Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-01-31

Placer It seems
to me as if I was
doomed to hear of nothing but tenants.
1 wish somebody would be good enough
to set those Hemlock Place houses on
fre!"
They've paid no rent for six months,
sir" said Mr.. NIuggins, the agent.
They amt no gcod--them reduced
gentry, as is always talkin' about the
days they've seen. Talk amt money
anyhow you can fix it, sir.
Then what on earth do you tolerate
them for?" said Hubert Minton, sharply.
%Put them out Get somebody in their
place. If a man has got to be bored
with lot of tenement houses he may
as well make money out of them, I sup
pose"
"To be sure, sir; to be sure" said MIR.
Abraham Muggins pulling out dogs
cared memorandum-book and making
sundry notes therein. THAT'S what I
says myself-onlY these ERE decaYed
gentry is so precious hard to deal with. 4"
And Hubert Minton, who was
troubled with more money than he
knew what to do with, thought no
more of the old house in No. 20 Hem
lock Place and its impecunious tenants,
until six months or so afterward Mr..
Muggins came to him again.
IF you please, sir" said he, II can't
let that ERE house in Hemlock Place.
"Can't let it? And why not?"
eff you please, sir" said Mr.. Mug
gins, "'cause there amt no one will
take it."
"Why not?" demanded the landlord.
'It's-haunted! said MIR. Muggins.
"What?" shouted Minton.
Haunted" repeated the agent, a
trife more distinctly than before.
''Stuff and nonsense!" exclaimed the
landlord.
"Just what I says myself, sir, :"
chimed in Mr.. Muggins. ''But all the
same, folks fight shy of No. 30 Hem
lock Place, since old Mrs. Thompson
was scared out of her senses, a-takin'
care of the premises for her coal and
house-rent until somebody could be
found to lease 'em."
'In the name of common sense" said
Hubert Minton, "what was there to
brighten the woman?"
"Shrieks, sir, at the dead of night,
and awful groans," said Mr.. Muggins,
looking into his memorandum book
as if he kept a private menagerie of
ghosts therein "and the rattlin' of
chains most awful"
"Pshawl" said Mr.. Minton, CURLY.
"Yes, of course, SIR" asSented the
obsequious agent. But all the same,
/ can't get no tenant for the house."
@Let it stand empty them" said
Hubert, carelessly. IF people choose
to be such superstitious fools I don't
regard myself responsible for it, and
Mr.. Minton went off to his summer fish
ing in the beautiful st. Lawrence, with
out troubling himself about the haunted
house in Hemlock Place.
@The sweetest girl you ever saw,
said Major Carson, who was Judge of
salmon and knew where the deepest
and darkest trout pools were to be
found; "sketching and painting in water
colors for New York art emporium
camping out on one of the islands, the
most picturesque spot you ever saw
o, of course, I'll introduce you, old
fellowl l never was one of the kind
who went in for keeping things to my
self-especially as Pm old enough to
be the girls father, and have bald
spot as big as a dinner plate on the
back of my headi" and Hubert Minton
,l..sdol klo4 h,z al evo,rtsur, fria11 x-ao
right, when he saw Ethel Langdon
seated in boat, and languidly pulling
herself around point of rocks, under
the dropping shade of elm and beech.
She was tall and slight, and as per-
fectly formed as a Diana, with dark
blue eyes, hair of sunny faxen gold,
and dress of deep green serge, girdled
with o plain, black leather belt.
didn't tell you she was beauty ?"
snid the triumphant Major.
sBy the ashes of Cleopatra, you were
rieht!s returned Minton.
Miss Langdon was one of those indie
pendent young ladies who ask no odds
Of the world. She supported herself
and her infirm old aunt by the exercise
of her skill In art, nor was she at all
ashamed of the fact that she earned her
own living. I'VE are very poor, aunty
and I" said she, @and that is the reason
I can't afford to wear those lovely sum-
mer silks, and vapory lawns and things
ike other girls have"
do you kow," said Minton, Il think
those dark WOODEN dresseS of yours are
The most becoming things that you can
possibly wear2"
EAh, said Ethel. "but you are man.