Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-12-11

not n of them entertained that re-
spect and affection for me of which I
had imagined they We're all possessed,
Now l fully realized the truth of my
friend the demons words. 1t was q
dreadful penalty to pay, a sad morti-
fcation to hear what they said of me,
and to see myself as others saw me.
well, Of course" my cousin Yer
non said, responding to some remark
! a virtuously deprecatory tone. "Of
course, de mOrtuis nil nisi bOnum, and
oil that sort Of thing, you know; but
1 can't help saying that Crawley was
always mean-horribly meant"
Confound the fellow! And this was
a man to whom I had left $500, for
giving him all the money he owed me
which was as good as doubling the leg
acy!
mo. no; not mean," Tom answered,
and I blessed him for those words,
but he spoiled it all by adding, "a bit
careful, you know"
"!Ah, I should think So" says Pris.
ella. "You would hardly believe 1t,
but it's a fact he never allowed me
money enough to keep house decent
~"
Ut course, this was not true, as you
may imagine. She was always want
ing more money, and yet 1t never sue
ceeded in purchasing anything re-
markable. And this was my sister
Pris., whom 1 had always thought so
affectionate, so entirely devoted to
me. Oh, it was too horrible.
These three We're my principal Legal
tees. If 1 had only known sooner!
But how was that possible?
1 knew what I would do. 1 had
made up my midland having no
body, 1 was all mind now-I would
go ut once to my solicitors, and have
a codicil drawn up while there was
yet time. But say, there was no time;
1t was too late. 1 had quite forgotten
that l was only a poor ghost. n dema-
terialized spirit, and that old idiot,
Sharpitlaw, was so welded to routine
and old-fashioned custom that he
would certainly regard a posthumous
testament as informal, and as 1 was
invisible he would treat my signature
as null and decidedly void.
When next I turned toward my
amiable and di%sintercsted family cir
Gle, 1 perceived that the breakfast
things had been removed, and Tom
Slowquicker sat in the armchair with
my will spread out before him.
"There's ONE one missing" he said,
looking around him magisterially;
"who is it,"
"Only my sister Minnie" Vernon re-
marked casually. 81 went to her this
morning, but she's so upset about his
death that she feels quite i'll. and
could not come down to breakfast"
Don't be absurd" said Priscilla;
"why, she never gave him so much as
a civil word" Then. soto voce to her
brother, "And that's what has upset
her. l expect. She is afraid she has
spoiled her chances of n legacy"
oh, that spiteful Priscilla! If I
could only alter my will! But 1t was
too late, for here was my executor
standing. or rather sitting. in my place.
At least. there was one thing 1 could
do; l would find my friend the demon
and see If arrangements could not be
made for haunting them!
But these precious words about Min
ME had sent balm into my tortured
spirit, SO that my incorporate heart
throbbed, shaking the venetians. and
Tom asked where the draft came from.
I would go to her at once, so l ira
versed the closed door again, passing
them all as the sigh of a summer
breeze, which is we know o what.
or whence it comes. or whittier it goes
"a breath from-well, no matter
where; 1 don't exactly know myself.
Thus I went upstairs, and into Min
MES room, where l found the poor
girl still in bed, her cheeks pale, her
eyes red with weeping, all the signs
upon her Of a sleepless night Of sor-
row and pressed close to her soft
bosom she held a likeness of my un-
worthy self, which I had given her
once long ago. And this was the girl
who neve spoke save to ridicule and
poke fun ut me, whose dislike for me
was almost p%roverbial in the family,
and yet the girl whose love-with usual
human pcrversity-I would have given
all the world to win.
All, this knowledge Of her hearts
secret was sweet to me! 1t gave ME
courage. I would comfort her. 1
would pour forth my love. 1 would
tell her-stay! What could I tell her?
Was l not forgetting again that I was
only a poor ghost-merely the shadow
Of a shade? Was I not unseen by her?
And even were it possible for me to
make myself visible for a few mo-
ments l should only succeed in terri
flying my poor love u of her senses.
Alas! was this the realization of a
hereafter? The punishment of early
vanities and sins? To see things just
as they Ire and yet to be so miser.
ably impotent to alter them; to see
too what might have been and to beat
out my weary spirit on into eternity
in vain longing for a fruition that can
never come!
My funeral was appointed to take
place the next day. 1t was a very
grand affair a1fOCofhor onl colo oO1