The Somerset reporter., 1897-12-16

ne.- Of appearance and its unpleasant an
| teecdent-, looted more disroputable Dian
/ any OF its neit. aor- and seemed, therefore
always am object of suspicion
/ The light oi the Christmas day had blend
ed With the darkness OF the Christmas
/ night | had Travelled my beat IL in duty
bound Our dinner had been eaten and
/ ali cYidcuee.that it had existed removed
With housewi!ely skill and care Frank.
Toiuett, big brother had gone out for a
/ mile walk. to shake down his food, rs
/ he sud Tonctte was reading 10 me half
/ doing i'm ii clair. and the clock had just
| struck the hall hour after when mother
with an unnatural excitement in look and
action. came into the room.
Its there she cried breathing hard
/ her hand over her heart I've bccE
watching for 1t somehow felt sure that
whoever was there last night would come
| again tonight Just as last year
| What IS the matter MOTHER said my
/ wife, running up to her You brighten
me.
There, there. daughter. didn' t mean
to stare YOU but it excites me SO to see a
/ quiet thing like yellow light looking out
/ between the blind Stats of that empty
/ house that | suppose | show my feelings.
/ lOliiiilt = lOitHhdu lldtl lNO up ana
| down wrinkles between her eyebrows rs
/ she looked at me with a hard stare Then
she spoke
John Austcn-dcar .Iohn-you re big
and ain I afraid Of ghosts and are a po
! lieeman besides Now do go down to that
shanty and find out what 5 inside. 1t will
| relieve mothers mind SO. -
| | WASH ON duty, but an officer of the
] al,
| look at it 30 got my work clothes On
/ put my star where | could show 1t east y
and went away with the laughing threat
/ OF arresting the ghost
| Somebody or something was in the cd
! house, sure enough Threads of yeIl.s,
| light around the windows proved il /
| pushed softly ut the door of the little lean
to in the rear. Il noisclessly swung open.
| letting me into as mean and slualid a
! kitchen as l ever saw or heard of Il
wasn't much bigger than large closet
| The stove WAS cold and rusty Its front
door WIS broken and hung by one hinge
! The griddles had pieces knocked out OF
them. Only one pot or kettle Wis visible
/ Two panes of glass We're gone from the
! one window, and rags were stuffed into the
! holes, the tight wooden shutters hiding
| them from outside view \ talloW candle
/ stuck i'll its own grease to the bottom of a
| ruined saucer. gave IA sWirling, smoky
| flame, by which | saw few bits of dilap
/ dated erockery on shelf The table was
! an inverted dry goods box, from which
| pieces had been broken for fuel Great
| heavens Into what n nesting place ul
/ poverty had | stolen my way? What die
4 this opening scene PROMISE
My entrance had noisclessy forccu open
/ just "A hair 5 breath, the door to the adjoin-
/ ing room Blowing out the candle CA
! largcd the opening until my eye could take
in the contents of the apartment The first
! look showed gray haired man seated at IA
table, his arms upon it and his head upon
| his arms was directly behind him, and
| my Chances took in the length of the little
room such room and such a table The
! plasterng had dropped off the ceiling and
/ sides, leaving ulcerous looking spots
/ What remained was of dirty, gray color
and "A network Of cracks. The lath showed
/ like the ribs of skeleton.
The table was covered with a cloth,
! clean but porous with holes and fringcd
| with tatters. In the center was little
! kerosene lamp of glass, whose wick was
! so small as TO afford little more than a
! FREELY sort of glow but it was enough t.
! show plate holding six potatoes with
! their jackets on and half loaf of bread
| Three plates turned down, three tumblcrs
/ of water and knives and forks at each
! place added to those articles which the
man had pushed aside, were all the table
| held Three vacant chairs one at each
/ plato, were notices of expected guests
/ There was no stove and the air came cold
! and musty into my face through the Grey
e Il 4 Il
was, ! shiyered with a dread that | was
/ looking mt the phantom of the dead muir
/ derer or at the real and crazed lover or at
a tramp making II mockcry of his Christ
mas dinner The bowed down figure sud
denly shook as with an aguc groan
came from il. A minute more the man
was sitting stinly erect, staring at the Ia
Bile and muttering and signing
Very real. but very crazy, he seemed
! None the less so when, rising to his feet
he became IA figure of magnificent man
hood-gray topped, but tall muscular and
digni1ed--a soldier in looks, even To the
trimming Of the heavy white mustaehc
His clothing was black, and not CLINT OF
ornament was visible What had this
/ grand looking old man to do with this
/ place Of chilling misery He was its foe
by dress and bearing Its unspeaSable
poverty made it his enemy
He walked the room with long strides
and heavy footballs, the floor ereaking and
grooming under his weight There was no
cessation of his talking to himself until,
! placing his hands on the back of his chair,
/ he halted and looked across the table at
the vacant chairs Then his muttcrings
changed to "A loud TRADE Of self denuaeia
/ tiuns