Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1903-04-24

never seen, the second was Horace
Mum. by the time he had come for
ward and introduced his friend, an
other American by the name of
Harrington, Dulcimer had quite re-
covered from her faintness.
Mum and his companion were jour
ncying to the North Cape, and as we
were the only Americans among the
present lot of tourists at the hotel
it naturally came about that we
formed little party of our own.
From Tromso we set sail for Ham
merfest, which is principally famous
for being further north than any
other city in the world. Strange to
relate, the harbor at this remote spot
never freezes over, though it lies
within the arctic circle.
This open water is due to the gulf
stream and the flotsam of southern
seas is frequently gathered here,
floating trunks of palm and orange
trees, and tropical vegetation strange
to the northern fora.
Soon l began to suspect that Hor-
ace Mum had second rival in the
field quite as formidable as Barrister
had been. This was Edward Tarking-
| ton.
On our return to Hammerfest,
Harrington was compelled to remain
some little time on business, but
promised to join us later, so Mum
was once more left clear field, eN-
cept for certain letters that came
with commendable regularity to Dull
cimer-at least, for some weeks they
came, then suddenly ceased, and l
noticed a troubled look on Dulcimer's S
face.
BY Christmas we were settled in
Florence, and my wife renewed her
hopes regarding Horace Munn's suit.
lie was surely persistent wooer.
ut all depends on the Christmas
ghost" declared my wife to me, in
private. "She will reject Horace
Mum if it appears. OF course, it eX-
lists only in her imagination, so let
us do all we can to keep her mind
on more pleasant subjects. If we can
manage to tide over this especial
night all will yet end we'll"
On Christmas day we haunted the
shops to see the holiday displays, and
at night attended the theater, as
guests of Horace Mum, then after
quiet little supper went to our ho-
tel.
Shortly after midnight cry of
alarm from Dulcimer's room brought
us there. She stood in the doorway
the embodiment of CONSERVATION;
holding some strange object which
she thrust in my hands, then dropped
in a swoon at our feet.
On bringing her to consciousness,
little by little, we gathered the story
of her dismay. She had abruptly
awakened out of a deep sleep to find
the figure of a man standing by her
bedside. Thinking that burglar had
gained entrance to her room, she
screamed, then she remembered that
it was Christmas night, and knew
that her ghostly visitant had owe
more appeared.
At the sound of her voice the mys,
terious figure leaned over the bed
and placed some object in her hands,
then seemed to disappear through
the window
In confirmation of her story, she
showed the ghostly gift as a tangi.
bic proof. 1t was a small flask, wick
er-covered, it's metal top cankered,
it's sides green with mould and salt
encrusted, its neck covered with a
fringe of dried seaweed and small
clinging shells, as if gathered in a
long voyage over many leagues OF
ocean-the flask that Dulcimer had
seen twice before when the ghostly
visitant appeared to her.
AS | examined the article carefully
the knowledge slowly dawned on me
that it was my very own flask, once
filed with orange wine, which l had
given to David Barrister long months
before in Florida, on the fatal morn
ing he had gone forth, never to re-
/ turn.
When the cankered stopper was re
moved, a small roll about the thick
ness of lead Gencil fell from the
flask. 1t proved So be visiting caro-
rolled in oiled paper, while on it was
written these words, now scarcely
legible:
/, |
and is sinking. Mum caused it. He
knows / cannot swim, and has lef
me to my fate. l trust this message
to the waves. My last thoughts, Dul
elmer, are of you"
Mechanically, 1 turned the care
over. On the other side was the On
graved name-David Barrister.
: Not until several months later wal
the mystery of the strange recover!
of my wicker flask made clear. Or
their bridal trip Edward Harrington
r told Dulcimer that he had bought i
of fisherman who had picked it VI
off the coast of Hammerfest durin.
the past fishing season.
Harrington, fully alive to the mean
ing of the recovered flask, and als'
suspecting treachery on Munn's par
, in his own case, set out to find us
and only succeeded in locating ou