Page:Ghost Stories v02n02 (1927-02).djvu/65

 The next day 1 began a new picture.

Never had I painted with such ease. It seemed that T had caught all the colors and had them at my command. I was equally surprised and mystified at my skill. As I painted my heart sang and was light, She would come back.

I painted on the picture during the day and then at evening she would come,

Vor two short weeks she came and each evening she seemed more beautiful. The feeble pen of man is incapable of describing her beauty—only the canvas can do her justice and I was transplant- ing that beauty swiftly and skilfully. *

Each time she came she would sing and play that song, and each time she ceased I would come to my senses only to find her gone. I had ceased to be- lieve I slept. In fact I knew that I

didn’t. But what became of her? Still I did not worry much. She would return.

HEN came the night of her last visit.

That day I had finished my picture. Across the top I had written one word. That word was the name of the picture —it was also the feeling of my soul. T was afraid to show her my picture. I Was afraid she would never return.

She had served her mission. But, no! I would not let her go. She must be mine, Had she not inspired me to place my soul in paint upon the canvas? I must have her, I said. I will possess her. She shall never leave me when she comes this evening. I will make her stay.

She came as usual that evening, but it seemedwher face was sadder than it had ever been—yet more beautiful. All the emotions that are known to a human swelled up in me. “No!” I cursed be- neath my breath, “I will never let you leave. You shall be mine!”

“I have finished my picture.”

“Yes,” she replied wearily. “Let me see it, won't you Monsieur—please?”

“Yes—after you sing and play for me.”

I was taking no chances on her leay- ing.

“Will you play first?”

“Yes.”

She played and sang. It was more beautiful than it had ever been, but a little different. That note of sadness prevailed. And at the end—it trailed away into oblivion instead of dropping suddenly.

“Why the change?”

“Oh, nothing! Just a sudden whim. Please let me see the picture?”

{ pushed the easel over in the moon- light. My paints were lying on a little table at the side of the picture. She arose and-looked at it. Then she turned to me.

“Ah, Monsieur! .It is wonderful. Yes, it is me. And the titlh—it is the name of my song. Why did you do it?”

An expression of terror and sadness covered her face. She looked like an angel to me. Human restraint had reqched its limit. With one step I reached her side and swept her into my arms.

“Why? ... why? Because you are mine!" I whispered fervently.

I heard a slight noise, The little table had been overturned by my foot and all my paints were running down over my picture. It was ruined. She lay in my arms for a brief enraptured moment, looked up into my face and pointing to the picture said:

“See what you have done? You have ruined it all! Nothing but the title is left.”

I looked. The next instant she was gone, ;

“Ah.” I said. sadly, “—I should have known. ‘Never touch a ghost.”

I stood with my arms empty and my heart cold. She would never return, and all that remained of my beautiful pic- ture was the tithe—J/Tappiness.

“I feel that something awful is going to happen!” began to repeat themselves in my brain. I could not shut them away. They gripped me. They made me feel increasingly fearful.

I called myself an idiot, I remembered that I was a hard-headed scientist, yet for the first time in my life, the unknown frightened me. So that, when Kane returned, I really was as relieved as was Emma. He returned in the flesh. I was rather thankful to him for such concreteness. I was not sure how, exactly, I had expected him to return.

“I have found a little cottage,” he explained, “about four miles from here. I've rented it. I imagine I can work ideally there. Oh, you mustn't think I fail to appreciate your hospitality, Dufrey. It's because I-need a change. I'll make a hermit of myself—except if you people run over once in a while—until the words the words, Dufrey  come. You understand?”

ELL, he installed himself in the cottage. I had passed it often in my rambles over the countryside. There he waited for word from beyond. Every three or four days Emma visited him, taking him some delicacy, and to find how he was getting on. I accompanied her, for I thought that in my presence Kane could not impart to her so strongly the excitement of his search.

Kane was, in fact, in a state of perpetual excitement. He was, I said to myself, quite plainly a madman. The floor of his room was littered with papers torn in frenzy, because the true word from beyond had not yet arrived. He wrote and destroyed until his fingers were numb. He looked at us, sometimes, with a stare that lacked recognition.

“Yes, dear—I now work for ‘Uncle Sam.’ Today I received appointment. ‘

Tomorrow, I go out on my first Railway Mail run to Washington, will travel on pass and see my country. Do you know dear that over 15,000 young men and women are appointed in the Postoffice Service cvery year."’

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Every ambitious man and wo- man has an opportunity to get one of these 15,000 positions


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Railway Postal Clerks get $1,900 the first year, being paid on the first and fifteenth of cach month. $79.16 each pay day, Their pay is increased rapidly. |The muxi- mum is $2,700 a year. © $112.50 each pay day.

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Clerks, like all Government em ployees, are given a yearly vacation of 15° working days (about 18 days). On mung, they usually work 3 days and have 3 days off duty or in the same pro- portion, During this off duty and vacation, — their pay continues just as thougl they were work ing. They travel ona pass when on business and sce = the country. When away from home they get extm allowance for hotel. When they grow old, they are retired with a pension.

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(Open to men and women 18 or over) Salary $1,140 to $1,860. year. Pleasant clerical work in

D.C. From now on I


 * the various government departments at Washington,

D. C., and in Customs, Internal Rev he: offices in large cities. jen Ba

IS YOUR JOB STEADY?

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© Railway Postal Clerk =f 1 00) OD Postoffice Clerk a 300) O City Mail Carri ($1700-$2100) OG Rural Mail Car: SH 00 6 General Clerk ~-($iL 1860 0 Bookkeeper. ~-(31 2540 Name... .- 22-265 ene ee ones noose none nnnsserees = Address... .-.. --- 5. -- +--+ 2 <= +2 ~ = 2 25 os ne en nwwe: -

Uae Thi Connon Refore You Misiay Tt.