The true northerner., 1899-08-09
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION

Some ten years since / occupied
house that had a small garden entirely
surrounding ii. The architect who
planned ii evidently believed In high
rooms as necessary for our climate as
each story was fully twenty feet from
floor to ceiling: consequently | could
look down from the second story of my
house into the yards and rooms of my
neighbors on either side without any
difficulty. and. in fact, could not well
avoid ii. The house on the right hand,
a queer, old-fashioned affair after
standing vacant long time was at
length taken by an odd-looking old
man, whom | saw going over ii one
day, and the next day ii was occupied.
Not being of a Paul Pry disposition. |
paid little attention 10 my new neigh
bors only found them quiet. The old
house had scarce more noise about il
than when vacant, and | congratulated
myself that some man, with half a
dozen boisterous, romping children
had not taken IT,
But one day an old family servant
remarked: Miss Jeanette, dare's
somethin odd bout dem folks what's
done moved next door shore, dere is,
honey; days ony got a scrumpled up
ole Niger for servant, and she's all
hump behind. and looks like ole Satan
fer shore; you never see de ole man
and de ole woman at de same time; de
day you see de ole man you don't see
de ole woman. and de day you see de
old woman de ole man amt round, and
dey don't go out any no whar, only dat
old scarecrow goes de errents."
"Now, nanny" said | to her. you
just let our neighbors alone; they are
decent enough people, no doubt, and
you need not spend your time looking
after their oddities; you have enough
to do to look AT your own"
Old nanny shook her head, and.
mumbling her words after petted and
spoiled servant fashion. went on with
her dusting and let the subject rest.
My attention being thus drawn to
them, found myself looking out occa-
sionally from the windows on that
side, noticing the house and its in
mates, and sure enough | never did see
the two old people at the same time.
Regularly as clOckwork, every alter
nate day | would see the old man, then
the next day the old woman, but never
the two together, just as if they took
turns in keeping guard over every
thing. They were an odd-looking cou-
pie, shaky, pale. and yet puffy and
bloated: and as for the old negress. she
was truly daughter Of Eblis, if looks
count for anything in reading charac-
ter.
One night just about IL, the cid ne
gress came rapping at the back gate
and asked for me. Old nanny, who
had often said: Dat old Niger next
dooh is hoodoo, sartin," was really
afraid of her, and said: "My mistress
is JUS bout giving to bed; you can't
see her, nohow, tonight" but the old
negress told her to come and ask me
eff / wouldn't please come in for few
minutes; that master was on his day
and mistress was took nifty bad" AS
she wouldn't take no, nanny, much
against her will. did come and deliver
the message, and bidding her tell the
old woman to go home and have the
gate open for me TO get in, FASTENED
to change my dress for loose wrapper
and followed her as quickly as possi-
BILE.
| found the old lady lying on a low,
narrow lounge in one of the lower
rooms. Her husband was not present.
She did not seem to notice my en-
trance, but. lying back with eyes wide
open, staring straight before her into
open space, look of unutterable hor-
ror stamped upon her face. Approach
ing her side, laid my hand upon her
forehead. 1t was clammy and had n
sticky, cold feeling that was unpleas-
ant. She did not answer when asked
her where she suffered pain. but moan
ed in a pitiful manner that made my
heart ache 10 hear.
where is your master?" asked the
old negress.
"In his room. mistiss; dis is his day.
and mistiss' day to watch him"
What on earth do you mean,
aunty?'
"Dis is his day to get drunk and mis-
tlss' day to keep sober, but her last
two days she's bin takin' brandy and
all at once she laid down thar and dom
just like you see her. till 1 got scared
and went for you, man,"
"Do you mean to say that your mas
ter and mistress take turns In getting
drunk?"
"Yes, nam, duz. He gets drunk
one day and she gets drunk the mex
day, but her last two days to keep So
ber she's bin Citing drunk, too, so
she's had whole week. She's bin
drunk and it's made her sick, 1 reck-
on"
Though thoroughly disgusted and