The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-13

1 some sleep. Have the roundsman on my
 beat wake me up at twelve tonight" Good luck to youl'' the Chief called af-
 ter him.
 l And so Bill Uggler went to his dooml That his doom got twisted little was no fault of his.
 | It was past midnight Bill had care
 fully placed his clews, had stuffed pro-
 moter Shiver's roll in his capacious pock- l cts, had secured the Shver diamonds and
 sllVerware and was about to start home,
 when he met white robed vision in the | upstairs hallway. He crouched in the
 shadows but he was too late! A clear | childish voice aecosted him. It was the
 voice of little Edith Shiver. "Oh, sirl' she exclaimed. Are you a. | burglar?''
 I am, little miss. he replied in husky
 voice T
 Poor manl' went on Editha, pitingly.
 Doubtless you need the money. but you would not rob my papa, l know. Havn't
 you a daughter or little sister who looks l like me?''
 Yes, little Miss" answered the burg lar with a catch in his throat. '1 did | once have a dear little sister that looked like you. She is in the chorus of The Giddy Girl from Gayvlle' now. Front row at that. Third from the end Where is your tin bank, little Miss?'' | Cii' SiiF IL ls FlBHl III that rOohl oll tHS mantle she said with pathetic trustful- ness. But you will not take it, know. I am not afraid of you. you sec" | "Of course not" Bill responded, clear ing his throat of big lump that seemed suddenly to settle there. q would not harm hair on your pretty head"
 So lie quietly chloroformed her and went l in to ge the two dollars and eighty-seven cents in the little tin bank. l The delay was a costly one! As he turned to go he stopped still in ] his tracks for there in the doorway stood MT. Shiver, clad in his pajamas and hold ing a loaded revolver in his hand. That i was the moment Fate had planned for Bill Uggler.
 MT. Shiver was wishing he was not so | brave, and trying to keep the revolver
 from planting a bullet in the calf of his
 leg when, in his nervousness, he acci- | dentally pulled the trigger and the death | dealing bullet sped straight for Bills | heart
 But that was where Fate got its wires | crossed
 The trouble was that Shiver couldn't be | depended on. He was a drinking man,
 and liable to come home any night with
 a tide on that the moon couldn't control | Fate couldn't figure on that, just to the minute, so, after planning that nervous | trick with the gun, Fate changed it's mind i and decided to have the chadelier fall on
 Bill and the sharp pendant pierce his skull. After planning this all out, how
 ever Fate forgot to cancel the date with | Shiver's bullet, so just at the moment the | revolver tore loose the chandelier dropped. | Bill dodged back little from the revol-
 yer, the chandelier fell in front of him, | the bullet hit the chandelier and Bill was
 saved. Mr. Shiver ran and buried his head in the bed clothes and Bill went
 home, dog tired.
 1 That morning, about o'clock, Bill was
 awakened by the sound of untitled pro- l fanity and a strong smell of sulphur in | his room At first he thought he was look
 ing into a mirror that stood at the foot
 of his bed, but when he rubbed his eyes
 he saw that the image was by no means 1 a reflection.
 | Who in blazes are you, anywayr de-
 manded Bill.
 Pm your own ghost, dog-gone you!"
 said the image shaking his fist at him.
 My own ghosti' exclaimed Bill. Look | here, stranger, what have you been smok- ing?"
 'I'll show you whether I've been smok- ing or not!" shrieked the ghost. jumping | up and down in fury. Just look | through me once''
 It moved around and lill saw the furn- | iture right through iti
 Well, suppose you are my ghost Bill ! grudgingly admitted. I'm not dead yet, by any means. How does it come that
 you're off your schedule this way?"
 Its you that's off schedule, confound | yoql" retorted the ghost hotly. Ut was
 all fixed up. the day you born. for | you to croak at Shiver's house tonight. | but somehow it didn't come off I've been l awaiting that minute for ffty-fve years. 1 At exactly the right second I was turn
 ed loose, and here 1 am, a first-cass ghost
 without job. The worst of it is there is
 no telling when you will die now"
 Bill began to laugh. It always did tickle | him to get the best of a bargain. But | the ghost didn't see the joke. l Its no laughing matter" 1t complain 1 ed Here I've been for years, planning | some fine work in the haunting line. I 1 don't suppose there's noiser set of 1 chains anywhere than I've got all ready , to clank Why, Bill, if you'd treated me l fairly and died when you ought. not a l single enemy of yours would have had | wink of sleep this night I've practced 1 fancy groans till l can bleach human
 hair quicker than peroxide. Here, I'll 1 give you a sampler
 1 The ghost screwed up it's face and groaned so horribly that Bill tumbled out of bed and hunted up the brandy bot
 tie right away.
 "Greatr' said Bill. Great! But for l Heavens sake cut that out and move on.
 Just toddle out and tend to your haunt | ing"
 | 'I can'tr' groaned the ghost in despair. 1 I've got to stay right with you all the l time. night and day" | 'Whatr' yelled Bill. That's right" said the ghost. 'Im 1 with you, asleep awake, till you die!
 I can't go back or I would. I'm in bad, 1 I tell you. Why just think! If I get to | do any haunting 1t will be when you're 1 along. That's a pretty good idea. too," | the ghost went on, brightening up. "I 1 know you'd enjoy some of the fancy | stunts I can do. Let's go out and do a
 little haunting, of nights before you go to work. Now, for instance, I had intended 1 to call on Shver and scare him stiff for
 Killing you. Let's go around there and | give him fit anyhow. I'm anxious for