The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-14
THE LOVELORN MAID.

The Brewers were not at all supersti-
tious family. Had they been they would
have moved to the city and taken a fat
when the father failed instead of going to
that ramshackle old house at Comeck. It
was lovely old house without doubt, but
Well, Mr.. Brewer fxed the house up so
that 1t would do to live In for awhile, at
any rate until better times should come,
and they had furniture enough to make
them comfortable. Grandfather Brewer
declared that he didn't care for even q bed
when he had his wheel chair, and, in fact,
any one Of the family would have been
content to sleep in 1t.
This wonderful chair was patent one,
and when grandfather was not using 1t,
or the twins were not pushing each other
around In 1t az a "choooho CAR or steam
boat, Its four legs were allowed to stand
upon the floor, the wheel legs being raised
under the seat 90 that they would not be
In the way. This was all that was won
derful about grandfather's chair, except
that 1t was covered with fine, soft leather,
and not one Of the springs was broken. 1t
stood In the corner of the sitting room
nearest the bay window, when not in use,
As you may have inferred from what I
have said, the Brewers had very little
money, and In consequence they had to
condense themselves, as 1t were, to fit the
part of the house which was furnished
The sitting room was large, square
room and three bedrooms and the nursery
opened into It, Mr.. and Mira Brewer had
one room, Tony and Ben another, grand
fpfL thr IL IL
nursery with the twins Everything went
on very smoothly in the Brewer household
until one night Emily commenced to hear
noises. They were queer noises that seemed
to come from the sitting room, and she
couldn't Just account for them in the
sleepy state Of her senses at the time, but
she wasn't afraid-oh, no. So she did not
mention the fact to the family that she
had been kept awake nearly all night by
strange sounds.
But the noises were really there, for
Tony and Ben announced one morning
that the house must be haunted, as they
had heard such peculiar whizzing sounds
during the night 1t wasn't long before
the whole family became aware that some
thing that wasn't visible in the daylight
occupied the sitting room at night.
III It's person." said Ben, "I'll fix
him." And that night he tied cords in
many different positions about foot above
the floor, hoTing to trip up the intruder
But II he expected to hear loud thump
from the falling Of a heavy body which
had been tripped by the cords he was dis
appointed. All the sound that was heard
was the same old Notwithstanding that
they all knew by heart now. .r
Spirits" limited Tony darby the next
day when they found that the cords had
not been touched.
And Emily, who was of very senti-
mental turn Of mind, wove sad romance
about beautiful girl who had lived there
many years ago, when the house was new.
The beautiful girl according to Emily's
tale) had been wooed and won by dash
ing soldier, who had to leave his promised
bride and take up his duty on the battle
field. The girl had promised not to mourn
in his absence and set herself to work to
make her wedding garments. So she sat
ct her wheel and whiled away the weary
hours by spinning and weaving and think
ing of her soldier lover.
For long time she kept this up, sing
ing blithely at first and sitting ut the win |
dow, whore she could catch the first glimpse
Of his return Day after day her singing J
grew weaker, rs her lover failed to come,
and before her wedding garments were
finished her singing had been hushed, her
work dropped, and she had died. The |
whirring and whizzing noise, Emily de- |
clared was the ghost of the beautiful maid |
working her wheel to have her wedding |
garments finished by the time the dallying
lover turned up.
Mr.. and Mrs Brewer didn't try to solve |
the problem In any such way as this They
said that even In the best built houses
queer noises were often heard, and they
must expect 1t in that old house.
Grandfather was very much interested
In the noise, and he told Emily he thought
her solution was captivating, and he in
tended to leave the lamp burning in the
sitting room and see for himself the ghost
ly maiden at her spinning wheel
That night he left a light in the sitting
room in order that he might keep watch,
and the next morning announced that he
had solved the mystery.
IF you will oil stay awake tonight, you
Will probably see the ghost, too" said
grandfather mysteriously, and conse.
quently the children each took a nap in
the afternoon and drank oupful of strong
coffee in the evening-the latter without
their mothers knowledge, I am sorry to
say-to keep them awake
The waiting was very tedious, and 1t
must have been about l2 o'clock-the time
all well regulated ghosts make their ap-
pearance-when grandfather whispered:
Ssh! There she is now' And In q
minute six pairs Of eyes were directed
through the door into the sitting room.
"WhereF' whispered Emily. II don't
see her"
Then grandfather pointed to the corner
near the window where his patent chair
stood, and there was-what do you sup
poser
With whiz-z-z and whir-r-r, the
wheels of the patent chair were rapidly re-
volving ono after the other as a little
mouse ran around them in the manner of
b squirrel exercising on the wheel in his
cage, The mouse was having the best kind
Of time, first on one wheel and then on
another
"There your lovelorn maiden spinning,
Emily said grandfather, land there are !
your spirits, Ben. The mouse certainly
has good taste to prefer my chair" he
added, land I'm sure hope he derives
great benefit from his gymnasium. "-Ex.
lhange.
proxv Marriapes