The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-12-25

think yourself ill-used. I'll be
bound"
Tho clerk smiled family
And yet" said ScrooEc. YOU
don't think mo ill-uHed when ! pay
DAYS vases for 10 work"
Tho clerk observed that il vas
only for once a year
a poor excuse for picking a
mans poke, every 2sta OF Deosm.
b~r'" said Scrooge. buttoning his
Kreatcoat TO the chin. "llut | sup
pos. you mus, have the , hole day
Bc her. all the earlier next morn
ing"
The clerk promised that he would.
and scroogc walked out With q
growl.
scrooge took HIS melancholy din
ner in his usual melancholy tavern:
and having read all the newspapers.
went homo to bed. lie lived IN
chambers which had once belonged
90 HIS deceased partner. They were
In n gloomy suite OF rooms in a
lowering pile Of building. Nobody
/ lived IN II but Scrooge. tho ether
rooms being all let out AS offices.
Now. u IN a fact that there was
nothing at all particular about the
knockcr on the door. except that II
was very large. II 10 also fact that
Soroose had seen IL. night and
morning. during his whole residence
In that place. also that SerooEe bad
as little OF what is called fancy
about him as any man IN the city OF
] London.
Let {, also be borne IL mind that
Scrooge had not bestowed one
thought on Marley since his last
mention of his seyen.years dead
partner that afternoon. AMI then
let any man explain TO me. II he can.
how II happened that Scrooge. hav.
| ing his key in the lock of the door.
saw In the knocker-no, knocker
but Marley's face.
Marley's face. II was not angry
or ferocious. but looked 1t Scrooge
ss Marley used to look: with ghost
ly spectaoles turned up on It's ghost.
| " forehead. The hair Was curiously
stirred. as II by breath or hot air .
and. tho the eyes were wide open.
they were perfectly motionless.
AS Scrooge looked fixediy at this
phenomenon 1t was q knocker
again.
To say that he was not startled
would be untrue. But he put his
hand upon the key he had relin.
pushed. turned II sturdily. walked
In. and lighted his candle. lie
fastened the door and walked up
the stairs; slowly. too.
| Up Scrooge went. Darkness Is
cheap and Scrooge liked II. But be
fore he shut his heavy door he
walked thru his rooms TO see that
all was right.
Sitting room. bed room. lumber
room--all as they should be: no.
body under the table; nobody under
the sofa; small fire in the CRATE /.
spoon and basin ready: and the lit.
tie saucepan OF Cruel (Scrooge had
cold In his head upon the hob.
Nobody under the bed; nobody In
the closet.
Quite satisfied, he closed his door
and locked himself in; which was
not his custom. Thus secured
agains surprise he took off his era.
vat. put on his dressing gown and
slippers, and his nightcap. and sat
down before the fire TO take his
cruel.
As he threw his head back In the
chair, his glance happened TO rest
upon a bell. that hung In the room,
and communicated for some pur.
pose now forgotten with chamber
In the highest story of the building.
II was with great astonishment.
and with n strange dread. that he
saw this bell begin to swing. II
swung SO softly in the outset that
IL scarcely made sound; but soon
IL rang out loudly. and so did every
bell In the house.
That might have lasted half a
minute. or a minute, but IL seemed
an hour. The bells ceased as they
had begun, together. They were
succeeded by clanking noise.
deep down below. as II some per.
son were dragging n heavy chem
over the casks In the wlne-mer.
chants cellar. Scrooge then re.
membered TO have heard that
ghosts in haunted houses were de.
scribed az dragging chains.
The cellar door flew open with
a booming sound. and then he
heard the noise much louder. on
the floor below; then coming
w the stairs; then coming straight