g to make a violent effort, for a portion of a fishy eye
and the end of her nose popped into view with a suddenness that made me
jump.

"It's all your fault." She glared at me, while part of her hair and her
plaid skirt began slowly to take form.

"My fault!"

"Of course. How can you keep a lady up working all night and then expect
her to retain all her faculties the next day? I'm just too tired to
materialize."

"Then why did you bother?"

"Because I was sent to ask when your wife is going to get rid of that
Ouija board."

"How should I know! I wish to heaven I'd never seen you!" I cried. "Look
what you've done! You've lost me my wife, you've lost me my home and
happiness, you've----you've----"

"Misto Hallock," came from the hall outside, "Misto Hallock, I's gwine
t' quit. I don't like no hoodoos." And the steps retreated.

"You've----you've lost me my cook----"

"I didn't come here to be abused," said the ghost coldly. "I--I----"

And then the door opened and Lavinia entered. She wore the brown hat and
coat she usually travels in and carried a suitcase which she set down
on the floor.

That suitcase had an air of solid finality about it, and its lock leered
at me brassily.

I leaped from my chair with unaccustomed agility and sprang in front of
my wife. I must conceal that awful phantom from her, at any risk!

She did not look at me, or--thank heaven!--behind me, but fixed her
injured gaze upon the waste-basket, as if to wrest dark secrets from it.

"I have come to tell you that I am leaving," she staccatoed.

"Oh, yes, yes!" I agreed, flapping my arms about to attract attention
from the corner. "That's fine--great!"

"So you want me to go, do you?" she demanded.

"Sure, yes--right away! Change of air will do you good. I'll join you
presently!" If only she would go till Helen could _de_-part! I'd have
the devil of a time explaining afterward, of course, but anything would
be better than to have Lavinia see a ghost. Why, that sensitive little
woman couldn't bear to have a mouse say boo at her--and what would she
say to a ghost in her own living-room?

Lavinia cast a cold eye upon me. "You are acting very queerly," she
sniffed. "You are concealing something from me."

Just then the door opened and Gladolia called, "Mis' Hallock! Mis'
Hallock! I've come to tell you I'se done lef' dis place."

My wife turned her head a moment. "But why, Gladolia?"

"I ain't stayin' round no place 'long wid dem