters
of this mortal world.
But one day, in turning over the relics
Of the roomy old garrett, Minny came
across red chest, clamped with brass,
and family odorous of dried lavender
and rose leaves She opened it.
"Oh, Gilbert, look herep cried she;
my great-grandfather's best suit laid up
in camphor gum and sweet herbsi Why
do you suppose that Grandmother Maple
has kept ity'
II don't know, | am sure" said Gill
bert, with mischievious twinkle in his
eyes, Perhaps for the younger genera
tions to masquerade inl"
Minny sprang to her feet, a sudden
light seeming to illuminate her whole
face:
"Gilbertr' cried she, did you"--
mo matter" said Gilbert, laughing;
''shut up the box, Minny, your great
| grandfather's ghost will never haunt the
house again"
| And it never did. Amy Randolph in