The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-31

gether she started as IL frightened.
"What is it?" he asked her.
Nothing, nothing" answered Co
| rinna.
He looked ut her. Her lips were
apart with fear, she was pale, staring
at something that lay upon the fioor
near the fireplace. Herbert was car
rying the lighted lamp; he went for
ward TO examine the object.
"Why it is only Aunt Drusilla's pho
~tograph." He picked it up and set 1t
on the mantel shelf.
"But-but--how came itdownthere?"
said the girl, with n shivering voice.
"My dear child, the wind blew it
down. These old houses let in all sorts
of little draughts around the windows."
"No, il was not the wind" said Co
rlnna, with the quiet of hopeless con-
v~iction. Herbert, / meant not TO say
anything about it, because, of course,
you will laugh at me. Every evening,
whether the wind blows or not, II n
picture quits its place. Every morning
l find it on the floor. While you are
reading 10 me that dreadful thing tot
tiers forward and then leaps off the shelf
toward us. / didn't want you to know
about 1t. 1 thought / could keep it
from you, because you always sit with
your back that way. But tonight
we staid awhile talking with father and
mother-and Aunt Drusilla had been
mentioned. And-and-Herbert, I'm
afraid of her! You know what she said
that che x-,,t1l haunt ,tSfo Tho h1ua
eyes of the girl were strained with ter
cor; there was n husky tremor in her
voice.
Don't be afraid" said her lover.
'That was easy for Aunt Drusilla to
say-but they don't come back from
the other world. She didn't have any
communication ticket when she went over
the Stys'% ferry that we read about
and old -. Charon, of C~haronsville,
won't deadhead her this way again"
So, staid with reason and comforted
with the classics-or, rather, such very
slight and secondhand acquaintance
with them as they had-the lovers
PASSED n pleasant evening. Thrice, in
deed, did the likeness of Aunt Dru-
silla stir and pitch forward as If TO
menace them, then staggef and drop to
the floor. Each time did Herbert, who
had seated himself where he could keep
an eye on the image of the bag, take
her up untenderly and replace her on
the shelf.
twill you set where you're>sot?" he
inquired of her sternly, quoting an adj
monition of Neighbor Dunn to her
youngest child, who on one occasion in
his presence had been an unquiet pas
sengcr in the electric car.
But tits no use testing with ghosts;
for all that we call them 'old true
penny anc "old MOLE" they chill the
marrow of the bones and prick the hair
on end. So when Herbert had set Aunt
Drusilla in place for the third time he
ceased reading and fell on thought.
Corinna watched him anxiously. Final
ly he spoke, consulting his timepiece:
"We will read thirteen minutes MORE"
said he. Then we will listen, at the
same time keeping our eyes fixed on
that bewitched old photograph. Un-
less / am mistaken, Corinna, we shall
learn something TO u advantage"
She was puzzled, but all her trust was
in Herbert. Ten minutes were gone,
and she hitched her chair a little Yearer
to his: when he held out the dial OF
his watch to show her that twelve min
utes had passed she slipped her little
finger into his hand with the action of
q timid child. Then they heard a far
away sound that mixed with the wind
and the rush of the rain, but was more
unvarying and stronger than those.
THAT is the electric car" said Her.
bert. STEADY, Corinna! Look at your
aunt"
And truly, just ms the car Numbered
by, the photograph OF Aunt Drusiila
reared itself like "a viper and leaped
from the mantei shelf. Cerinna gave a
slight scream and started 10 her feet.
But Herbert was laughing.
/ ought to nave thought of that at
once" he said. Don't you under
stand, Corinna? There's a ledge
Of rock that runs across the street and
by this side of the house. That is the
reason that the grass cannot take deep
root here, and turns yellow; that is
why the old birch has pulled up stakes
10 run away. NHNll Tic Cur pOts O'tE
the ledge, il jars this room and makes
the photograph jump. That is all,
truly, my dear girl. Twill lay the ghost
for you; / will bring a neat and rather
solid frame for the picture tomorrow.
And / warrant You that from this out,
Aunt Drusilla will behave herself"
Herbert kept his word, bringing n
heavy standing frame In gilt metal.
Holman Brockway thought IL very
handsome in the future son-in-law TO
do such honor to the aunt who had
been so %ungentle to the lovers
81 take /. 'ery kind of you, Herbert"
he said. ""ris right, tits sccordin' 10
religion. You're kind O. heapin' Goals
Of fire onto her head, a-gittin' that nice
frame for her pictcr. II shows n good
disposition in you, Herbert. An that
promises well for %Corinny's happiness.
/ guess she's doin' well 10 marry you.'
And Ann. IruciIla-ae u,Oppap 1bngt