Year: 1878

/ =
Men are so much given that way. PvC
told you half the truth and that is more
than you deserve. Well, the other half
which you might so easily have known
if you had not been so stupid, runs thus
My mamma and Mr.. jerks were formerly
near neighbors, and Mr.. jerks fel
violently in love with mamma and
offered her marriage, and mamma re
fused him and Mr.. jerks went mad, an
one day he presented pistol at his hea
and


Good gracious!"


"Would have killed himself, but
somebody knocked him down, and the
pistol went off, and mamma was stand
ing close by, and-"a


Mercy on me


'' Was nearly killed --syith f,ishI.
Fhen, when Mr.. jerks came to his
senses, he was sorry, and though he
couldn't have mamma (for she married
papa, and he lived many years) yet he
made a will IN mammals favor, leaving
her everything. He told mamma so
positively one day when he was poorly,
taking some Cruel. Then he died but
though search was made, high and low,
no will could be found, and a rich old
heir-at-law came in for everything.
And there's the reason mamma can not
bear that place. And, please, what is to
be done2"


1t was curious story, and | had not
heard a word of it before. And "a to
what was to be done, that was a puzzle
l could move, of course, but where to,
and with what prospects of doing better,
and where were the costs of removal to
come from? So | said l must argue the
| point with Mrs. Barton. aud this l did,
and having overcome her scruples, it was
agreed the marriage should take place
at once, and that we should all live
together and face the ghost, if need be,
and, which were OF more importance, the
| difficulties of the situation.


And so Lucy and l were married, and,
of course, were supremely happy, and it
was not until three writs had been served
upon and four lawyers letters been sent
me, and the gas company had cut off the
gas, and the landlord giving me notice
to quit. that with just a little feeling of
apprehension we began to consider what
next


One night, after rather a long con-
ference on the state of affairs, when Lucy
had apparently fallen into a deep sloeT,
I reused up suddenly, fancying heard a
sound below. Very gently rising so as
not to wake my wife left the room and
looked down stairs into the shop. a
light entered through some apertures at
the top of the shutters, and to my aston
ishmeut and alarm I saw figure in
white behind counter, in the act, as
il seemed, of opening one of the canisters.
Was it Mr. Jenks's ghost? The light
was insufficient to show me more than
the bare outline of the figure and the
slight movement eff the arms. watched
with rather a beating heart, | confess,
for minute, and then l thought that
before seeking closer quarters with what
might be an apparition, but which much
more probably was burglar in his shirt
sleeves, l would don some garments; so,
refraining from going back into the bed
room and frightening my wife, went to
an upper room and procured some there.
Then I again descended, and the figure
was gone, 1 went into the shop-all in
order. So much marvelling, l went to
bed.


When next morning 1 told the story
my companions were scared.


Let US go-let US get out of the un-
lucky place, said my wife passionately
d" Whatever there is, Harry, sell it at an
alarming sacrifice, and then you must
get secretaryship under government,
or a iudgeship in the colonies, or some
thing of that kind. Mammals sixth
cousins husband is-is-well, l forgot
what he is, but there's some connection
or other between him and a member of
parliament, and he must do something
for you, that's what it comes to. So
now, please, We'll go as soon as possible"


1t was painful, but it was necessary,
to explain to my dear young wife that
the powers of her mammals distinguished
relative, even should he be willing to
exert them, were probably limited.
Lucy would not believe it. And the
letter was written and was answered.


Well, now for the workhouse. And
upon nv word l do think something
dreadful would have occurred, but


A few nights on--again that sound.
Lucy" 1 said, gently, but she did not
arouse, and L thought perhaps / had
better not disturb her. 1t was quite
dark as I very quietly dressed in part,
and then stepped out on to the stairs.
Again, little light OF very early morn
ing coming through the shutters revealed
family white figure behind the coun-
ter in the shop, its arms waving to
and fro and its head bending over as
though speaking to a customer. /
strained my eyes, but nothing more
could make out than that the head of
the figure was white.


cit must be the veritable jerks" 1
said to myself: and that is his night
cap. Where is the carving knife,
though ?"


One would have thought the appari>
tion heard me, for it moved aside, took
something and waved it in the air. It
was my shop carving knife,


Presently the figure rose and b gan to
ascend the stairs. It was hard matter
to stand my ground, hut 1 did, and then
I saw before me Lucy, my wife! She
was walking in her sleep. Fearing to
wake her, stood aside to let her pass
and my foot slipped and fell heavily to
the bottom of the stairs.


Directly all was confusion. Mrs. Bar
ton, the shopman aud our small servant
ran out of their bedrooms. and Lucy
awakening, shrieked and tainted. But
I was the worst of. So heavy had beer
my fall that I had actually broken in the
flooring at the foot of the staircase, and
it was with some difficulty that they