The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-28


door she saw piles of clothes and sheets
and towels and pillow cases. once white,
but now powdered gray, as though snow
of that hue had fallen on them.
She lowered her lantern and beheld
across the sill a stain of blood, and within,
on the floor. deeper one; but she did not
shudder; indeed, smile crossed her face
| a pitiful, tender smile.
poor little Martha Penny!' she said,
and without culver or cry she entered
in and shut the door behind her A small,
round window, high up in the wall, let in
little CLEAN of moonlight, a broken pane
admitted a breath of air; but amid the
wooden blankets at the further end moths
burrowed. She could see their tracks, and
a curious smell that fingers in moth eaten
wool made the air heavy. Already her
| lanterns light attracted insects that came
through the broken pane above to flutter
| about it, She closed the slide, and now
| looked like a very ghost herself-all white
| in the faint moonlight.
| She listened intently. Soon she heard
| the sound of door closed carefully, feet
upon the stairs, feet in the passage without
the door Some one began to pace slowly
| up and down.
Martha" said voice; "Marthar Then
there was silence. Then again, Martha!
Marthan'
1t was mans voice which spoke Now
it went on:
'They say your ghost haunts this house.
have come here SO often and heard moth
ing, seen nothing. Martha, give me some
sign that you hear mel
The widow lifted her hand and tapped
lightly on the door.
There was little cry without, then "Mar-
tina" came again, and now the widow spoke:
"You call Martha. She is here. For once,
and once only, she is permitted to listen to
you. Who are your"
''The man who loved you-Jack Parker"
replied the voice "May see you, Martha
angel Martha-may l see yo1S"
eff you swear not to move-not to try to
touch me-" said the widow.
Il swear" replied Jack, in q choking
voice.
The door of the linen closet moved
slowly. The man on his knees in the pas
sage without saw white draped figure
with long braids of hair hanging below its
waist
"N1y God" he painted "Do 1 see you
again, Martha?''
81 am Martha Penny" replied the widow,
in a soft whisper. why have you called
me?"
''To ask your forgiveness" the man re-
piled. without it l am lost in this world
and the next. Speak to me, sweet angel
tell me that you know that did not kill
you with intent to do so. Let the world
think what it will. Tell me you know it
was not so-that you knew it even when
you fell there, where you stand now-tell
me so and save my soull"
when fell, the faint voice whispered,
"when the blood gushed from the wound
you gave me believed that you had shot
me purposely. In this belief I lost my
consciousness. Yes, when seemed to die
l thought you had killed me-"
"But now?" asked Jack
"Oh, unhappy man." replied the spirit, |
might after night 1 have heard your
means; night after night have heard you |
swear by all that is holy to your innocence. |
do not doubt you now. Be at peace We |
shall meet again, and forgive you"
With a cry the man flung himself upon |
the floor, and great sobs burst from his |
bosom.
cat lastn' he gasped, cat last. Oh, dear
angel, at last. Oh, God be praisedr'
The white figure came nearer to the !
fallen man; it bent over him
Jack" it said in more earthly tones. 81 |
am so glad that you did not mean to kill |
me. Poor boy, you were always handling
that revolver recklessly, but you know YOU
threatened me. l loved you, Jack, but |
could not marry you your mother was SO
proud, and yet she had been 50 good to me-
a poor little orphan. So l swore to myself
that would go away and never see YOU
again unless she called me back. That is
why l refused you, Jack; that is why"
Thrilling and chilling, Jack lifted him
self on his elbow and stared into the yelled
face.
Certainly am really mad at last" he
said
But the voice, now even more distinct
and full of earthly tenderness, went on:
NO, Jack, no, you are quite sane, quite
sane Remember how the body OF poor
Martha Penny was spirited away Have
you never thought that perhaps she was
not dead, though that stupid old doctor in
his dotage, declared her SO? Jack, poor
Jack, she was alive. But when she came
10 herself the horror she felt that you
should murder her was very great And
yet she did not wish to give any evidence
bhat would send you TO prison. She re-
solved to fly. The old negress helped her
away, and lied to cover the act Jack, l
am no ghost, l am alive, am flesh and
blood. Touch my hand, give you leave
Poor Jack, poor fellow, how you have suf-
ered all these years"
LAS they suffer in Hades," he said, and
1umbly put his lips to the hem of her robe.
Il worked hard for awhile. then good
Did man married me" she went on. "He
vas kind As father, and l have a little
boy. am widow now, and l came back
o see the old place. live in the wing that | I
he agent had to let, and night after night
heard you through the Partition, weeping
md praying forgiveness of my ghost, swear
ng you did not mean to harm me- And
meant that you should only think nv
,host forgave you. But II could not
lelp telling the truth. dear Jack, once | {
aw you so near me and so broken hearted"
Then indeed Jack grew holder and dared
o touch her hands and to lift them to his
ips, He was thankful and humble. as
hough heaven had vouchsafed him Wis
on OF angels and he left her at her door as !
e might have parted from one But after )
IL she was living woman, he man who {
owed her, and ere the autumn leaves fell /
hey were wed.-Mary Kyle Dallas in Fire t
ide Companion. q