The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-02

| Greene. you cannot mean what you
| say! 1t would be the meanest---"
Get outp'thundered the lumber
merhcant, advancing toward him, his
huge bulk now quivering with anger.
"Qut Of here, l say! You shall never
| get q foot of lumber from me as long
, as I live"
Simmons retreated q step or two.
| then, still with hat in hand, he turned
| towards the excited man. "Mr.
| Greene" he said in deep tones, may
the Lord forgive me for saying it, but
/ think you have the meanest soul
| that ever He permitted to enter into
man. and IL you could only see it"
But his talk was suddenly cut short
| by threatening movement of Mr..
| Greene, who pushed him out of the
| office and slammed the door violent
| ly.
"Confounded impudence, / call IT,
| said the lumber merchant on regaining
I his seat. "Why, nang the Fellow, /
trusted him and trusted him. I'm
fairly sick Of his whining talk and
| poverty-stricken ways. To insult me
| by referring to my soul. What does
| he know about 1t anyway and he
rose and paced the floor of the little
| office. He said I had the meanest
SOUL" he unused. "But who ever heard
of anyone seeing a soul?" And then
he sat down again, and rubbed his
chin meditatively. He rested his
| head upon his hands. Somehow those
words burrowed and buzzed in his
brain. The world of business seemed
to slip away into shadow and silence.
MY soul--well, i wish I could see
| It. l am sure that fellow is wrong.
| Anyhow, he knows nothing about it.
| / WISH"
Here 1 am" piped UP a little. thin
voice somewhere on the floor behind
| him.
"What--whats that?" he asked
quickly.
Here / am" repeated the thin
| voice.
who? Where?"
| Right here behind you
The lumber merchant turned in as
| constituent, and looked in the direc-
| tion indicated. There, in a corner, and
| in the shadow of the leather-covered
lounge, was a little, impish, dwarf
| looking figure, like a shriveled Fill
| pino. The merchant shrank back in
amazement.
"Who are you anyway" he gasped.
Il am your SOUL" piped the black
| looking imp in the corner.
my soulr' He shook himself to-
| gether as if disbeleving his senses.
Utter nosense! Why, with a touch
of this button l can summon police
! man"
"Still am yo' SOUL" said the little
black one. Yours and nobody else's."
"How did you come into my office?"
| interrogated the merchant.
II was permitted to come as you
wished" said the black thing, land
must stay until the time of my per-
| mission ends"
| 'you don't mean to say that you are
| going to stick right here in my office"
| wherever you go, I CO." piped the
voice, Il am part of you and you can
not be without me-"
But" stammered the merchant,
with a shudder, "how am ever to get
along with you sitting around?" He
went over fearfully toward the door
and slipped the spring lock. why,
this is ridiculous. Everybody who
meets us will remark"
| mo eye but your can see me-" was
|
| well, that's one consolation said
Greene, drawing a long breath. MY
| soul! Mine! This is the first time
anybody ever heard of such thing"
| He touched bell to summon his
foreman.
"IIaff," he said, 'I'm going home.
Everything all right?"
| Yes, SIR replied the foreman.
all hal rot n,.ia x,rfIl
your
| Certainly SIR
1t was with a strange trepida ton
that Mr.. Greene buttoned up his coat
and closed the door of his office that
evening. He felt somehow as though
he was bidding the old place goodbye
and might never come back. He noted
with satisfaction that the coach lamps
We're unlit Looking down he saw,
moving lightly by his side, the dark,
impish figure. He opened the coach
door and stepped aside to give the
Soul the right 9f way. Then he en-
| tered.
How shall ever be able to meet
Mary and the girls in this hX?" he
said, It's awful! awful! Something
must have happened in my BRAIN"
and he turned again toward the little
figure whose presence and appearance
seemed to put the question of halluci-
nation beyond all doubt
on reaching his home. he stepped
quickly to the door, opened it with his
own private key and let himself into
the hall unobserved. Up the stairs to
his room he went noiselessly. Once
safe within, he locked the door and
sank down, exhausted, in a large, easy
| chair.
He said / had the meanest soul
the Lord ever permitted to be in a
man-that's what he said. 1 remem-
ber every word distinctly" and he
looked around once more at the dwarf
ish creature who sat on a chair al
most opposite. And you are that
soul that came in obedience TO some
strange summons! Now" said the
merchant II want to think about this.
Let us ask, what is the cause of that
dingy color--that elfish blackness?"
" am what you have made me-"
said the Soul 81 was not always so
dark"
"rhe meanest Soul" repeated
Greene, the words lingering in his
brain like the refrain oS a song. "The
meanest soul! Well. If have black
ened my soul, pray God to help me,
for no one else can"
\ tap at the door interrupted his
thoughts. He turned sharply to the
little figure.
"You are sure no one can see you?'
"None hut you," was the reply.
He opened the door.
sam! Sam!" said the gentle voice