The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1903-05-01

at the curtained entrance of the cor
ridor leading to the parquette.
Dulcimer had not looked back. and
could not possibly have seen him.
She was advised of his presence by
some strange subtle intuition that
she could not explain.
Horace Mum remained in the city
about fortnight. and in that time
we saw him frequently. l think my
wife began to be very hopeful, when,
after Christmas night, her plans were
shattered by Munn's abrupt depar-
ture, and Dulcimer's fearful ccnfes-
sion that she had rejected him.
"You must not censure mel" she
cried, "for last night there came once
more to my bedside the poor drip
ping figure holding out to me your
wicker flask. Twice, on Christmas
night, has this strange apparition ap-
peared; twice has it offered me the
flask. What is the meaning of it?"
The following June we sailed for
the old world for a few months
travel Midsummer found us sailing
the majestic fjords of picturesque
Norway.
The morning after our arrival at
Trondhjem, while we were breakfast
ing, suddenly in our meal an exclama-
ton from my wife drew my atten-
ton to Dulcimer, who was leaning
back in her chair, trembling violent
ly, her face quite pale. AS l rose to
go to her assistance, two guests were
sr,&> <hn INT hrpoo lyf a G
room by the attentive host. The first
guest was a stranger whom 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.
Horace Mum evidently had not
taken a woman's mo" to be final,
for soon he was paying marked at
tention to Dulcimer.
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 flora.
Soon l began to suspect that Hor-
ace Mum had a 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, 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 a persistent wooer.
"It 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. 1t we can
manage to tide over this especial
night all will yet end WELL"
On Christmas day we haunted the