Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1892-06-10

d If ee missus likes to live over dead
an'-gone folks, DON'T" said Hannah.
o'I'd ruther have live neighbors than
dead uns any time"
'.You old GOOSE" said Mrs. Pinkney,
with a superior smile. fAll the bodies
we're taken away years before my grand.
father built the house, and re-interred
beside Saint Sulpicius's Church, three
miles down the lake."
! ''Maybe ee were, maybe ee weren't, !"
! said Hannah. "Which room is ee young
mees to havea"
"I told you before-the south cham.
ber."
s'Is it near yoursa" l whispered to
! Hannah, as my new mistress leaned for.
ward to replace vividly painted fan on
answered me with nod.
The rest of the evening was spent in
readings from various authors and in
various styles to prove to Mrs. Pinkney
what my qualifications were, and she
was pleased to profess herself surprised
and gratified.
"To morrow" she said, ~ will show
you my books and curios, and your
duties will commence"
At eleven o'clock precisely some hot
lemonade and crackers were produced,
and we went to bed, Hannah guiding me
with a candle in an old-fashioned silver
sconce.
"Hanpah !" cried, clutching her arm
as / look at the dim old chamber with its
carved high-pos bedstead, its polished
wood floor and the dim sheets of mirror
that seemed to glisten everywhere,
"where is your roomG'
| "Just ee first one as ee came doom the
stair, miss, SAID Hannah, "with ee little
roond door. Don't ee fret, dear; cell
sleep rare and well, see if ee DON'T"
Aud wishing me goodnight, she with
drew.
/ sat crouched on chair in front of
the antique toilet table, looking piieously
at my own white face and the reflection
of the glimmering candle.
All of sudden became unplcasantly
aware that dim, opaque sort of face
was peering over my shoulder. looked
around with spasmodic start. 1t was
only the reproduction of feeble old
family portrait that hung above the
mantle; but l sprang on u chair and
resolutely turned its simmering face to
the wall.
AS jumped down again my eyes fell
on something that turned the warm cur
rents of my blood to ice-a pair of big
cowhide boots, stained with red mud and
literally set with nails in the heel, that
were protruding from urder the chntz
valances of the bed.
One glance was enough. opened the
door and fled wildly out into the hall
without waiting for my candle.
At the foot of the winding stairs l
looked around for the little und.topped
door of which Hannah had spoken; but
there was no door there, circumstance
which was after ward accounted for by
the fact that | had turned the wrong
way in my mad flight, and taken the
south stairway instead of the north.
With smothered shrek | made for
the apartment where we had speut the
evening, whose open door revealed the
remains OF the still smolderiug fire on
the hearth.
To my unspeakable terror, was
confronted on the very threshold by the
crouching figure of huge Bengal tiger,
whose green, CLASSY eyes mirrored the
unleaping flames, and starting back, with
wild shrek, lost all consciousness.
l. stake me back homel Take me to
mother and Emily!" was my piteous
murmur, as | once more regained con-
sciousness and became aware that Mrs.
Pinkney was drenching my forehead in
lavender water, while old Hannah stood
by with sheaf OF burnt feathers and a
pitcher OF iced water.
"Don't co be scared, my deary," said
the old woman, soothingly. Snow don't
eel"
"IIannah, hold your tonguel" said
Mrs. Pinkney. "fhe trouble Is purely
nervous, aud nerves can, aud must, and
shall he controlled Now, Miss Car
rick, brace yourself up aud tell Us what
frightened YOU"
"a mani gasped. Gliding with
big, mob na,lei boots-under my oeil'
"o.o.hr' said Mrs. Pinkney. ''Is
that alli why, thought I'd told you
about EN-. keep 'em Ia every ROOM Of
the house, 90 make burglars think there's
men on the promises. told Hannah to
Femoye them from your chamber,
though"
"As true as &C lives, ma a'am," eroaked
Hannah, zee clean forgot all about iti"
"And the tigeri lie sprung At my
throat, sobbed, hiding nay face ia the