The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1892-03-04


why. grandmother, cried she, what
ever is the matter? Here are the logs all +
burned down to white ashes and the
candle wick guttering, and you in such .
a fiutter as never was! What has hap |
pened, grandmother"
Mrs Maple turned her keen blue eyes +
upon her great-granddaughter with an
expression like that of a sleep walker.
"Minny, come in" said she: land
shut that door. Is that you, Gilbert
Crofton, the great grandson of JobP
Come you in also Children" with her
old hands shaking as if palsy stricken,
I've seen a ghost!"
"Impossibler' cried Gilbert Crofton.
"Dear grandmother, you must have
been dreaming" soothed Minny, creep
ing up to her side and drawing her down
into the old armchair beside the hearth.
"Dreamingr' shrieked the old woman.
81 was as wide awake as | am at this
moment. had been over to see Mrs.
Muir's sick child, and it was close ON 10
o'clock when got back. And the min
ute | crossed the threshold | had that
queer feeling of some one being in the
room creep all over me. And there, sure
enough, in the chair opposite. where he
used to sit thirty good year ago, was
your great-grandfathe Maple, with his
old cue wig and his suit of butternut
brown, and the very green spectacles he
used to wear for his weak eyes, And he
took hispipe out of his mouth and looked
at me just as your Grandfather Maple
has looked at me thousand, thou
sand times And says |: Reuben, is
that your And says he: Yes, Lois, it
is. And says |: oh, Reuben, what
brings you back to this worldY And
says he: To wipe out the stains of
wicked world And says |: Are
you happy, Reuben And says he:
Yes, and that's the reason | want
others to be-. And then began to trem-
BILE all over. and says |: is it anything |
can do, Reuben? And says he: There's
no more offending nor giving offense in
the other world, Lois. and Job Crofton's
soul and mine are ut variance no longer.
Says he: Let there be peace, Lois, and
let the young man Gilbert be your grand
child's husband And then he knocked
the bowl of his pipe on the edge of the
andiron, as I've seen him do it so often;
and he got up and he walked out of the
room, just for all the world like a living
creature. I've often heard as ghosts can
60 through key hole, but your Grand
father Naples ghost opened the door and
forgot to shut ID after him into the bar
gain. SO, when | reused up enough to
know what was going on around me the
floor was covered with snow that had
drifted in and the candle was blown
out.
"Oh, grandmother! do you think this
was real?" cried Minny with startled
eyes.
Didn't see it with my own eyes, and
hear it with my own earsg' demanded
old Mrs. Maple. Its your grandfather
ghostl And might have known that if
he wanted to appear he could, for he
had obstinacy enough for anything, rest
hissoull You may Marry Gilbert Croft
ton if you want to, tomorrow, Minnyl
And perhaps your grandfather's ghost
will be easy Them
So the young people were happily mar
ried, and Gilbert came to live at the
farm, and managed all the old lady's af-
fairs for her. And she lived to be hun
bred years old before she closed those
keen, blue eyes Of hers upon the matters
of this mortal world.
But one day, i'll turning over the relics
of the roomy old garnet, Minny came
across red chest, clamped with brass
and family odorous of dried lavender
and rose leaves. She opened it.
"Oh, Gilbert, look herev' cried she
my great-grandfathers best suit laid VI
in camphor gum and sweet herbs! Why
do you suppose that Grandmother Maple
has kept it?'
Il don't know, / am sure" said Gil
bert, with mischievious twinkle in hi:
eyes, Perhaps for the younger genera
tions to masquerade in!''
Minny sprang to her feet, a sudde1
light seeming to illuminate her whole
face:
GILBERT cried she, did you
mo matter, said Gilbert laughing
''shut up the box, Minny, your great
grandfathers ghost win never haunt tn,
house again.
And it never id.-Amy Randolph il
New York Ledger.
M