Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-22

PIGSGnG lO1 Ol COuIlslS dC oAAS AAooS' it naturally came about that we formed a 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 st this remote spot never freezes over, though it lies within the arctic circle.
 This open water is due to the gulf stream and the fotsam of southern seas is frequently gathered here,
 floating trunks of palm and orange trees, and tropical vegetation strange to the northern flora.
 Soon I began to suspect that Hor- ace Mum had a second rival in the field quite as formidable as Barrister had been. This was Edward Parking ton.
 On our return to Hammerfest, Tarkington was compelled to remain some little time on business, but promised to join us later, so Mum was once more left a clear field, ex- cept for certain letters that came with commendable regularity to Dul- cimer-at least, for some weeks they came, then suddenly ceased, and I noticed troubled look on Dulcimer's face. s5,. By Christmas we were settled in Florence, and my wife, renewed her hopes regarding Horace Munn's suit. He 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- ists 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 well.' On Christmas day we haunted the 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 l the embodiment of consternation, 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 1 of her dismay. She had abruptly I awakened out of deep sleep to find | the figure of a man standing by her bedside. Thinking that burglar had l gained entrance to her room, she screamed, then she remembered that it was Christmas night, and knew | ~ss~S& l. . more appeared.
 At the sound of her voice the mys- l 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 ns tangi- ble proof. It was a small flask, wick er-covered, it's metal top cankered, l it's sides green with mould and salt l encrusted, it's neck covered with a fringe of dried seaweed and small l clinging shells, as if gathered in a long voyage over many leagues of ocean--the flask that Dulcimer had l seen twice before when the ghostly visitant appeared to her.
 As I examined the article carefully, l the knowledge slowly dawned on me that it was my very own flask, once filled with orange wine, which I had given to David Barrister long months 1 before in Florida, on the fatal morn ing he had gone forth, never to re- l turn.
 l When the cankered stopper was re- moved, 8 small roll about the thick ness of lead pencil fell from the flask. It proved to be visiting card rolled in oiled paper, while on it was 1 written these words, now scarcely l legib1e:
 ssThe boat has been tempered with l and is sinking. Mum caused it. He knows cannot swim, and has left me to my fate. I trust this message to the waves. My last thoughts, Dull elmer, are of you"
 l Mechanically, turned the card I over. On the other side was the en- ] graved name-David Barrister. 1 Not until several months later was the mystery of the strange recovery | of my wicker flask made clear. On their bridal trip Edward Tarkington 1 told Du1cimer that he had bought it l or a fisherman who had picked 1t up
 off the coast of Hammerfest during the past fishing season.
 Tarkington, fully alive to the mean ing of the recovered flask, and also
 suspecting treachery on Munn's part
 in his own case, set out to find us, and only succeeded in locating our party at Florence on Christmas. night. The room given him was next to Dulcimer's at the hotel. He had been somnambu1ist since early boy hood, and on this Christmas night, 1 filled with doubts as to what course he should pursue in regard to this
 silent witness of a rivals villainy- & witness that had been strangely drawn over countless miles by the forces of mysterious phenomena, to l give testimony within the arctic cir 1 cle itself of deed committed long
 months before on semi-tropic seas I Tarkington had arisen in his sleep,
 made his way from one balcony to another, and finding the window of l Dulcimer's room unfastened, had l gone in and given her the flask, much | to her terror and his own consterna-