Year: 1874

and loud laughs at his expense. Char


ley was severely tried. A hundred time


he caught the cards to throw them off


but the thought of the situation at hoin,


nerved him to do anything.


When he reported in the evening, b,


found that only one other man haC


stood the test with him, He was to re


celve his pay after the performance a


nlght-after the people had seen hi


ghost. He was not only to be laughed


at on the street, but was to be critically


examined by the most intelligent audi


ence that could be assembled in the


city. He wondered if his aunt would


have done such a thing, attd would she


approve his action this day? Would the


feeling that had animated him pass fol


pluck or for ins ensibiIity? ~F
That night young Sparks was behind
| the scenes. He was to appear in several
! ghost scenes, and was to take part in
several interesting man@uvres. The
people saw his image appear in air on


the stage, disappear and reappear. They


saw his ghost pitilessly plain, and stud


led every feature and the cat of his gar


ments. As he stood behind the curtain.
attitudiaizing before the glass or mir
ror, which showed his IMAGE in air, he
was disconnected by the calls and cries
from the gallery


"Thete he is p "That's the fellow !''
" How are you, Sparks ~ ETC., and was
as much Disconnected by the whispered
comments from the more respectable
part of the audience. He indulged in
one look of fierce contempt Just pre-
vious to his final disappearance, and
while the audience were trying to ac-
count for this, received his dollar and a
half and left the building.


His aunt read, the next morning. in
her borrowed paper, facetious account
of the lourneyihgs of the ghost adver-
tisers the day before, and she inclined
to the opinion that the men deserved all
the censure and ridicule. When Charley
announced that he was one of the un
fortunates, she was scandalized. It
would have been better to have shoveled
coal ell day, she thought.


"Just so" remarked her nephew;
" but where was the coal 2"


Charley wondered seriously what the
outcome would be, however. Would
his venture in the ghost business make
better or worse his chances TO secure
This was what concerned
him. People who had never noticed
him before noticed him next day. Gen
tlemen and ladies stole glances at him,
and children did not hesitate to call at
tention to him as the ghost. Nobody
cared for him personally, nor for his
troubles. They paid no more attention
to his applications for employment than
if he had been a veritable, airy nothing
He didn't frightep any one, but he failed
to convince any one that he was a crea-
ture of flesh and blood in distress.


But he did secure employment. Some
shrewd tradesman took advantage of his
nOtoriety, and employed him as usher
in his dry goods store. Charley under
stood why he was employed; and al
though the whole transaction was often
sive, he saw that his entire stock in
trade consisted of his ghost reputation,
and that he must take advantage of it.
He was the fgurehead to laugh at for
4 week, and then he did not care whether
people laughed or frowned-he had his
situation.


His one companion in the ghost bust
hess was in disgrace. He had been
wiling to masquerade on the street for
money enough to buy his supper and |
liquor enough to become intoxicated. |
The next step was the city prison, and |
lis case was paraded in the papels. OF
course the inference was that the other |
nan was animated by no higher motive.


But the story, as narrated by Miss |
lane Ann Sparks, became, in good time,
part of the current talk at church |
social was referred to as a striking ex-
lmple of pluck at workingmen's meet |
ngs; was enlarged upon by impressible
md enthusiastic young ladies'; was DUO
ed often by Charley's intimate friends
md finally young Mr.. Sparks looked
back upon his ghost venture as one of
he lucky steps of his life. But he lost
lis peace of mind for two weeks and
ost his first and only sweetheart, pi-
luant little firt of sixteen, who dis
missed him with the information that
he would not be seen with him for any
hing. And this, any young man will
estify, was sufficiently severe and pos
IDLY the story of young Mr.. Sparks
ould not be stopped at more provok-
ng point than here-where it naturally |
nda