Arizona republican., 1891-09-25

XII me on my wedding day. Oh, am not crazy, maj"
 I'm not afraid of ghosts" said Mrs Mum "i thought you had more spirit. why, before you pa failed I found n burglar m my room robbing my iewel. oox' and l collared him. I tboupbt you took after me and had some snirit Clarity" Sp''''' Clarity. A0''
 hou can try" said Mrs, Munn
 Now' what ask of you is to take my folding bed into thc parlor to-nirht ana let me sleep in your bed upstairs, una II 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 oark-iantern behind the pillow and awaited events.
 me clock struck eleven--twelve- and nothing happened At 1915 a curi- ous noise was heard under the bed.
 groan followed-a voice, and it sounded very like Mrs. Sheers' voice. whispered: Clarity Mum, you shall not have my husbandr'
 For moment Mrs. Mum felt faint. It was all true, then.
 Indeed, it was far, far worse than seeing burglar, even to hear that voice! And now--now! Yes! Slowly, solemnly arose from behind the foot board figure all in white. Mrs. Mum covered her head with the quilt.
 You are right to quail before me-" said voice. ''l claim my husband for my own. Marry him, and you die."
 It was the voice of Mrs. Sheers. if seemed to the old lady. She had al- ways disliKed it. Now it irritated her 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, It 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 curdIed in her veins as she fancied that she recognized the sharp nose, small mouth and flat forehead of the late Mrs. Sheers amid the folds of the ghostly headdrcss. But the thing did not van ish. It was quite substantial
 "I 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 a moment more she had pulled away the white wrappings and stood over a' sharpfeatured young woman in helio- trope-coloresi gown, who crouched and shivercd in the corner-Miss Selina 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 as to that.
 'So it is you" said Mrs. Munn-''you that have been frightening my Clarity out of marrying your sisters widover? l suppose she'd have gone on thinking you Il ghost forever. But you've got me to deal with now. How did you get in?"
 "Oh, Mrs, Mum, have mercyr' Selina moaned. sister left everything to him, and I'm to be turned out of howse and home. 1t was just life and death to me that he shouldn't marry"
 You didn want him yourself, then?'' asked Mrs. Mum.
 "No," said Selina; no more than he wants me. l 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 Selina," said Mrs. Mum, how did you get in here?'
 "A trap door in the corner opens on pair of stairs to the drug store This used to be n storeroyrn, sobbcd Selina. Ut bolts on the other side"
 ''I'll sec it is nailed up," said Mrs Mum. ''Now we may come to terms I'll .cll 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 Se!ina 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 mcnts after her, Mrs. Mum put trunk over the trap door and retired to dream of weddings.
 After Clarity married Dr. Sheers people used to say how wonderful it was that Miss Selina received her brother in-law's second wife so pleas antly, and how curious it was that she va, so friendly with Mrs. Munn- Eireside Companion.