The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-25

put uiiIi uilutTStuHu now twas. MI.
Corvin, he wanted to buy the stock of
the invention, and had to have cash. So
he said eff | wouldn't marry him. and
didn't have the money for the mortgage
tomorrow. why he'd be sorry, but he'd
jest be obliged to sell up the farm an
| tiNin's. SO | said. Well, ef you have to
| do 1t, sell away. Mr.. Corvin.' l says; an
don't you bother bout Nellie an me- l
says: 1 guess the Lord'll look out after
us some way an then told him I'd
have to be gittin' the dinner ready, an
asked him would he stay? But he said
no, an off he went"
DO you thing the Lord will take us to
| Heaven. now we have no money!" Nell
lie inquired.
'Oh. we'll, guess we'll get on all right
| down here for spell yet. lovey," Nancy
replied, cheerfully. IN trot over to the
| village tomorrow, and ef may be l
can't get somethin to do-cookin' or
SEWN, or such like. There's a good long
bit between you AN me an starvin,' my
pet; an we arays got the old house to
live in, youNknow-thanks be!'
Nellie made no rejoinder. and they
sat silent. The fire fell into red en-
bcrs, on a cushion of white ash. The
wind rose. without, and the boughs of
the great trees swept across the roof
if caressing the venerable building
over which they had stood guard 50
long. How many generations of Bill
| lops had that soothing sound hushed
! To sleep! Nancy was beginning to nod.
when suddenly she felt Nellie start
slightly. and saw that she had lifted
her head and was listening intently.
What is it lovey? Rats"
Music WHISPERED Nellie. There
| don't you hear"''
Nancy uttered a faint cry. and sat
rigid.
| Music! 1t was unmistakeable. At
| first light and airy strain, rising and
falling with the breeze, like the notes
of an aeolian harp. 1t was a fitful. un-
dulating call. as of fairy minstrels sig
| mailing with eltn horns. But presently
1t assumed measured form: it gath
| cred Itself into a datonic melody.
waibling delectably. What made it?
| Where did it come from? After a mo-
ment, Nellie jumped up. ran to the win
| dow and threw it open. In came the
crisp cold air; the stars sparkled: the
music sounded more distinct but still
aerial and remote. 1t was impossible
| to determine whence 1t came 1t sound
ed now here. now there. Sometimes 1t
seemed to emanate from the listeners
own heart.
"Oh, isn't it good! Oh, don't let it
stop murmured Nellie, with groans of
delight.
But 1t did stop. almost as if out of
contrariness. a last note swelled out
and went off in a dimnuendo, and
sank into silence
| "Oh, doc let it play some more"' she
sighed, as If the invisible orchestra
could be propitiated by entreaty.
Nanny. you ask 'em"'
Nancy had all this while remained in
| her chair, in a state of breathless agi-
| taton. She now managed to find a
week and quivering voice. Come away
| from that window. child. Lovey, it's
ghosts. the same as used to be when
your Uncle Matt was livn'. oh. my
| sakes-what turn it give me!'
Ghosts" said Nellie. stepping back
| from the window. in momentary dis
may. But she recovered herself. "If
ghosts can make such nice sounds as
that. / like them"
1T won't play no more this time,
once 1t stops" said Nancy. 'T elect
how't used to be well enough, 1t 'ud
play bit, an then stop. an then times
II I'D say somethin', an then you
| wouldn't hear no more. That's how
twas when poor Matt was livin', an
guess this Is the same ghost
But did 1t ever do any harm to
Uncle Matt? Didn't he like it?" en-
| quired the child
II don't know as he. ever exactly
heard 1t himself; it 'ud mostly come
when I'd be alone, and he off on his
business som'ers. When I'd tell him
about it. he'd look grave, an then he'd
say, Well, Nance. mind you al'ays lis
ten what 1t says he'd say. AN what
| ever 1t says mind you do 1t: for ghosts
knows more'n we do he'd say. All the
same 1t scared me awful"
May be 1t isn't ghosts but fairies
good fairies; and they mean to do us
good somehow. Didn't they do Uncle
Matt good?"
well. I b'leve he did sort of foller
what they said. when I wasn't too
scared to recolect it. an he used to saw,
times. that the Voices. as he called
'em. was as good for business as what
| spellin' book Is for a child learnin' to
read. But all the same. I'm scared of
what can't see, and don't know what
it is; an arays thought 1t was them
ghosts that carried poor Matt off, mys-
ferrous like, at last"
MAY be they will bring him back
again. then. and he'll make Mr.. Corvin
stop troubling u.s."
| Nancy shook her head. "Ghosts Is
ghosts. lovey; they may be good or bad;
but never heard as they was able to
pay folks debts for 'em. Ef they could
do that. don't say but what
Sakes alive!'
| The cause of this ejaculation was not
supernatural, but material. There
was heavy thump on the hearth. and
the wood ashes flew out into the room.
Some heavy object had fallen down
the chimney, and struck against the
| cn1pIi1darinu MI harc ho In ctar ~
light blaze broke out, burnt actively
for a minute or so, and then died down.
Land sakes! II jest makes me sick!
Must be a brick out of the chimney.
spose. But what was that burned up
so? 1t didn't sound like a brick,
neither"
Nellie picked up a thin stick, and
poked among the ashes. "Why. mann
my it's money--a whole lot of itw she
presently exclaimed. 1T was done up
In paper. and that's what burnt"
"Money. child? You're crazy! What
ever would money be doin' in our old
chimney"
"But 1t is money" persisted Nellie:
and with that she raked out couple
of ten dollar gold pieces "Oh, do see
what q lot Of 'emv' She continued
raklng out gold and silver coins. and
brushing away the ashes. There were
scores of them-hundreds of them.
Were rich. nov. amt we. nanny:
you can pay Mr.. COrvin tomorrow and
make him go away" said the child.
looking up smiling with excitement and
| pleasure.
Nancy her simple soul rent between
fear curiosity and half-incredulous JOY.
| got down on her knees on the hearth
stone. and picked up one of the gold
pieces between her thumb and finger.
ITS real true gold. Jest as sure as
you're alive" she murmured: "an the
same kind 6f coin poor Matt used. to
like to have about him. Gold eagles
don't fly away as easy as other kinds
was what he used to say. Well. 1t
don't seem like II could be real, does IT.
j ,Tis though all the aamni Buf dnn'f