The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-12-19


dreadful penalty to pay, sad morti-
Gcstlon 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
in virtuouslY deprecatory tone. "Of
course de mortuis NIL nisi bonum,
and all that sort of thing, you know,
but I can't help saying that Crawiey
was always mean-horribly mean y,
Confound the fellowl And this was
a man to whom I had left $500, forgiv.
ing him all the money he owed me.
which was as good as doubling the leg
acyl
"No, no not mean" Tom answered,
and I blessed him for those words, but
he spoiled it all by adding, "a bit
careful, you know"
cab, should think 30" says Pris-
ella. "You will hardly believe it, but
it's fact he never allowed me money
enough TO keep house decently."
OF course, this was not true, as you
may imagine. She was always wanting
N ore money, and yet never succeeded
in purchasing anything remarkable.
And this was my sister Pris, whom
had always thought SO affectionate, SO
entirely devoted to me. Oh, it was
too horrible. :.
These three were my principal
legatees. II I had only known sooner +!
But how was that possible?
/ knew what would do. had
made mp my nind-and having no
body, was all mind now-I would go
at once to my solicitors, and have a
codieil drawn up while there was yet
time. But stay, there was no time; 1t
was too late. I hod quite forgotten
that I was only>e poor ghost, o
dematerialized spirit, and that old
idiot, Sharpitlaw, was 30 welded to
routine and old-fashioned custom that
he would certainly regard o posthu.
nous testament as informal, and as l
was invisible he would treat my sigma
ture as null and decidedly void.
When next I turned toward my
amiable and disinterested family
circle, I perceived that the breakfast
things had been removed, and Tom
Siowauicker sat in the armchair with
my will spread out before him.
"There's some one missing. he said,
looking around him magistsrially
"who is it?'
"only my sister Minnie" Venom
remarked casually. ~ 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 80 much as
q civil word" Then, sotto voce to heI
brother: "And that's what has upset
her, expect. She is afraid she ha:
spoiled her chances of a legacy"
/ Oh, that spiteful Priscilla! II
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 l could
, do Iwould find my friend the demon
and see if arrangements could not bt
made for haunting theml
But these precious words aoou
! Minnie had sent balm into my tor
, tured spirit, so that my incorporat
heart throbbed, shaking the venetiens
1 and Tom asked where the draugh
came from. would go to her at once
90 traversed the closed door again
passing them all as the sigh of sum
l mer breeze, which is we know no
h what, or whence it comes, or whlthe
!. il coes--a breath from-wels, no ma
Z ter where; 7 don't exactly know my
9 self.
!. Thus went upstairs and into Mil
O MES room, where I found the poe
I girl still in bed, her cheeks pale, ht
d eyes red with weeping, all the sigl
lupon her OF sleepless night OF so
!: row, and pressed close to her so
i bosom she held likeness OF my ii
a worthy self, which ! had given b,
once long ago. And this was the 81
: who never spoke cave to ridicule al
1. poke fun at me, whose dislike for =
, was almost proverbial in the famil.
40 and vet the girl whose love-wii
usual human perversity-l would.ha'
" given all the world to win.
"a All, this knowledge OF her hear
10 secret was sweet to mel 1t gave
~ courage. / would comfort her.
would pour forth my love. won
~ tell her-stayI what could tell he
&. Was / not forgetting again that / v
Nv only poor ghost-merely the shad'
" Of q shade2 Was not unseen by ne
by And even were it possible for me
a make myself visible for q few n
a. ments, / should only succeed in ter
he flying my poor love out Of her sens
.at Alas was this the realization OF
hereafterp the punishment OF cal
nv yanlties and sins? To see things j
e. as they are, and yet to be so misera'
NO impotent to alter them; to see, t.
Ter what might have been, and to beat
vas my wearySspirit On into eternity
of vain longing for fruition that
an never come.
'ew Ny funeral was appointed to Il
hat place the next day. It was very grl
ire affair altogether, and cake and tea
de-. been laid in the parlor to entertain
guests upon this festive occasion.
X As I accompanied the mourn
nes down the steps. suddenly percei
nm. my friend the demon by my 81
49, noaob Int IN