The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-03-02
WHICH PROBABLY ME FAN s
LONG LIFE TO THE GOOD
DEVIL.

there can be no reasonable doubt.
Expertus loquor, l have heard, I
have SEEN" said Horace Alger,
laughing fiercely.
But you forget, Horace" I quiet
ly objected, while carefully placed
a substantial oak table between
myself and him, "you used to ex-
press the utmost contempt for
ghosts"
"That will do" he cried angrily.
There is room, in a house like
yours, for any amount of imposture
or trickery," said l.
"Now, just look here, Jack" he
burst out, trying in vain to speak
calmly. Can rats, or cats, or bats,
or owls, or draughts, talk French
(good elias steal French, mind you)
and say, 'Sois mon frere GU je
tue'?"
"Why, of course not; whoever
pretended thta they did,"
"Ah!" continued Horace, ham,
mering the proof home with his
usual rough insistency, "and what
rat, or cat, or bat, or owl, or
draught would yell, lie diable est
bon! Vive lie bon diable'"
at sounds very mysterious and
dreadful" l replied, "but in these
days of the psychological research
society ghosts are getting shy"
81 communicated with the society
and an imposing don came down
armed with the latest instruments
and interrogations of modern in
quiry.
1--WE sat up rather late. and then
he went to bed, smiling, and tri-
umphant. But about 2 o'clock he
broke into my room pale and peni.
| tent, declaring there really was
something in it after all, and as
the Thing spoke French, which he
| did not understand, he would hand
over the problem to a French schol-
ar.
at does seem more of a puzzle
than | imagined" | said. "And l
do not profess to be a hero or a
scientist or philosopher, but | am
quite sure that have no faith
whatever in ghosts, and | should
| be perfectly willing to occupy the
haunted room. Give me a free
hand, and that is all | require-no
revolver and no brandy.
"Who lived here?" l asked.
can old bachelor, a naturalist, |
fancy, who had lived abroad for
years, and had only men servants
He would not have a woman about
him. Monkeys ranged all over the
| house at their own sweet will. and
snakes (harmless ones, | suppose)
| dropped on the unsuspecting visit
or from curtain poles and every
| point of vantage. They say he knew
| the language of monkeys, and pre-
| ferred their habits and converse
ton TO those of human beings. One
or two always sat at table with him
and chartered and ate and drank
as freely as he did"
odd you ever see him."
mo, but our intermediary declar-
ed he was like his monkeys, as one
pea resembled another pea. From
constant intercourse with them, his
face, his movements, his gestures
all displayed an astonishing rever-
sion to type-i. e. simian ancestry.
But for all"
"Ha! ha! ha! Sois mon frere GU
je te tue. ITEMS, mon anil"
The Interpretation was appalling
in its suddenness, and followed by
diabolical chuckle, it made my
steady old humdrum heart kick for
a moment
"Your invisible tenant | said,
sis apparently as much at its ease
in the day time as in the night"
Indeed" said my friend, 81 have
never heard it after sunset"
1t was now a dull average Oc-
| tober afternoon. This is delic-
ious!" | cried you promised me,
Horace, a warm welcome and good
company, but | never expected So
ciety of this interesting kind.
Please let my possessions be trans
ferred at once to this enchanting
| cha mber."
The change was speedily effect
ed. The room upon examination,
presented no salient feature or am
biguous construction. The walls
|