The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-03
WAS 1T DOROTHY?

$1,000 -
abIe virago of a wife exacted from him?"
"Unquestionahiy be is" said Frank
Worrall. ~ suppose he actually believes
that my Aunt Hephsihah would haunt
him if he married again without her TX
press permission. For d man Of ordinary
intelligence, Uncle Buttonball is super
stitious."
"HowfD queried Dorothy.
"Oh, he sees winGing sheets in tho can
die, believes there viii be d death III the
family if a dog chances to howl under the
window, and would sooner cut off his
right hand han begin haying or go on a
journey Of q friday
.sFrankr' hasitatingly began Dorothy.
ssWellit'
nWhat sort Of a mi was your Aunt
Hephsibah? You know / never saw her.
She died before Icamo to Hopton to live.
"a little, fat woman, with spectacles
and a brown foretop, who always wore
brown gingham and talked through her
nose. | forgot, ~thouyh-she had O mon
strosity Of a cap, with d friIl two inches
wide all around it and a colossal bow Of
snuff colored ribbon perched on the very
top-a guy of a cap, only fit for q scare
crow"
NOU db Vi INK x ad1ilIa < OppCEy G9lA
Dorothy. And Paulina really likes Mr..
Buttonball, and she needs a home, poor
thing! Not to speak of Mr.. Buttonball's
evident admiration for Paulina. 1t would
certainly be a match, IT, !
ssIf it wasn't for the departed saint in
snuff coIored ribbons, /" said Frank, with
an irrovcrent imitation Of his Uncle But
tonbaIlss peculiar intonation when speak
- - h:c 1ono r+a7 MI 70
HPoor Paulinal" said Dorothy.
ssAnd poor Uncle ButtonbaIlp' echoed
Frank Worrall. Upon the whole, darling,
it looks like a hard case"
aPast II o'clock, 2 said Uncle Button
ball, looking up at the clock over the rim
of his silver spectacles. well, I hadn't
an idea it was SO late. And showing and
blowing like all possessed, and the wind
bowling down the chimney fit to set q
mans teeth on edge. just such a night as
poor Hephsibah died four years ago, and
bless me, /" wien d slight, cold shiver down
his spinal column, "if it amt the goth of
Noyembor-the Identical anniversary of
tho sad event. Poor Hephsyi' folding his
hands and looking ~thoughtfully into the
fire. 81 hope she's happy in the other
world. She never took much comfort in
thTs, what with flies and dust \ poor
Kitchen help"
And then Mr.. Buttonbali fell into a doze
or a reyerie-he never could be quite GER
tain whieh-from which he was aroused
by the old kitchen elcck striking ~.
ssMiJnightl 1t amt possiblel" cried
Mr.. Buttonball, chilly. uncom Portable and
superstiIious. "And the fire eenamost
out. I guess I'll rake 1t up and go to
bed.
But Ms 10 rose with a sort of rheumatic
stiffness from HIS chair the door leading
from the buttery creaked slightly, o slow,
heavy footstep sounded on the floor, and,
locking around with startled and diiated
eyes, MIR. Buttonbali b~eheld-the departed
Hephsibah.
sBeneiictr' spoke out the quayering
and nasal voice. Benedict Benedict
Ut was always SO, Uncle Buttonban re-
membercd, IN al well authenticated ghost
stories, the summons was distinctly enun-
oiatetl three times.)
.sW-w-well, my Dear suffered Mr..
Buttonhail, holding tightly to the arms Of
his chair lest his teeth should chatter him
of from it.
II have brought a message from the
other world, Banediet,' soleiunly uttered
the presence. You Want to marry againF'
"N-not If you object to it. my dear
faltered the shaking widower. II
that is"-
ePeacel Disturb not The voices of a
higher sphere"
mo, my dear, I WON'T said the sub
missiyc husband.
Peace, I sayf (Hephsibah's Did way
Of putting him down, without a loophole
far argument "and listen: You are ab-
solved from your promise to contract no
second marriage, You Gro q free agent.
My eyes arc opened now to many things,
and among them the folly Of my earthly
~jealousies. Go, marry whom you will, and
my blessing rest upon your bride. The
word is spoken, the oracle is closed.
Slowly the brown ~ginghalned form re
treated backward, with cleaning specta-
eles ard uplifted finger, through the but
tsry door, into the back Kitchen, while
Uncle Bnttonball sat staring and trans
fixed with ii agony Of superstitious terror.
~He has really asked you to marry him.
Paulina?"
Yes, really = said Paulina Pepper, her
blooming face all smiles and dimples.
ssAnd Tn so gladl Because-there can't
be any harm i'll owning it now, Dorothy,
dear-I did like him ever SO muchP'
Hes q very nice old mani mean
middle aged gentleman" said Dorothy
Martin demurely. But ] thought be had
determined never to marry again"
"Oh, that's all settled, = cried Paulina,
looking complaceptly down at the red
shire of her garnet engagement ring "He
thinks he has had a yision-that his de-
parted wife appeared to him and released
him from his vows.n
"Dear mel" said Dorothy. "How very
strangel".
"Of course the dear fellow must have
been asleep and dreaming, though-don't
you think so?'
"U~ndoubtedly, . said Dorothy.
.sFor-what are you laughing at, dearP"
Paulina Pepper broke off to say.
"Nothing, nothing. Only it seems SO
ridiculous thai in this age Of the world
people can believe in ghostsl' cried Doro-
thy, giving way to a hearty poal OF laugh
ter, as sho peught up her embroidery and
hurried out of the room. Frank Worrall
followed her.
ssDorothy, 9 said he. 1T was you'll"
what do you meana"
THE ghost.
prove 1t. il o cant r. cried Dorothy