The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1904-10-01

get tip from Great.Aunt Janet to
night. though what he wants t,
trouble her for l can't for the life O
me imagine"
i do assure you," l suffered, al
she gave me her hand IN sayins
good night, Il don't see what Great
Aunt Janet could have to tell me
and of course l shouldn't think q
doing anything"
"Of course not she replied. with
demure eyes looking into mine. "Eu,
it's pretty idea"
She kissed her father-oh! auor
able lips pressed for momen,
against the stern, white mustache-
! and went out Of the room; and
1ound, quite Unexpectedly, that
could not sleep.
l discovered, too, that I had left
my cigarette case in the smoking
room, and I nad dim notrl that a
cigarette might soothe me, and might
drive out Of my mead certain vain
dreams and fancies. Fer who was
that l should think that blue eyed
Dora should ever care two-pence
about me?
l went down softly through the
darksned house to the smoking room,
and switched en- the light there and
looked about for my cigarette case.
l found it and had tlst slipped it
into my pocket when the remem-
brance Of what the colonel had said
brought to my mind the heavy silver
candlestick. l glanced toward the
spot where it had stood; and l saw,
to my astonishment, that it was no
longer there. In a flash l glanced
quickly around the small room and
relaized that the thing was gone.
And | knew of course in moment
what that meant.
The ghost Of Great-Aunt Janet had
chosen that night for walking!
Why? Was she such symFa-
thetic old creature that she Ind
guessed my secret?-and could she
give me any help or advice? | re-
membered distinctly what the colo
mel had said; how he had suggested
that the old lady came only when
she was able to help lover. That
was my desperate case; and On an
impulse | determined that l would
seek her and take ghostly counsel
from her. remembered that she
haunted the upper floors.
went up beyond the Soor on
which my room was situated and
found myself in darkness. Then, sud-
denly, even as l tried to lauftie my
footsteps, l saw a dim light in the
distance-the light Of caAdle. Down
the length of the corridor there ad-
vanced toward me the stately small
figure of Gr5at-Aunt Janet; so real
that she might have stepped Straight
out of her frame downstairs. She
held the candle high, and | Thought,
looking at .ler as she asvanced, what
a presentable old lady abe was.
1t took me q moment or two To find
my tongue; and than, fearing that
she might disappear before l had had
time to state my arrand, clasped
my hands and blurtei out what l had
TO say.
"Great-Aunt Janot!-sweet Great
Aunt Janet!-Eave mercy upon me
and help me! | love the dearest girl
In all the world-and her name is
Dora-and l haven't dared to tell iher
20 before. Ii you can show me the
Jack, dear-if you would hold the
andlestick@"
l caught the candlestic!.-and
Dora. After q breathless interval,
Turing which the lovely face hao
,een pressed close to mine again and
again, and l had seen, even by that
linn candlelight, look In the blue
yes / had never hoped to see. She
rave her explanation.
Il was In love myself, Jack. and
thought there might be some other
Unhappy lover who wanted advice or
or consolation. So l thought
would be Great-Aunt Janet-and
lressed in these things-and came
,ut-just in case"
In case ! might be wandering,
co." I said. BLESS Great-Aunt ia
Bits.