The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-02-09

thing said, without having to make
sense of it.
"It can't SPELL" he added, land it's
got nasty, sullky temper. If it was
my spirit, I'd hire another spirit to
kick it."
whitley was one of the mildest little
men ever knew, but chaff or abuse of
his spirit reused the devil in him, and
feared we were going to have scene.
Fortunately was able to get his mind
back to the consideration of ''Hes turn
emysfear" before anything worse hap
pened than. few muttered remarks
about the laughter of fools and want
of reverence for sacred subjects being
the sign of shallow mind.
We tried Hes stern" and His
turn" and the fear of Hesturnemy,"
and tried to think who "Eesturnemy"
might be.
Three times we went over the whole
thing again from the beginning, which
meant six hundred and six fittings of
the table; and then suddenly the ex-
planation struck me: Eastern Henri
sphere" whitley had asked it for in
formation it might possess concerning
his wife's uncle, from whom he had not
heard for months, and that, apparently,
was its idea of an address.
The fame of Whibley's spirit became
noised abroad, with the result that
Whibleywas able to command the will
ing service of more congenial assist
ants, and Jobstock and myself were
dismissed. But we bore no malice.
Under these more favorable condi-
tions, the spirit plucked up wonderfully
and talked everyb body's head off. 1t
could never have been q cheerful COM
panion, however, for Its conversation
was chiefly confined to warnings and
representations of evil. About once a
fortnight whitley would drop round
on me in friendly way to tell me that
l was to beware of man who lived in
street beginning with C; or to in
form me that if l would go to town
on the coast where there were three
churches l would meet some one who
would do me an irreparable injury, and
that did not rush off then and there
flying in the face of Providence. In its
passion for poking its ghostly nose into
other peoples affairs it reminded me of
my earthly friend Poppleton. Nothing
pleased it better than being appealed
to fer aid and advice, and whitley,
who was a perfect slave to it, would
hunt half over the parish for people in
trouble and bring them to it.
1t would direct ladies, eager for di-
vorce court evidence, to go to the third
house from the corner of the fifth
street past such and such church, or
a public house lit never would give
plain, straightforward address) and
ring the bottom bell but one twice.
They would thank it effusively, and
next morning would start to find the
fifth street past the church, and would
ring the bottom bell but one of the
third house from the corner twice; and
to the door and ask them what they
wanted.
They could not tell what they
wanted; they did not know themselves,
and the man would use bad language
and slam the door in their faces.
Then they would think that perhaps
the spirit meant the fifth street the
other way, or the third house from the
opposite corner, and would try again,
with still more unpleasant results.
One July 1 met whitley incoming
disconsolately along Princes street,
Edinburgh.
"Hnllol' 1 exclaimed. "What are
you doing hore? l thought you were
busy over that school board case?"
"Yes," he answered. II ought real
ly to be in London, but the truth is Pm
rather expecting something to happen
down here"
''Ohl" said, ''and what's that?"
'Well," he replied, hesitatingly, as
though he would rather not talk about
it; 81 don't exactly know yet"
you've come from London to Edin-
burgh and don't know what you've
come for" cried.
well, you see," he said, still more
reluctantly, as it seemed to me, lit was
Maria's idea. She wished"
"Mariar' interrupted, looking per.
haps little sternly at him. "Who's
Maria?" (His wife's name knew was
Emily 0eOrSlud Aune.J
"Oh, / forgot" he explained, 'she
never would tell ! name before you
would she? It's IT,, spirit, you know.
''Oh, that" / said, Its she that has
sent you here. Didn't she tell you
what for?''
"No," he answered, "that's what
worries me. All she would say was
Go to Edin nburgh-something will hap
pen.'"
"And how long are you going to re
main here?" inquired.
Il don't know" he replied; 'T've
been here week already, and Job
stock writes quite angrily. ] wouldn't
have come if Maria hadn% been sc
urgent She repeated it three evenings
running"
l hardly knew what to do. The lit
tie man was SO dreadfully in earnest
d the business that one could moi
argue much with him.
"You are sure" said, after thinking
awhile, ''that this Maria is a good
spirit? There are all sorts going about
I'm told. You're sure this isn't the
spirit of some deceased lunatic playing
the fool with you?'
i've thought of that" he admitted.
"Of course that might be so. If moth
| ing happens soon / shall almost begin
to suspect it."
"Well, should certainly make some
inquiries into its character before