Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-12-23

asked MIS-. BeadSiey. "Have you seen a
ghost?
ITO haunt me all my life," said Ar
chic. And he hoped no one saw the drops
on his forehead.
you shall see the other now"
Cone is enough he managed to say.
''YOu shall see the other. Do not look
at her now. Look at me, all of you"
There was a hush of several minutes
in the great room. A brand fell down
and cracked into Goals; a candle sput-
tered; had one had ears to hear the
wind outside and up the hills would have
sounded like the cry of lost soul.
'Well," said Mrs. Beardsley, softly;
but her voice was like a silver trumpet
on tier startled senses. And one long
sigh followed her word as hound fol
lows its master. "What did you see,
Arche?'' she demanded.
Don't ask me-" murmured Archie
Bleeckher, half inarticulately. II
couldn't tell you. lit was darkness
it was void-it-it was blankLL-1rror."
But you saw something in that void,
that darkness?"
mo matter what 1 sawv exclaimed
Archie
But you, Miss Fanny?'
ooh, [ am just reeling with giddiness.
L have come out of a wild whirl! | am
going round and round! What did 1 see?
Why, Mrs. Beardsley, you know what |
saw! I-I-why, there are no words
there is nothing-I can't-ohw exclaimed
Fanny Forbes, hiding her face in her
hands. Il didn't know 1 was such a
fool"
and you, Miss Anna Bleeckher," said
Mrs. Beardsley, still in that remorseless,
tolllng voice that seemed to compel re-
ply;
Il am very faint" Miss Bleeckher
whispered, putting out her hand CROPPING
~. Where are my salts? Will anyone
bring me some wine? DR.. Steele? Oh.
DR.. Steel, if you will take my hand!
On, it was so cold, it was SO wide. 1t
is hard, it is, hard to come back and puff
uQ-that is to groW-to become q person
when one has been only an atom out in
the universal"
Very" said Mrs. Beardsley. "And it
is your turn, DOCTOR
The doctor shrugged his shoulders he
shook himself slightly, as dog does
fault he said. II have done the best
| could, saw-must l really say We'll,
L saw churchyards yawn''
Now, Miss Louise
The girl was laughing. 'There was
nothing" she said. absolutely moth
'.Indeed?" said Mrs. BeardsIey. 81
thought everyone had SOUL She
looked over the little company, the most
OF them with damp foreheads, with eyes
darkened still in sort of dumb terror
Il suppose yOu know what you have
seen"' she said. at has been given to
each OF you for one instant to see your
own SELF
''One instant is quite enough" said
Mrs. Murray Douglas, recovering her
self. Mrs. Beardsley, you are in league
with the powers eff evilr'
No, With the powers Of good"
Wen, lift your wand now, enchan-
You are Gree come again. said Ar
chic, with an effort to be gay. You
turned us all to beasts"
Not ALL said Mrs. Beardsley. And
she looked at Vesalenyi, whose face was
shining. white and glad, as if he had
looked on an angel.
You have made Saturnalia again
of Christmas eve" said the d. ctor. 1t
seems to us some apparition little more
cheerful, Mrs. Beardsley some smiling
homes fortunes shaking their golden
hair, would have been more in character
with the spirit of Christmas eve"
The spirit of Christmas eve,' said
Mrs. Beardsley, taking step to recover
her altar piece, lis that which helps us
outward AID upward. And if to see the
truth shall help us away from it if it
be evil, and toward it if it be good why
this is a kindly, cheerful Christmas APP
partition"
Anyway, we have broken the spell
now," said Mrs. Murray Douglas. $50
we will go back into the dining room and
light the big yule log you brought home,
and have game of snap dragon"
1 think we have been having it," said
Archie.
"And there is the wassail-bowl to
brew, with cloves and cinnamon and
cardamons and corander"
''Was, help" said Mrs Beardsley.
''That means to say, well again 1t is
a sort of elixir of youth, after all, a
genuine wassail bowl IS, with toasted
crabs and wine. We will drown our
ghosts in it,"
They were gruesome, Mrs. Boards
ley. Really, you know, you ought not
into Christmas morning. Did you like
your buckles, Louise?' as they all stir
red and rose and swept out in a cluster
under the curtain.
Mrs. Murray Douglas, you are too
good!' murmured Louise and Helena to-
gether, remembering their trinkets of
gold flagree.
But Fidelia has something more than
the three gave her. has she notw And
Mrs. Murray Douglas turned for Fidelia,
and lifted the white hand, as if by ac-
cident, directly before Archie Bleeck-
hers eyes, showing so for the moment
device and surmounted by a tiny coro-
net Of brilliants. ga fine Christmas
gift!' said Mrs. Murray Douglas, as
Fidelia fed by. ''The betrothal ring of
the Vesalenyis."
81 think she has a finer Christmas
gift than that" said Mrs. Beardsley,
Sin the heart of Prince Gabor Vesal-
eryi himself, don't you know
"Fancy!' said Miss Bleeckher, ''the