The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-09-18

they come from the dead letter OF ice.
SO he writes you letters and you
are corrcspondi1gly unhappy. What
wrctched nonsense, Why trifie with
me in this way?
CARRIE am not trifing. Frank.
Here is a letter in his handwriting
posted yesterday from the spirit world
/ have received them regularly ever
since you began visiting here / have
had them examined by the best experts
in handwriting and compared with
letters of INV late husband, and they
say these ghostly letters are written
by the same hand Besides, in some of
the letters are secrets known only by
my late husband and myself.
Frank takes the letter and reads: ''I write
these lines from the spirit world to let you know,
faithless woman that everything you do. say
think is known TO me. You want 10 marry
again. II you do something dreadful Will hap
pen Beware! Your late husband
"PEIEG VAN SLYcK."
Carrie-So you see l dare not marry
again. There is no mistake about the
letter. There is the envelope with the
New York postmarll, station d. l dare
say he Is in the room right now.
Frank with clinched teeth)-I wish
he was. I'd make him wish he was not.
Carrie, is this the only obstacle to our
union?
Carrie Cblushing, with averted face)
Yes
Frank-Then I'll clear this mystery
up in short order. just let me have
that letter and envelope. And now
farewell. Exit Frank, after pro-
longed osculation.)
Scene III (private Office of Inspector
Ryrnes)-There are present the in
spcctor. Frank CORTLAND and an Eng
lish-looking servant in liveries with
mutton chop whiskers. The latter is
on his knees and weeps bitterly.
Inspector Byrnes fixing his eagle
eyes on the wretched culprit)-H,Ow
make clean breast of it or it viii be
the worse for you
Mutton Chops (wringing his hands,
Indeed, sir, I'm hinnocent as a babe
hunborn. ! never saw old Sh a1espeare
at hall | ham no Frenchy No. = but
an Englishman. l never butchered
hany body.
Inspector (sternly) I've learned
enough about that Nobody accuses
you of murder, but you had better tell
all about this letter from your late
master. Mr.. Van Slyck, which was put
in the letter box by yourself Did you
write 1t yourself?,
Mutton Chops-Mr. Van Slyck wrote
those letter hisself. sir-hindeed he did.
Inspector (still more sternly)--When?
Mutton Chops-Before he died, sir.
Frank-Ah! | suspected as much
Inspector tsoothingly)-Come, now,
just tell US all about it.
Mutton Chops lin a confidential whiS-
perJ-Well, SIR, Tor n month before he
died, Mr. Van Slyck did nothing but
write letters to his wife, threatening
her hif she married again. He said to
me that he believed his WILDLY would
try to marry some young fool, who is
after her money. Drank squirms).
Says he TO me, if You see hany of them
long cared doods ere courtin' my WILDLY
hafter ham dead and gone, just you
keep hon postin' these letters till she
gets hafraid and tells i'm to stay away.
AS soon as this young gentleman came
to the 'ouse / began postin' the letters
| was hafraid if my mistress IN arried
this young gent-and ] seed for myself
she was lawfully gone on 'im-I might
be discharged and lose my place I've
got 'arf bushel more of the hold gen
tlcman's letters in box, sir.
frank becomes deIiriouS with Joy,
shakes the inspectors 5 hand and even
embraces Mutton Chops, after which
he darts out of the office and is lost to
sight.
The following item has since ap-
peared in the society column of a Lead
ing New York paper:
The rumor that the beautiful and wealthy
Mrs. Van SIyck has broken her engagement
with that dashing society man, Mr.. Frank
Courtland Is now authOritatively denied In
fact, il is generally understood that the wed
ding Will take place within short time. and
will Ire one OF the most magnificent affairs OF
the kind New York has ever witnessed The
newly married couple will spend their honey
moon in Europe"
Alex T.. Sweet, in y. Y. Herald