The Winslow mail., 1897-01-16


giving him all the money he owed me
which was as good as doubling the leg
acy!
NO, no; not mean," Tom answered.
and | blessed him for those words,
but he spoiled it all by adding, "a bit
careful, you know"
"Ah, l should think So" says Pris-
ella. You would hardly believe it,
but it's a fact he never allowed me
money enough to keep house decent
ly."
Or course, this was not true, as you
may imagine. She was always want
ing more money, and yet it never sue
ceeded in purchasing anything re-
| markable. And this was my sister
Pris., whom l had always thought so
affectionate, so entirely devoted to
| me. Oh, it was too horrible
These three were my principal lega-
tees. If l had only known sooner!
But how was that possible?
l knew what I would do. l had
made up my mind-and having no
body, | was all mind noW-I would
go at once to my solicitors, and have
| cOdicil drawn up while there was
yet time. But say, there was no time;
it was too late. l had quite forgotten
that l was only a poor ghost, dema-
terialiZed spirit, and that old idiot,
Sharpitlaw, was so welded to routine
and old-fashioned custom that he
would certainly regard a posthumous
testament as informal, and as | was
invisible he would treat my signature
as null and decidedly void.
When next l turned toward my
| amiable and disinterested family cir
| Gle, l perceived that the breakfast
| things had been removed, and Tom
| Slowquicker sat in the armchair with
| my will spread out before him.
'sThere's some one missing" he said
| looking around him magisterially;
"who is it?"
"Only my sister Minnie," Vernon re-
J marked casually. Il went to her this
| morning, but she's so upset about his
| death that she feels quite Ill, and
could not come down to breakfast"
Don't be absurd" said Priscilla;
"why, she never gave him so much as
a civil word" Then, soto voce to her
brother, "And that's what has upset
| her, / expect. She is afraid she has
| spoiled her chances of a legacy"
Oh, that spiteful Priscilla! If
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; would find my friend the demon
and see if arrangements could not be
made for haunting them
But these precious words about Min
ME had sent balm into my tortured
spirit, so that my incorporate heart
throbbed, shaking the venetians, and
Tom asked where the draft came from.
| would go to her at once, so l ira
versed the closed door again, passing
them all as the sigh of a summer
breeze, which is we know not what.
or whence it comes, or whittier it goes
a breath from-well, no matter
where; I don't exactly know myself.
Thus l went upstairs, and into Min
nie's room, where | found the poor
girl still in bed, her cheeks pale, her
eyes red with weeping, all the signs
upon her of sleepless night of sor-
row, and pressed close to her soft
bosom she held a likeness Of my un-
worthy self, which l had given her
once long ago. And this was the girl
who never spoke save to ridicule and
poke fun at me, whose dislike for me
was almost proverbial in the family,
and yet the girl whose love-with usual
human perversityI would have given
all the world to win.
Alas! was this the realization of a
hereafter? The punishment of early
vanities and sins? To see things just
as they are and yet to be so miser.
ably impotent to alter them; to see
too what might have been and to beat
out my weary spirit on into eternity
in vain longing for fruitiOn that can
never come!
My funeral was appointed to take
place the next day. 1t was a very
grand affair altogether, and cake and
wine had been laid in the parlor to
entertain the guests upon this festive
OCCASION. 1 dare say I should have
done the same had l been burying a re-
lation, but somehow it hurt me to see
my best dry sherry being put away.
AS accompanied the mourners down
the steps 1 suddenly perceived my
friend the demon by my side. Vainly
l sought a coach, but could find no
room. l turned to him somewhat an
grily and remarked:
II say, you promised l should go to
my own funeral. but 1 don't seem to
have been considered in the arrange
ment at all"
"You forget that corporeally you
hold the place of honor at the head of
the procession, but in the spirit you
can get in here. There's only the doc
tor and the clergyman"
Between the doctor and the parson!
Really, my dear demon, you are re-
markable for a most sardonic humor."
Well the men of medicine and re-
ligion talked politics all the way, which |
1 thought inappropriate, but as they
were both conservatives they did not |
disagree l am a liberal myself, and |
began vociferously expounding Mr.. |
Gladstone's policy, quite oblivious that
my gesticulation were unseen, my |
words unheard by them.
'Good job for yourself you are dead"
said the demon. you're just the sort |