The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-06-19
The Ghost of No.
Fifty-Ninc...

for the sun was hot; we had toiled t
Tho wind slapped citadel, and gazcd a
dartmouth, cleaning white across tn
wafer, and watched the seethlng foar
in the far haze at the harbor entrance
We had sncercd at the gowns of tn
women. and had been stared at by tn
monkey-clad privates. We had prayc,
N the dusk of st. Mary's, and driver
through the gardens, and even out tn
Redford Basin road for few miles
had dragged Theodore to moth-eatel
ahops and bought vile candy and actct
generally in what Theodore calls my
g American girl" manner. There wa:
q touch of the spring-time wearincst
mon me when we got back to tho
Halifax House, with spare time in
which TO dress for dinner. 1t was
early IN May, much too soon for the
tourists, and every person, not Troy
to their finger tips, was spotted in the
hoie] That is the reason that Ted
and |, when we went into the dining
room were Immediately taken over to
a table where already two people sat
waiting for their dinner. The girl was
an American. That much---and no
more--I knew. The man - Now,
Theodore had come to Canada on busi-
ness, and had accompanied him in
the hope of meeting the very man, who
sat talking in his most cnticing style,
to an utter stranger, not five feet
away.
had meant to be so gentle with Tom
Merrill when met hn, for the last
time had seen him, had refused,
with great haughtincss, to accompany
him, as a loving wife and helpmatc, to
this end of the world. After six
months of abject misery, though was
quite willing TO have him ask me
again. 1t gave me an unreasonable
panp to see how well he looked and
put on my most digniiicd air rs he pre-
sented the glrl, whose highly interest
ing conversation had been broken upon
by our entrance.
loathed that girl before ! met her.
l knew, before she opened her lips,
that she would talk through her nose
and she did. She was n native of
some mountain village III Pennsylvania
and her reason for being so far from
home as~-business. In few min
utes we had her history, and knew
that she vas hookkeeper in the most
up.to.date hardware shop in Halifax.
She had met Tom on one of his trips
to Halifax, and seemed to know HIM
very well indeed. At least, she called
him "Tom,' and looked at him as
though he belonged to her, and acted
altogether dsgracefully.
"Tom and were Just discussing
the suicide,' said Miss Reynolds as we
began our soup. You have heard of
1t, Of course
"No,' | replied untruthfully. |
knew all about it, but wantedltolhear
her talk some more. There was a
wild fascination for me in listening to
her raspIns As and awful rs. Tom
MerrlM, NV lolker to the core, never
WINGED, Il: rad indeed comfortcd
himself
SIT: 2?:c,t = ( TO &C with a meal !"
she SAID. I:- ace. a woman, young,
and az A--=:.::sc !; that, shot herself
pe,. @ ....- - 49, -''|:,, ~ -; IH'ee u"ys ago.
csr. ~ 49, - -: ~ 49, '-s lts, u"y shc
t+,H, .n-t :-H :A'1'r '' 81" -. u inc week,
80 -s,,, ~',.,.",'' .,'. al" ''e'! y: ana post
u,, ''', n.,n ,n,, '''" a.''': ,Il'' |nt; one
g,r.i ,,;,, ",',,.'''n ,'"', .';;eu, anu
c,,,,. ,n~',. ',',' '.''' '"'''S'''i' II she
S.. r.r .',' ,',,..n''' ..''' w. ''"' ':". gaze:
tba i,.r .,', ~ ,,'4 '' ,', ~ ,n ''''C- ing oi
he.,a,: -, ~" .,,,.' .t'. ''" nH'" 'he snot
80 SL. ,''- '.':- ~. "' ''t' u :Hom no.
w,,ri ."n 49," '"','''' '.'''hlng Inat
o. 49,. ,,..','r' "r.,',, 4". ''f.-'''J, burned
Th,sS .,'%"'.', ,,... '..'' -" her rings
N'F': H.'sE:.--.'::t.i ...anonds were
s,tA, ' 40 --t ;.'.. '',1 -. goa among the
!. srd 80 .''>' '."1 put VINO sne
,he 49, rl,,..,> .. :E", E''',.'' na'e burled her IN
!, -, ws, p',tni ,'d .'.''., 'ut aoh'tyou think
ssas ~ ~' 80 ; "EI "a!t'hg lor that mes
7 49, 1,',' ''s' '1e1Paif wtlch she got ltf
niah, - ,i '4.ot 't"' waking the moor al
ha1, 1"t. t.> hs' room was Just across the
hann,a" @ I."''' l1.'ie' us supposed TO DC
rom LIN ~ mu.t nave unneryed you. Were
5ou 5ouo mere wneh she died?' asked Iheo'
dore, with the first glow Of interest he
nau olsplayed. Dear old chicken. He
never bothers With--some girls.
w, dear mol" said Miss Reynolds
" was at the office, and indeed, hat
my room changed at once, cOuldn'