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

"Fm going to die and I'll haunt you"
sens teeth on edge with all sorts of hdeous
oddities. She would summon the family in
haste, pounding with her stick; soon as
the door was opened she would scream dis
agreeable remarks at the lovers, order Jen-
n;Son out of the house, call them i'll names,
and always contrive to make some dark al
fusion to her threat that she, after death,
would haunt them. 1t was unbearable, but
what could be done? There was no dis
cipltning poor, half-craZed, helpless crea-
ture like that. They came to take her
chidings like the buster and Shrek Of the
wind around the house.
She grew gradually weaker, and as her
forces lessened, her temper appeared some
what milder. She sometimes thanked Hol-
man Brockway when he lifted her. You've
been real good to me, for one that amt a
blood relation" she said to Sarah one day.
But. although she seldom rallied at the
lovers-as, indeed, she rarely had the OPP
portunity-she never spoke a kind word to
Corinna. For all that the girl in her timid
way tried to please the aunt. An hour be-
fore the old woman died, she spoke again
of the marriage with Herbert Jennison,
but but, only to repeat her ;r, uncanny threat:
I'm going to die, and I'll haunt you"
1t could be only felt as relief when at
last Aunt Drusilla was laid away in the
village bUrying ground under the fir trees.
Now she can reSt-and give other folks
rest too" commented Mr.. Dunn, returning
from the grave.
The strain had been long upon Sarah and
Corinna; they felt depressed and nervous,
after the fashion of weary women. 1t was
time to plant early peas SO that for Hol-
man Brockway there was work in the open
air, which is the universal solvent f." all
imaginary and some real troubles The
young people were to marry the next DC
| tober; they would live with the parents of
Corinna, and had decided to use Aunt Dru-
silla's room as their own parlor. Herbert
| thought that the furnishing of 1t would be
a wholesome and cheerful occupation for
Corinna: First, it can be well scrubbed
and aired to drive out the blue DEVILS,
| said this practical lover, then Corinna and
| her mother must choose the furniture and
| the carpet. We may as well get the room
ready now, and have some good times even
| ings in it. I declare, 1 feel next door to
| married when Corinna sits by the lamp
| sewing while I read aloud"
+ So the room was freshly painted and
papered; white muslin curtains were hung
| at the windows; a three-ply carpet of mod
| est colorS and pattern, and a sofa and
| chairs covered with blue plush--very cheap
| and stylish, the dealer had called them
| made up little parlor which, If not artis-
| tic was coZy, and the pride Of the heart of
| ushered into the transformed room he ad-
mired it greatly. Then he began to look
vaguely about him, as if missing something.
| Il seem to want to see Aunt Drusilly' 8
picter in its place again. he said.
'Oh, no, father. 1t is our parlor now"
Cor1nna protested.
i
it real pretty. But guess we hev to re-
member that twas Aunt Drusilla's room
before that, an that we owe the house an
farm an all to her. She was aggravatin',
| I know; but she's gone where she sees
things different. I expect she looks some
like her photograph now, all kind of
| smoothed out and pleasant. It would ap-
| pear to me like rememberin' of her best an
gratefully, to set her picter up where she
always kept it. An 1t can't hurt you and
Herbert none. Corinny I should call 1t a
just an a right act on your part"
Holman Brockway- had streak of firm
will. mild form, perhaps, Of that of his
| htigious father and his Grabbed aunt. He
spoke gently, but Corinna knew that there
was no opposing him. II shall simply die
to have Aunt Drusilla always before my
persuaded her that 1t was better to content
her father. I've may get to be quite fon6
of the old girl, she looks so pleasant. and
tage," he said, jestingly.
| During the day time Cornna did mo-
care to stay in the newly furnished room
she had a tender little instinct that she
would enjoy 1t only in company with Her
bert. She busted 1t carefully every morn
ing; then went out. closing the door behint
her, not re-entering there until the even
ing brought her lover. He came by thu
electric cars now, new suburban line HAD
lately been completed. At 1855 she coult
see the headlight at the turn Of the road
in two minutes more she heard the hoars'
/
swing himself off the car, which proceeded
just as If 1t were not deprived Of its on,
valuable freight. At precisely, Corinna'
parents having greeted her lover, the youni
pair would find themselves in their own lit
tie parlor. They were not sure whethe
they enjoyed that room most in the presen
! or in anticipation. It was very coy for en-
gagged people; they OWNED that 1t would ap
pear still cozier when they should be mar
ried.
; PART III.
But from the day that Aunt Drusilla'
? picture was restored to its old place CORN
mas pleasure in the room was subtl!
blighted. The next morning when she en-
, tered 1t, singing. with a duster in her hand
the first thing which she saw was the pho
, tograph, that lay face downward upon tn
! floor, about three feet in front Of the fire
place, as If it had leaped from its statio
+ on the mantel shelf Corinna took 1t u
and replaced 1t, without thought. But sh
] felt curious little shudder. She went o
! singing in her clear and pleasant voic
: while she busted the books, arranged 1
!, | neat radiation around the crocheted lam
t mat on the table in the center Of the room
f All ct once she saw the photograph sti
n then stand upright, totter and spring tt
:. ward her, falling to the floor. A superst
e tious terror seized Corinna; her breat
stopped and her hands became cold an
d moist as she stood, not daring to remov
d her gaze from the object of her fears Sh
l.; could hear her mother beating eggs In tn
|, kitchen, her father chopping wood in tn
o barn, the noise of the electric car that ha
I passed the house and was speeding dow
Is the slope Of the hill toward Neighbt
?, Dunn's. These everyday sounds dissolve
the spell. Corinna would not be silly; 81
d finished her task. busting everything col
scientiously. But until she was quite read
4 to leave the room she left the photograr