Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-12-18

money enough To keep mousse deccntlN.
OF course. tins was not true. a. You
may imagine. She Wa always want
ing more money, and yet ii never sue
ccc,lcd III purchasing anything remark
able. And this WAS my sister Pris,
whom | had always thought ST. aticc-
ti"natc, So entirely devoted to me.
Oh, it was too horrible.
These three were my principle lcga-
tees. Ii had only known sooner!
knew what would do. | had made
up my mind-and having no body, |
was all mind now-I would go at once
to my solicitors, and have codicil
drawn up while there was yet time
But say, there was no time; it was too
late. | had forgotten that | was a
poor ghost, dematcrialized spirit,
and that old idiot, Sharpitlaw, was SO
welded to routine and old-fashioned
custom that he would certainly regard
po>thumous testament as informal,
and as | was invisible he would treat
my signature as null and decidedly
void.
When next | turned toward my
amiable and disinterested family circle,
| perceived that the breakfast things
had been removed, and Tom Slow
quicker sat in the armchair with my
will spread out before him.
"There's some one missing" he said,
looking around him magisterially !;
"who is it,"
"Only my sister Minnie" Vernon
remarked casually. 81 went to her
this morning, but she's SO upset about
his death that she feels quite ill, and
could not come down to breakfast"
"Don't be absurd" said Priscilla :;
"why she never gave him so much as q
civil word" Then, soto roce to her
brother, "And that's what has upset
her, / expect. She is afraid she has
spoiled her chances of legacy"
Oh, that spiteful Priscilla! If 1
could only alter my will! But it was
too late, for here was my executor
standing, or rather sitting, in my place.
At least, there was one thing I could
do; would find my friend the demon
and see if arrangements could not be
made for haunting them!
But these precious words about
Minnie had sent balm into my tortured
spirit, so that my incorporate heart
throbbed, shaking the venetians, and
Tom asked where the daft came from.
1 would 60 to her home at once, so
traversed the closed door again, passing
them all as the sigh of a summer
breeze, which is we know not what, or
whence it comes, or whittier it goes
a breath from-well, no matter where;
l don't exactly know myself.
Thus I went upstairs, and into
Minnie's room, where found the poor
girl still in bed, her cheeks pale, her
eyes red with weeping, all the signs
upon her of sleepless night of sorrow,
and pressed close to her soft bosom
she held a likeness of my unworthy
self, which 1 had given her once long
ago. And this was the girl who never
spoke save to ridicule and poke fun at
me, whose dislike for me was almost
proverbial in the family, and yet the
girl whose lOve-with usual human
perversity-I would have given all the
world to win.
All, this knowledge of her hearts
secret was sweet to me! 1t gave me
courage. / would comfort her. /
would pour forth my love. I would
tell her-stay! What could 1 tell her?
Was I not forgetting again that l was
only poor ghost-merely the shadow
of shade? Was I not unseen by
her? And even were it possible for
me to make myself visible for few
moments 1 should only succeed in
terrifying my poor love out of her
senses.
Alas! was this the realization of a
hereafter? The punishment of early
] vanities and sins? To see things just
as they are and yet to be so miserably
impotent to alter them; to see what
might have been and to beat out nv
weary spirit ON into eternity in vain
longing for fruition that can never
come!
My funeral was appointed to take
place the next day. 1t was very
grand affair altogether, and cake and
wine had been laid in the parlor to
intertain the guests upon this festive
occasion. l dare say I should have
done the same had been burying a
relation, but somehow it hurt me to
see my best dry sherry being put away.
As / accompanied the mourners
down the steps 1 suddenly preceived
my friend the demon by my side.
Vainly / sought coach, but could
find no room. turned to him some
what angrily and remarked:
81 say, you promised should 60
to my own funeral, but I don't seem
to have been considered in the arrange
ment at ALL"
"YOu forget that corporeally you
hold the place of honor at the head OF
the procession, but in the spirit you
can get in here. There's only the
doctor and the clergyman"
Between the doctor and the parson
Really, my dear demon, you are re-