Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-01

ticed this change in Corinna; but, having
concocted and prescribed tonic Of bitter
herbs. she plunged headlong into Spring
cleaning" which from that moment occu-
pied all her mi1d. Besides, Cornna de-
clared that nothing was the matter with
her. And spring weather let's everybody
down. Sarah Brockway concluded
One gusty, rainy evening of late April
it seemed to Herbert that as he and Corn-
ma entered the parlor together she started
as If frightened. What is it?'' he asked
her
Nothing, nothing" answered Corinna
Ha looked at her Her lips were apart
with fear, she was pale, staring at some
thing that lay upon the floor nea: the fire.
place. Herbert was carrying the lighted
lamp; he went forward to examine the OBJ
ject
why, 1t is only Aunt Drusilla's photo
graph" He picked it up and set 1t On the
nantel shelf
"But-but-how came it down there?'
said the girl, with u shvering voice.
MY dear chila. the wind blew it down.
These old houses let in all sorts of little
draushts around the windows"
mo. IL was not the wind" sale Comma
with the quiet of hopeless conviction.
Herbert, I meant not to say anything
about 1t, because, of course, You will laugh
at me. Every evening, whether the wind
Every morning I find it on the floor.
While you are reading to ma that dreadful
| thing totters forward and then leans off
| the shelf toward US. 1 didn't want you to
| know about it. I thought I could keep it
| from you, because you always sit with your
| back that way. But tonight-we stayed
awhile talking with father and mother
| and Aunt Drusilla had been mentioned.
Acknowledgment, I'm afraid of her! You
know what she said-that she would haunt
us!' The blue eyes of the girl were strain
| ed with terror; there was 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 Stygian fer
| ry that we read about, and old Mr.. Charon
of Charonsville. won't deadhead her thie
| way again."
| So, stayed with reason and comforted with
the classics.or, rather, such very slight
as they had-the lovers passed a pleasant
evening. Thrice, indeed did the likeness OF
| Aunt Drusilla stir and pitch forward as if
to menace them, then stagger and drop to
the floor. Each time did Herbert, who had
seated himself where lie could keep ar
eye en- the image of the bag, take her w
untenderly and replace her on the shelf.
VIII You set where you're sot?' he in
Quired Of her sternly, quoting nm admoni
ton of Neighbor Dunn to her younges
child, who, on one occasion, in his pres
ence, had been an unquiet passenger In tn
electric car lT
But it's no use testing with ghosts; To-
all that we call them odd true penny" ant
"old MOLE" they chill the marrow Of tn
bones and prick the hair on end &c. 'whel
Herbert had set Aunt Drusilla in place TO
the third time he ceased reading and fel
on thought. Corinna watched him anx
iously. Finally he spoke consulting hi
| timepiece:
1--WE will read thirteen minutes more
} said he. Then we will listen, at the sam
time keeping our eyes fixed on that be
witched old photograph. Unless I am mis-
taken, Corinna, we shall learn somethin
to our advantage"
She was puzzled, but all her trust wa
!. in Herbert. Ten minutes were gone. an
, she hitched her chair a little nearer to- his
when he held out the dial of his waite
to show her that twelve minutes had pass
} ed she slipped her little finger into hi
| hand with the action Of timid child. The
they heard a far-away sound shat mike
with the wind and the rush of the rain, bu
was more unvarying and stronger tina
those.
'That is the electric car" said Herber
= STEADY, Corinna! Look at your aunt"
, And truly. just as the car Numbered b.