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Show I In the corner, and Bounded aa if fta You may be absolutely safe in your Jewelry purchases if you buy of the old reliable 1862 house. LAYING A GHOST I i I I By GEORGE F. DUYSTERS ; 170 MAIM ST. SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. Mail Orders promptly handled. ha I come all I he way from Montana The fare of loth mother and daughto make my fortune In New York city. ter plainly showed that spoke Ihe On being driven to the boarding house truth, and there waa a pathoa lu In a formerly aristocratic jortlon of their voice that strongly Inclined me I tey the city to which CHILD, COLE CO. had been recotn mended, learned that the place had been closed up. Noticing a sign on the opposite side of the street, 1 crossed over and mounted the stairs. I rang the bell here, heard footsteps within ere the echoes had died away, and the door was opened by a young girl, who asked me what I wished. Fur a moment I hesitated, but, recovering speech, told her my predicament. She looked at me and then at my trunk. She seemed at least partially satisfied by this scrutiny, for she said: "Wait a mluute and 111 call ma." This proved to be unnecessary, for ma" bad followed her to the door, and at that moment loomed up her. She was a tall, pale woman with jet black hair and a face in which all features seemed lost in a maze of wrinkles. "Step Inside a minute," she said, "and Elizabeth will watch your trunk." She ushered me Into a parlor and me in a proceeded to manner that would have done credit to a lawyer. Where was I from? How did I come? When did I arrive? me to Who recommended Mrs. Helton? What was my business? All of which 1 answered truthHer daughter stood In the fully. hall and listened attentively. Apparently satisfied with her examination of her unexpected guest, the landlady said: "You can have the second floor, front, thats the best room we got. We havent any other boarders just now, but may have some later. All right, I replied, anything will do for me I went out to get my trunk, and as I was bringing it In I overheard a discussion between the daughter and "ma. The daughter said: He shat not sleep in that room its an outrage! Its no better than murder! Then the mothers voice, somewhat hesitating: "But hes young and strong, Elizabeth, and maybe he aint afraid of ghosts. I 1 BROKERS SOLICIT YOUR PATRONAGE i Our facilities far handling your account unexcelled. We make liberal advances on all Utah Stocks. 100 Atlas Block, Salt Laka City. IF YOU WANT IT be-hin- d BY RETURN MAIL And It is In the Drug Line WRITE US J. HILL F. cross-examin- DRUG CO. Salt Laka City 111 UTAH'S FAMOUS Vfl ML I Mill WATERING PLACE. II Conay Island of tha Wist. Finaat Bathing in tha World. Larftt id fioett Dane Floor and beat Made ia ikt State. all manner. Bicycle Race twice weekly. For recreation and pleaiurt go to Saltair. Train every 45 min. Heldi Baad Living in Suspense. It Is a miserable thing to live In suspense; It Is the life of a spider. Swift. A PILGRIMAGE TO ZION. Commercial Travelers Preparing for Their Annual Convention. Salt Lake City. Great preparations are being made by the residents of this city for the Commercial Travelers fifteenth annual convention. For three days, June 18, 19 and 20, the jolly knights of the grip, their wives, customers from sweethearts and Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada, will be the guests of this city three days and nights that will be crowded full of pleasurable events. It is estimated that a million yards of bunting will be used in decorations, the work having already begun, while countless thousands of electric lights will literally turn night into day. All of the many resorts will be running at full blast at that time and will keep open house for the Commercial Travelers and their friends, special programs of entertainment being prepared by the management of Saltair, Lagoon, the Salt Palace, and the different resorts. There is to be a parade, the greatest in the history of the state, in which 5,000 uniformed men and hundreds of floats representing the progress of western development will play an important part. Fifteen brass bands will furnish music, there will be baseball games, bicycle racing and other sports, feasting, social entertainments and a reIt is newal of friendships. expected that this meeting of the Commercial Travelers will be the event of the year in a city noted for its hospleasure pitality' to the visitor and over the seeker, as thousands from all take doubt no will advantage country of the reduced rates announced by the railroads to visit Salt Lake in the most joyous season of all the year. Wan-damer- old-tim- e e, e to-nigh- t. "Whats that about I ghosts? asked. The elder xvoman was evidently em- barrassed. "Oh, haunted. she said, "they l the rooms I laughed. "That doesnt frighten me. I have always had a great long- ing to see a ghost. There was a serious, anxious look in the daughters big brown eyes. "You dont know what it is," she exclaimed. "We ourselves have never seen or heard any ghost, though we live in this house, but every man who slept in that room has been found dead the next morning, and the manner of his death has never been discovered. The door was locked on the inside and no sound .vas heard. The physicians could never find out what Lad killed them. So this house has been known as the haunted house. We have lost all our lodgers, and no one will come here any more. "Yes, added the elder woman, fold-n- g her hands, this house Is all my husband left me. He used to do a good business trading with the West ndies In the fruit line, but with a mortgage, two years taxes unpaid, and no Income, I dont know what were going to do. I confess I was at first somewhat staggered by the peculiarity of this launted room. I had a supreme contempt for ghosts in general, but the g possibility of not wakinj up the was morning disagreeable. fol-owin- bell had been tapped very lightly. Thla waa followed by a single tick tack, and I aaw by a reflection of the light upon the bras that the pendulum waa raov. Ing alight ly. The next instant there issued from a space between the bottom of the ihor of the clock and the base what I for an Instant took to be a thin stream of blood; 1 confess a slight thill ran oxer me from head to foot, but in far lesa lime than I can tell It the stream of blood resolved itself Into a cilmson colored snake about IS Incite In length, which began to wriggle over the carpet toward me. There was no time to think, I lifted my gun and blew the snake Into rags. The report sounded deafening In the closed room. Almost Immediately another snake somewhat larger than the first one crept out of the clock. I gave this one the other barrel, and then, not knowing how many more thero might be, I rapidly reloaded my gun. I heard a woman shriek, fjotsteps coming along the street, and loud rap at the door below; then somebody called my name from outside. I dared not. however, remove my eyes from the clock. A mans voice called out: "l)en the door; what ia the matter? "You had better not try to open the door yet, I answered. "I am killing the ghosts, and heaven only know how many more there may be." As no other snake came out I ap pronched the clock and smashed In the glass door with the muzzle of my gun. Twined about the pendulum In a wriggling. writhing mass were a dozen or more small snakes about the thickness of a lead pencil and a few inches In length. Stepping back two or three feet I fired into the lot, and then with the butt of my gun crushed some which still seemed to show signs of to help them. The woman spoke up as If seized with a sudden hope. "Young man, she said, "I'll tell you what Ill do. If you'll sleep In that room t and find out about the ghost, taking your chances after know. Ing all the facts and having fair warning, i'll give you board and rent free for a year, and thank you besides. "Its a bargain," I exclaiamd; "1 11 do It." I seized my trunk and carried It uj the stairway to the second floor. The woman preceded me, and striking a match, lit the four Jets of a chandelier that hung from the center of the ceiling. I sat dow n on one of the obi fash loned plush covered chairs when she had gone to think the matter over I had not given the ghost quietly. moments a consideration, but theory that there was some strange mystery about the room in which I found myself was beyond a doubt. I went over every possible theory. No one would be fool enough to kill me for my money or valuables, for I had none. My trunk contained some clothing, a few old books, and a shotgun. I had life. no fear of the two women, I believed By this time there was a furious them to be entirely honest. hammering upon the door of my room. I went over every story I had ever I kicked away the wedge and turned read. I recalled trap doors, canopies the key, and a policeman entered, that descended and smothered the ocat a distance by my landlady cupants of the bed, panels that could and her daughter and a few curious I determined be moved noiselessly. neighbors more or less dressed. to make a thorough examination of What on earth, began the officer, the room and watch the night out. If but I ansxvered by pointing to twe alive In the morning I would hold the crimson bodies on the carpet, one ol lady to her bargain. If not, well, onj which xvas still moving, though almos doesn't herd cattle and hunt in Mon- torn to pieces by the shot. tana without taking risks. There are your ghosts, I said, adI opened my trunk, took out my dressing myself to the landlady, but shotgun, fitted it together, and insert- as I am not sure we have them all, you ed a couple of No. 4 shells. If ghosts had better not come Into the room. 1 could stand that at close quarters 1 dont know what kind of reptiles these was quite willing to yield them the but from the shape of the head 1 are, palm. Laying my gun on the bed, know them to be deadly venomous. I looked carefully about the room. The policeman, who knew the story I sounded the walls carefully on of the house, simply ejaculated: every side, looked in and under the Good God! and beat a retreat toward bed, and then, sharpening a small the door. At my request an ax was piece of wood into a wedge, I thrust it handed In to me. I broke the clock under the door leading into the hall- Into kindling wood and hammered the way, thus rendering it impossible for works flat, but found only one more of anyone to enter even with a false key. the progeny, scarcely larger than a A big clock In the room interested match, in a crack of the woocvork. me. At a distance it resembled an I need not say that I didnt sleep In old English clock, such as I had seen in many farm houses in the west, but the room that night, for there wa3 no a closer examination convinced me it certainty that the clock held the only At daylight all the furniture was oriental work of some kind. It nest. was carried out, ripped up, room in the stood in one corner of the room, near search made, but notha and thorough one of the windows, and was about was found. The remnants more ing five feet high. were to Washingsent snakes of the The carpet on the' floor was light a learned where ton professor of the blue in color, and there were no Smithsonian pronounced them the cross seams to indicate any possibility of viper known in the of a trap door. I was puzzieu, but 1 deadliest species of Martinique. did not propose to take any risks. I island Undoubtedly the reptiles had nestarm chair pushed a comfortable against the wall between the two ed in this clock before it was sent on windows, and, with my shotgun across from the West Indies, and had for my knees, awaited the arrival of the more than a year lived upon the mice ghost. I preferred to meet him or which were plentiful in llie old house, her in light rather than in dark- coming out at night, as is their habit, ness, if I must, so I left the gas burn- to sting to death any one who might be sleeping in the bed. ing. My landlady held to her bargain, I heard a distant clock strike 12, and was reminded by it that this was and even more. She not only gave the proper time for specters to ap- me board and lodging free, but six pear. All was quiet, however, within. months later the hand of her daughter. There have been no more ghosts at A couple of wearisome hours passed, No. 259, though I confess .t was a and the distant clock struck two. I was beginning to feel ridiculous. I got long time before I had the courage up, walked around the room two or to sleep in the second story front room. three times, and was just about to reTruth Not in Him. sume my seat when a curious sound He who It within the room struck my ear. purposely cheats his friend, seemed to come from the tall clock would cheat his God. Lavater. to-nish- fol-loxve- |