The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-10-09

Now, what | ask of You Is TO take my
folding bed into tha parlor tonight
and let me sleep in your bed upstairs.
and if she that was Mrs. Sheers ap-
pears to me I'll make her come to
terms
That night Mrs Mum in the little
upper room put out her lamp, hid n
dark-lantcrn behind the pillow and
awaited events
The clock struck eleven-twelve-
and nothing happened At 12:15 curl
Gus noise was heard under the bed
A groan followed-a voice. and il
sounded very like Mrs. Sheers' voice,
whispered: CLARITY Mum, you shall
not have my husbandr'
For moment Mrs Mum felt faint.
1t was all true, then!
Indeed, it was far, far worse than
seeing a burglar, even to hear that
voice. And now-now, Yes. Slowly,
solemnly arose from behind the foot
board a figure all in white. Mrs. Mum
covered her head with the qnilt.
You are right to quail before me-"
said voice. Il claim my husband for
my own. Marry him, and you dier'
1t was the voice of Mrs. Sheers, it
seemed to the old lady. She had al
and helped her to be brave. Making
one great effort, she sprang to her feet
and faced the ghost.
The ghost retired. Mrs. Mum fol-
lowed 1t struck her that she had fright
ened the spirit more than it had fright
ened her. This encouraged her. And
stretching out her hand, she grabbed
the ghost by the collar, as she had the
burglar. Her face was close to its
pallid face now. and her blood curdled
in her veins as she fancied that she
recognized the sharp nose, small mouth
and fiat forehead of the late Mrs.
Sheers amid the folds of the ghostly
headdress. But the thing did not van
ish. 1t was quite substantial.
II believe I've materialiZed you,"
said Mrs Mum as she crowded the
ghost in the corner and reached for the
dark-lantern. which she had hidden
under her pillow, and opened the slide.
In n moment more she had pulled away
the white wrappings and stood over a
sharp-featured young woman in 4 hello
trope-colored gown, who crouched and
shivered in the corner-Miss Selma
Shepherd, whose resemblance to her
sister vanished when one saw her red
hair. for Mrs Sheers' hair had been
black, either by nature or by art
Opinions varied rs to that.
80 it is you" said Mrs Munn-''you
that have been frightening my Clarity
out of marrying your sisters wido,yer?
| suppose she'd have gone on thinking
You a ghost forever. But you've got
me to deal with now. How did you
get in?"
"Oh, Mrs. Mum, have mercy Selma
moaned. Sister left everything to
him, and I'm to be turned out of house
and home. 1t was just life and death
to me that he shouldn't marry
You didn't want him yourself,
then?" asked Mrs Mum.
NO" said Selma; no more than he
wants me. | meant to keep house and
be his sister; and don't know how to
earn my living. Now he'll be furious
and he'll hate me-"
Miss Selma" said Mrs Mum, ''how
did you get in here?"
"A trap door in the corner opens on
a pair of stairs to the drug store This
used to bc storeroom," sobbed Selma
1T bolts on the other side
''I'll see it is nailed up" said Mrs
Mum Now we may come to terms.
I'll tell Clarity. but neither of us will
tell the doctor or anybody else. Stop
haunting and be friendly and Clarity
won't let the doctor send you away.
Seeing he's got your sisters money.
that will be but fair. Only, the
minute Clarity is tormented 1 tell my
story"
Miss Selma stopped sobbing and
scrambled TO her feet.
Agreed" she said Women who
have had hard times ought to feel for
each other"
Having lighted the ghost down the
ladder and thrown her white vest
ments after her, Mrs Mum put a
trunk over the trap door and retired
to dream of weddings
After Clarity married DIR. Sheers
people used to say how wonderful il
was that Miss Selma received her
brothcr-in-law's second wife So pleas
antly, and how curious it was that she
was so friendly with Mrs Mum
Fireside Companion.