The times., 1899-01-08


habit of living" answered dear Sister
Mary. with gay little laugh that showed
rather worse for temper than the torn
rosebud.
I've been expecting you at the office
every day with the keys" said the agent
gravely. when We had settled ourselves on
the piazza. for you are the first tenants.
l assure you, ladies'. who have remained
in the house week
You make me very grateful to the 9TH
er tenants for leaving" answered my SIS
ter, "and |, on my part assure you that
we have no intention OF parting WITH our
keys"
Il cannot tell you how relieved ! am
to hear it," he said with a smile that
flew like a birdr from one to the other OF
and finally lit on sister Mary. VINO was
smiling sweetly in turn. Il have been
trying to persuade the owner of the premi-
ses to put it on the market for what it
Will bring. but you know what ladies are
when it comes to business, Mr.. Siade.
If the gentleman did know. Sister Mary
did not give him chance to air his knowi-
edge.
II don't see why she should part with
valuable property like this. 1t Will be
worth q fortune sold in building lots, and
that is what it will come to if she keeps
the place. You should see it in the
like big box of silver
IF it was silver you wouldn't catch me
living in it," answered the little candle
faced woman, -nervousiy. My dear Miss
Smith. if l should see that horrible crea-
ture shuffiing toward me in the night
| -"
What horrible creature?" we both
asked.
Mrs. Steel stared blankIy at her hus-
band. as if she had made a horrible slip
of the tongue and appealed to him for
help.
ut is the spirit of Edelin, Brent the
agent answered, reluctantly. Because of
the exclusion of himself in his fathers will
he disappeared suddenly. and as suddenly
reappeared years afterward in di5graceful
poverty, when he murdered in cold
blood the unfortunate heir and then fed,
and was never more seen again But his
troubled spirit still returns to go over its
evil work. and ] have heard many a ten
ant tell of how he would creep upon them
in the moonlight; his yindictive eyes burn
ing in his clammy white face. his clothes
in rags about him and his knife raised, as
if ready to repeat his damnahle deed
For merc9.s sake, stop!' gasped his
wife. ut makes my blood curdle only to
think of it. sAiready l seem to feel the
ghastly presence Of"
''Loomers.' l suggested helpfully but
Mrs. Steel preferred her own word, and
used death" instead.
You do feel it, Mr.. Slade assured her
promptly. You possess to a marked de-
gree that electro magnetic gift known to
psychology as
l knew that word was coming I never
saw a medium yet that could get along
without ii, but Mr.. Slade was so unfortu-
nate as to be unable to struggle through
his compliment even with its aid, for Mr.
! Steel intruded on the sentence with the
suggestion that if they were to have a
seance it was high time to begin.
True, we had seen nothing. heard moth
ing nor expected to-not even black Jane
out in the kitchen who was born with
caul that entitled her to see double; but
as to minding seance-oh, dear, no. Sis
ter Mary led the way to our big dusky old
parlor lit the lamps and then turned them
down as dim as lightning bugs. while I,
under the instruction of the medium
fshed out from q far corner a slim legged
table which we rolled with great solemnity
to the middle of the floor. Then Sister
Mary had chance to interview me on the
situation.
When Mr.. Slade has finished raising
his spirits l shall want some tea to raise
mine. Shall l go out and help Jane set
the table or will you?''
1 shall always believe that fate had
hand in my decision. l don't, as a regu-
lar practice, sacrifice myself on the do
nestle altar, but at that particularly mo-
ment | would rather have dug potatoes
than remained.
In the kitchen I found Jane cackling
like black hen with her feathers rufIied
Experience is a sure teacher. | knew be-
fore looking towards the door that l
| should find u tramp on the other side of
1 4 IL.
ture who was turning away when he saw
me, but changed his mind and eyed me
wistfully instead.
Il done told you to clar OUT" COM
manded our household goddess wrathrul-
| ly. "Ef you 'er too sick TO pick chick
| en- you 'er too sick to eat, so shulIle-you
/ heah me?'
Il am going" he answered sullenly; Il
! only asked for water
Don't mind her. l said, as I gave it to
him, she likes to grumble, don't you
Jane?" She liked it SO well that she kept
it up faithfully while I gave the poor soul
something to eat and made him sit down
in her own particular chair under the
trees.
Then I went about preparing tea for the
visitors and had reached the point where
l was cracking ice and wishing every
lump was Mr.. Mediums head. when my
tramp came to the doorway, and this is
what he said:
Would you be sorry to leave this
| place."
would he sorry and I said So
Spose them sharps in there" nodding
anxiously toward the parlor. should
raise a ghost before your eyes, would you
| keep on staying then-heh?'
What question!
What do you know about it?' asked,
dropping ice and pick together and facing
the man at the door. do you know MIR
Steel and Mr.. Slade?"
Mr.. Which,"
Mr.. Steel and Mr.. Slade'
"Slade nothing, That's old Beasly-and
I'm hanged if | don't let you into the
game"
With one great bolt my heart Jumped
up to my throat-with apologies to the
gentlemen who write physiologies-and
there it stayed while my tramp went on
with his tale.
Il amt no account, the Lord knows"
he said, candidly. but l never meant to
sink low enough to earn their money, and
here's where l quit. | near caved in last
time when see them kids a-playing round
here in the grass. but | tell you honesty
gets black eye when you are hungry and
ain't got work. So | scared 'em off like
meant to do by you. only-weli, you see,
miss, I've just come out of the hospital
and when you are low down and weak
you kinder get fioored by-by decent treat
ment, and"
And he finished with a helplessly ap-
pealing glance as il he were very truly
ashamed of his righteousness and | had
only myself TO blame. And when | knew
1t aIl-lOW those very honest and bigb