The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-05-07

guest was stranger whom L had
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
neying 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 fiotsam 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 a second rival in the
field quite as formidable as BarristeI
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 a clear field, ex-
cept for certain letters that came
with commendable regularity to Dull
cimer-at least, for some weeks they
came, then suddenly ceased, and
noticed a troubled look on Dulcimer's
face.
By Christmas we were settled in
Florence, and my wife renewed her
hopes regarding Horace Munn's suit.
He was surely persistent wooer.
st 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 a 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 yisitant had oxe
more appeared.
At the sound of her voice the mys,
FERROUS 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 tangi
BILE proof. 1t was small flask, wick.
er-covered, its metal top cankered,
its sides green with mould and salt
encrusted, it's 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
yisitant appeared to her.
AS 1 examined the article carefully,
the knowledge slowly dawned on me
that it was my very own flask, once
filled with orange wine, which | 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, small roll about the thick
ness of a lead Gencil fell from the
flask. 1t proved 70 be visiting card
rolled in oiled paper, while on it was
written these words, now scarcely
legible:
''The boat has been tempered with
and is sinking. Mum caused it. He
knows l cannot swim, and has left
me to my fate. l trust this message
to the waves. My last thoughts, Dull,
elmer, are of you"
Mechanically, 1 turned the card
over. On the other side was the tn
graved name-David Barrister.
Not until several months later was
the mystery of the strange recovery
of my wicker flask made clear. On
their bridal trip Edward Harrington
told Dulcimer that he had bought it
of fisherman who had picked il up
off the coast of Hammerfest during
the past fishing season.
Harrington, fully alive to the mean.
ing of the recovered flask, and also
suspecting treachery on Munns part
in his own case, set out to find us,
and only succeeded in locating our
party at Florence on Christmas