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

them; and not finding me there and
time being important, went to Kebble
1 was rather disappointed when 1 got
back and heard about it."
''Umph," said; ''she's not smart
spirit, anyway"
NO" he answered; perhaps not.
But you see something really did hap
pen"
After that his affection for maria"
increased tenfold, while her attach
ment to himself became burden to his
friends. She grew too big for her
table; and dispensing with all mechan-
ical Intermediates, talked to him di-
rect. She followed him everywhere.
Mary's lamb couldn't have been big
ger nuisance. She would even go with
him into the bedroom, and carry on
long conversations with him in the
middle of the night His wife objected;
she said it seemed hardly decent, but
there was DO keeping her out.
She turned up with him at picnics
and Christmas parties. Nobody heard
her speak to him, but it seemed neces-
sary for him to reply to her aloud; and
to see him suddenly get up from his
chair and slip away to talk earnestly to
nothing in corner disturbed the fes-
tivities.
81 should really be glad" he once con-
fessed to me, ''to get little time to
myself. She means kindly, but it is
a strain. And then the others don't
like it. 1t makes them nervous. lean
see it does"
One evening she caused quite scene
at the club. whitley had been play
ing whist with the major for part
ner. At the end of game, the major,
leaning across the table toward him.
asked in a tone of deadly calm:
MAY 1 inquire, sir, whether there
was any earthly reason" Che empha-
sized 'earthly') "for your following
my lead of spades with your only
trump?"
"I-I-am very sorry, major" re-
piled whitley, apologetically. Ill
somehow felt I-I-ought to lead that
queen"
Entirely your own inspiration, or
suggested" persisted the major, who
had, of course, heard of Maria
hlDlCy ttNthAlOIC0 CllC pay ldu OCCh
suggested to him. The major rose
from the table.
Then, SIR" said he, with concen-
trated indignation, 81 decline to con-
tinue this game. A human fool 1 can
tolerate for partner, but if l am to
be hampered by a spirit
You've no right to say that" cried
whitley, hotly.
81 apologize" returned the major,
coldly; eve will say the blessed spirit.
l decline to play whist with spirits of
any kind; and would advise you. sir,
if you intend giving many exhibitions
with the lady, first to teach her the ru-
diments of the game"
Saying which the major put on his
hat and left the club, and 1 made
whitley drink stiff glass of brandy
and water and sent him and Maria"
home in cab.
whitley got rid of "Maria" at last.
1t cost him in round figures eight thou
sand pounds, but his family said it was
worth it.
A Spanish count hired a furnished
house few doors from Whibley's, and
one evening he was introduced to
whitley, and came home and had a
chat with him. whitley told him
about Maria" and he quite fell in love
with her. He said that if only he had
had such spirit to help and advise
him it might have altered his whole
life
He was the nrst man who had ever
said kind word about the spirit. and
whitley loved him for it. He seemed
as though he could never see enough
of him after that evening. and the
three of them-Whibley the count and
"Maria"-would sit up half the night
talking together.
The precise particulars Inever heard.
whitley was always very reticent on
the matter. Whether Maria really
did exist, and the count" deliberately
set to work to bamboozle her (she was
fool enough for anything); or whether
she was mere hallucination of Whib
ley's, and the man tricked whitley by
hypnotic suggestion" las l believe it
is called), l am not prepared to say
The only thing certain is that the count
had discovered secret gold mine in
Peru. She said she knew all about it
and counseled whitley to beg the count
to let him put few thousands into the
working of it. Maria" it appeared,
had known the count from his boy.
hood, and could answer for it that he
was the most honest man in all South
America. Possibly enough he was.)
The count was astonished to find
that whitley knew all about his mine
Eight thousand pounds was needed to
start the workings, but he had not
mentioned it to anyone, as he wanted
to keep the whole thing to himself and
thought he could save the money on
his estates in Portugal However, to
oblige Maria he would let whitley
supply the money. whitley supplied
it in cash, and no one has ever seen the
count since.
That broke up Whibley's faith in
"Maria." and sensible doctor, getting
hold of him and threatening to pre-
scribe lunatic asylum for him if ever
he found him carrying on with any
spirits again, completed the cure
Jerome Il. Jerome, in Detroit Free
Press.
Death by Lightning.
The cause of death by lightningis