, 1898-01-01

)rlne one l dId NOT care to tell her what 1t
was, SO I only remarked in general way that
many explanations could be offered without
tesortiBg to the theory ihat The ghost was
real. The opinion which | had formed while
liste ming to the successive details of the story
was that Esther Williams knew all about
that ghost.
II may seem surprising that I should have
entertained such 10 suspicion for it may
appear incredible that q servant girl should
be able to carry through SO delicate en-
undertaking without detection. Esther,
however, was much superior to the ordinary
run of servant maids. Her father waS o
Esther had heen Taught in one Of the public
schools of the town. The foundation which
she had acquired there had been consider
ably built upon since; for she was very fond
of reading. to which she gave most of her
leisure time, and che read alOnd with such
clearness and taste that Miss Wilton often
brought her into the parlour in the long
winter evenings to share with Mary the
task of reading to her. On these occasions
Miss Wilton wonld frequently explain for
Mary's benefit any difficulties that might be
encountered, and the advantage was net
allowed by the intelligent Esther to es-
cape her. Besides this, Esther was a born
actress. and would sometimes amuse Miss
Wilton and Mary by mimicing the language
and bearing Of certain we'll kno wn cha
%racters in the town. She had even been
reqnisiti0ned more than once to take
part with the young ladies' of q neigh.
bonring ftmily in SO me little private thsatri.
calls. AS all this was we'll kno wn to me, I
was convinced of her ability to perform to
perfection the part Of the ghost 8 it had been
described to me by Miss WilNon. And rs for
motive, there was no need to look for ono
Go-0l rvLok kin.t. r.. I-s.. "
Miss Mary would readily supply. l had
only to suppose that the conscientious oD.
lection which she must have felt to alarming
her mistress, whom she really loved, was
borue down by her sense of the great result
che might achieve, to mike my theory com.
plete.
My resolution to test this theory in an
interview with Esther, could not, OF course,
he carried ont ut a time when she, in COM
mon with the other servants, WINS so fully
occupied; but the opportunity came a few
weeks later. / had been invited by Miss
Wilton to take a hand at whist with Mr..
and Mrs. Graydon and herself, and | arrived
rather early. Miss Wilton. remembering
that she Ind an important letter to write,
begged me to excuse her, and Esther coming
in at the time to look after the comfort Of
the room gave me just the chance for
which | had been hoping. A piece OF out.
side gossip also came to my aid. "Have
you heard of the ghost to be seen every night
now at the Church yard corner ?" ] asked.
% yes Sir"
But you don't believe in ghosts yourself
of course"
% yes sir. do; I believe they can be mkde
very useful sometimea
Useful Esther, In what way p
"Well Sir; Father had a ghost in his
orchard once, and it was wonderful what a
quantity of apples it saved for him"
20, ] sect A scooped- out turnip, I sup.
pose, with a candle inside of it,"
1T was much better than that, Sir. Father
put aturnip on the top of a tall stick, with
a short one nailed across and put one of
nothers old sheets over IT,"
"A capital ghost! and how did it work p
"Splendidly. only father had to stop it, for
one night, just as he had set it up and walked
OF, . gun was fred from the road, and the
next morning We found the sheet full of
shot.holes. After that mother wouldn't let
him put it up again"
$50 it wassa failure after all, then ?'
C"No indeed, Sir. The talk about that
ghost has kept most of tho boys fren the
apples ever since"
Truly, Esther, that was en- excellent
ghost for an orchard; but what do you think