The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-06-30

EE@%N% NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. s&N@& HSsN& M@Ax VII NSS&#@&$95
AMsrehant's wifs Dswisehed w strange
Esmals who y Now PuxzllDg the
AuthoritisG.
JIhere 10 now Ia tho Chinese coufts 4 ease
that has been taken from different legal
stages from tho lowest 70 the highest
courts, rays the Nav York World. Tho
prisoner Ii ! shan OF spirit woman, The
ghost Of ! suicide, but they believe she han
been guilty Of suoh interference in tsrrss-
trial affairs U 10 DO smenabls 10 legal pro
cess. She II accused OF melting ! woman
70 whom she had introduced herself to
commit suicide In the name way she had.
Hsf death vas recorded years 4 In the
city ct Canton. Her life had bssn . happy
one, and the neighbors predistsd ! misera-
bic end o. her. Her husband had died and
loft her very poor. She sold her
possessions, little II time,
until finally theirs was scarcely any
thing loft. She lived in ! couple
q rooms on the second floor OF 4 pleas
q littls house. One day she was missed,
and whom they searched for her they found
her body suspended BY the mock Al the end
Of I atont cord. the other snd Of which wa
attached 10 ! hook near the door. She Wa
buried near her husband md her tragic end
was almost forgotten.
The rooms remained vacant until about d
year ago. when a merchant and his wife
rented them. Then the trouble began. II
might havs been Ill right had the merchants
remained q home With his Wits. but hs
seems 10 have bsen : convivial Chinaman,
who frsqusntsd the drinking tables in the
Yat-bun-lows whom he ought TO have been
home.
The hrst night 10 remained out his vito
looked The doors and was sitting By the Are
side sewing whom shs felt some ens touch
her on the shoulder. She Thought il was
her husband.
so i i you, y it," she said. You havs
come baok."
Then abe happened TO think shat all he
doors we're locked and she looked around.
She saw . woman standing beside her. The
stranger held q rops in her hand and there
was q red line about her neck. A5at%
Como, lot 10 play" said the stranger,
and with this introduction the women be-
came friends.
They played with tho rope iii the svs-
ming, and the wife OF the merchant noticed
J nothing unusual about hsr guest until her
husband knocked ct the door.
Don't tell him You have seen me- said
the stranger. pointing to the door. When
the merchant came in she was gone.
There never was 2 night after that that
the shan woman lid mob come, and every
night she brought hor rope. She always
came in tho same mysterious manner. but
somehow the merchants wife forgot to
question her as TO who she was.
They always played together with the
rope. until it seemed TO The merchants wife
as though no game could BE- complies nm
less q rope figured in il. Sometimes they
had little lunches together in the rooms.
On these occasions the visitor would help
TO prepare them, but she was never seen 10
sat; gn- n
plate upon which there were some choice
preserves.
!" .'They never agree with mo-, was alwaavsu
the answer. Years ago they made me ill.,
Agreat love seemed to spring up between
the two women, and at times the stranger
would ask:
Don't you wish your husband would
never come back?"
But the wife has never told what answer
she made to this.
One night the wind blew and the rain
spattered against the windows. The spirit
woman was absent, but the rope was hang
ing on the hook near the door. The mer-
chants wife felt lonely and went over to il
and began playing with tho moose on tho
end.
Put your head through it, some ono
said. She started and looked around. The
room was empty.
Put your bend through it,'' came the
same voice again. She looked around the
second time and saw the stranger. 4
1T is a new game | have invented and 1t
gan the stranger as she fastened one end Of
tho rope to the hook and allowed the moose
to hang loosely.
1.-THE beautiful dream always lasts 4 long
while" she went on as she spread the moose
apart, land when you wake up you will al
We can play always, and you will never
have to sit up waiting for your husband.
You will be happy then. See, this is the
way" and smiling she put her head through
the moose. The rope fitted in the rod
tight and then dropped half s%trsneled al.
most to her knees. as far as the rope would
let. While she strangled she seemed still
able to talk, and the smile on her face grew
brighter, while her eyes opened wider than
ever.
my dream is coming to me now" she
Rasped. "Oh, you should Try i'll" and she
aeruggled to her feet. pulled the rope from
around her neck, and held is toward the
merchants wife. do it'll" shs commanded.
1t seemed as though the woman could not
I6blbt, 63VuOuRu buo Ielb tueTo was death IN
obedience. She atepped forward, held ont
one hand for the rope. whom there came a
knock at the door. 1t was her husband re-
turning. She opened the door and let hin.
In. The shan woman had gone.
Every night for a week the stranger
would hang herself into the rope bv the
door, and every time she held the rope out
tho husband knocked at the door. One
night she came early.
She took the wife gently by the arm and
led her to the rope. 1T is waiting for you,'
she said, You must hurry or be will be
home" She helped the wife adjust the
rope around her neck. She pulled the
moose tight and then she gave her q violent
push down.
'Oh, what g dream You will have now
she laughed, as she clapped her hands.
The last thing the vito Of the merchant
saw before everything became blank was
the spirit woman laughing and rubbing
her hands together. Then the beautiful
dream came after the first pain. 1t seemed
to her AZ If she was floating ur among the
clouds. as.if q choir of a thousand voices
was singing the favorite song of the en-
peror; as If a thousand sze- i%n-neok-hiis
were playing softly. The air was perfumed,
1t was summer and the trees were in blos-
som. II was autumn and golden fruits
were on the trees. A gentle breeze spranp
up and moved the branches and shook the