Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-10-22

otis gone again. whispered the wo.
1T never was!" snapped Mr.. Jessun
impaticntly.
dyes, 1t was. And I know what II
was, 1t was a Banshee come to warn
me of my own death, or my masters.
or my old missusses."
"Stufr and nonsense"
at isn't stuff, and 1t isn't nonsense
It's a Bansllee. If ever one appeared to
mortal eyes"
yes, if ever one appeared" sncerea
Mr.. Jessup.
"But / have heard Of the Bansheo
myself,' said Miss Tabs, coming to
the assistance of the housekeeper.
"'ro be sure you have, my dear. Who
in this countryside has not heard of
the Banshee that appeared to the Hon.
orable Mrs. Elverton Of Edenlawn?
How Mr.. Elverton was on the CONT
nent, where he had been many months.
and Mrs. Elverton was at Edenlawn,
sitting up late at night, reading, in her
dressing room. The night was fine,
ard the curtains were undrawn, when,
all of a student she heard a low,
moaning, unearthly voice outside of
the window, and looking up, she saw
a female figure. in flowing white raj
ment float past the window as if it
were swimming in the air, and heard
it wall forth the words: Hollis Elver-
ton is no more! as 1t disappeared.
Well, the lady got up and made note
of the day and the hour; and, sure
enough fortnight after that she heard
of the death of her husband at st. Pc.
tersburg, and he died the very day
and hour she had seen the Banshee!
There! What do you think of that%
INQUIRED the housekeeper, triumphant.
~.
"Why, as the Honorable Mrs. Elver.
ton was just as hysterical as you be-"
suggested Mr.. Jessup. doggedly.
"But then her husband actually died
at st. Petersburg at the very day and
hour that the Banshee appeared to her
at Edenlawn. How do you account for
that?"
"Just happened so, that's ALL
"You're as unbelieving as Thomas
Oh, Lord have mercy upon us! Look
there; there it is again! and no Ban
shee, neither, but the spirit Of my
young mistress. with her very face and
form, only looking as If she had risen
from the grave. Look, look, oh"' cried
the woman covering her face with her
hands, and shaking with terror.
Again all looked fearfully towards
the window.
Jessup wrung his neck nearly in two,
in the effort to look behind his back;
and upon this occasion perseverance
was rewarded. Pressed against the
outside of the window, they saw a
fair, wan young face, that sunk out of
sight the instant it was detected;
''That's neither Banshee nor a
spirit; it's mortal grill" exclaimed
JessCp, springing up, Overturning his
chair, and rushing out Of the room.
The remainder of the party held
their breaths in suspense until Jessup
pushed open the door and reappeared,
dragging after him the pale, weary,
half-starved, drippingwet figure of a
young girl, whom he pulled up before
the astonished housekeeper, saying,
mockingly:
"There-there's your Banshee! A
girl as has been caught out in the
storm, and was frightened at ringing
the door-bell at such a great house as
this
1.-THE very form, the very face! 1
never, no, 1 never did see such a like
ness; the express image Of my young
missus, only thinner, and pale and
smaller. Come to the fire, my lass.
What is your name, and how came
you out in the storm? You are not one
Of the village girls?" inquired the
hcuseleeper, drawing the chilled
stranger to the bright little coal fire,
that the dampness of the evening
made very comfortable, even at this
season.
Then seeing, in the glare Of the light
that the girl was wet to the skin, she
exclaimed:
ooh, deary me; you haven't dry
thread on you! You must have been
out in the whole storm; come into my
chamber and get suit of dry clothes
on your back, and then you shall have
some hot supper, before you answer
any of my questions"
And, taking the young stranger by
the hand, the good housekeeper con-
Quoted her into an adjoining room.
They were gone about fifteen min
utes. at the end of which Mrs. Broad
sides returned, leading her protege,
who was now comfortable clad in
black silk Dress that looked as if it
had been made for her.
Dear me, how well that fits" said
Miss Tabs.
Yes, it was my young missus's. She
LETT most of her clothes here, poor
child, when she went away, and
have taken care Of them ever since
And now, if you want to know what
my darling looked like, just look at
this young gal; for there never was
two peas so much alike as Miss Anna
Eseanera, and this young gal, only
that this one looks like the ghost of
the other. And now, my child, sit
down at the corner Of the table here
By the fire and have some of this cur
ried chicken, while we make you
glass Of warm port wine negus; and
no one Shall trouble you with any
questions until you have done supper"
said the good housekeeper, settling her
protegee in the most comfortable seat.
Another fifteen minutes sufficed to
satisfy the appetite Of the stranger,
who was thereupon required to crafty
the curiosity of her entertainers.