The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-06-20
MISS DALWELL'S GHOST.
An Old Maids S'rangs and Thrill
ing Experiences With a Dad
Lover.

neither zoo large nor too small; had
towers and trees 10 front and a vegeta-
Bile garden at the back; was within
twenty minutes ride Of the station. and
yet stood in the shadow of the hills
ut nus be a terribly d~isagreeable
soul that could not be happy there l
said to toy mother as we looked the
place over.
Il hope Miss DalweIl win like it,
mamma said simply. stopping to lift a
trailing sine that lay across the path.
Now, | may as well say 1t at once. that
this same Miss Martha Dalwell was the
boneof contention in our otherwise happy
household She was an "old maid Of
about eight-and-thirty or forty perhaps.
A more disagreeable. crotchety creature
Y lived than she, and yet mamma
chung to her as though she were the very
pink OF perfectioni That, too. when the
woman had no earthly claim upon her
no right to a seat at table or a shell
ter beneath roof. She had the best
of everything too-the best room, the
best bed, the best chamber furniture.
At the table the cream of the food found
its way to her plate-the daintiest piece
of fowl and the most luscious share Of
the fruit All in all, Miss Dalwell was
a nuisance in our house.
"Oh, mamma, Miss Dalwell is such q
drag on all my happiness. such q cloud
on every enjoyment"
"My dear child, Miss Dalwell is a very
excellent parsonage, and it is most I'M
kind Of you to begrudge her the benefit
of this summers s~ojourn in the country"
81 don't. She's welcome to all the
country on earth-all save this one lit
tie spot. | suppose she'll be here to-
night and take possession of that south
o with the dormer window"
shrugged my shoulders and tried to
look the very picture Of righteous in
dignation.
'She win come tonight, and will have
the chamber with the dormer window"
my mother said decidedly.
"Well, Pm glad my rooms on the
other side of the house, that's ALI" in
tent on having the last word, though |
couldn't have my way.
We waited tea for Miss DalweIl, who
was to come a little after dark by the
evening train. The house was pretty
well furnished, and with the few articles
of furniture which we brought with us
distributed about looked quite charm
ingly in the soft glow of the lighted
lamps. The dining room, with low win
dows opening into a veranda, was es
pecially inviting.
was watching put the finish
ing touch to the tea table in the shape of
a blue shell-like vase filed with white
lilies, when the door bell sounded q peal
long and loud through the house.
at must be Miss DalweIl," mamma
said, going into the hall; 'sbut | never
knew her to ring a bell like that before"
Sure enough, there was Miss Dalwell,
shawls and travelling basket in hand,
standing as white as a ghost.
"Oh, my dear Judith" she began on
seeing my mother, and then sat down in
the veranda and began to cry.
'eWhat has disturbed you so, Marthag"
my mother said IN such a beautifully
cool way.
A sob was the answer.
what is the matter, dear?o and
mamma put a coaxing arm about her
neck.
Il got such a frightr my lady an
swered at last. gasping for breath.
Miss DalweIl frightened l put my
handkerchief over my mouth to keep
from laughing outright.
Just az | stepped into the veranda,"
she said, "a nan sprang right up in
front of me. was looking for the door
bell, when he placed a big white hand
OF the knob and rang-you know Just
how hard he %rang-and then faded right
out of my sight without taking a step.
And, oh, Judith, he had that ring on his
middle fngert'
"Hushf" my mother said, laying a
white hand upon her lips, and giving one
quick look backward to Phil and me.
"You are nervous, Martha; probably
the driver touched the bell for you. or it
might have been the gardener"
.'Spencei Has Spence white hands? and
does he wear q diamond ring on his
middle finger:Y
"Well, mind, dear; come in
tea is waiting for You"
But Miss Dalwell was not inclined to
bulge an inch. She turned her startled
face full upon me, and spoke in such a
scared, tremulous voice that / began
straightway to pity her.
Dear Louise, won't you look the
place over, just to please me? You are
not afraid of anything, are you?"
Nothing in the world, Miss Dalwell,"
l answered. spence and / will look
around"
So, in spite of my mothers warning
look, ] went straight to the kitchen TO
find the gardener.
Come" l said; 'there's fun in this.
Miss Dalwell has e a ghost. Let's go
and hunt him upI"
We went out upon the gravel walks
together, Spence and l, he trembling SO
that he could but just step, and / most
keenly alive for an adventure. The
moon was shining brightly, and the
shrubbery and trees were not rutled by
a breath Of air. made straight for the
deepest shadows, though l cannot to this
day tell why | did SO. There was a row
of trees standing close against the wall.
BY the farthest one, in the extreme cor
- o,r.l& Is~-.-o ~ Dr,1&--