Holly Springs gazette., 1843-01-27


When church yards yawn and grave yards give
up their dead.'
By the way, | wonder if Billy Shak-
speare believed in ghosts2'
4 can answer for myself, said third, that
| do, most religiously.'
.Nonsense-you Jest surely
BY Heaven | do not-you may call 1t
superstition. folly, or what you please, be-
lieve at this very hour ghosts walk abroad
The others laughed, but the last speaker
maintained his gravity.
Well, really this is amusing continued
the young gentleman by whom the conyer-
sation was commenced; nothing would In
duce you then TO visit grave yard at this
time of night, supposeP
No, | confess my weakness, cowardice
if you choose so to call it. III this particular,
and g0u Ned Lawrence, would be equally
10th to do sol
Not |. answered Lawrence; make it my
while, I'll 90 this very hour 10 Frank Ham
ilions grave and offerto pay him If he's
abroad the huadred dollars he won from me
at cribbage.'
1 will bet you fifty dollars you do no such
thing
'Done'
The bet was made and the money staked.
Ned Lawrence rose, called for his cloak,
and having enveloped himself in its ample
folds. was about departing. when 1t was su9-
gested that some one should accompany him
in order to bear witness that he would actu-
aIly visit the suicides grave
No, he must go alone, or | withdraw the
bet exclaimed the believer in ghosts; 10
bn
wager, he can bring the stake that was div
en- into the ground at the foot of Hamiiton's
grave to denote where the poor fellow was
buried
Good will do so, said Lawrence. and
he departed
The glasses of the remaining trio were
replenshed, and the game resumed. He by
whom the bet was proposed was sanguine
of winning it; the other was confident that
Lawrence would return with just claim to
the amount deposited And SO he did; as the
clock struck one, he returned with the stake
on which the initials of Frank Hamilton
were rudely engraved,
There, | have won the wager 7 he cried !;
1T was a long walk on a cold night, and
had trouble to climb the wall which enclo-
ses the grave yard, but [ allow no man TO
dispute my courage. | offered to pay
Frank his money too, bat as be did not ap
pear to claim it, [ consider that, having
made legal tender of the amount the deb
is cancelled
| well the money IS yours, Ned. but dou
! bic or quits. that you dare not replace thu
stake from where you removed IT,
What to night inquired Lawrence.
This very hour
.Dahble Oh aaitsi I'll do it first let M
swallow glass of Whiskey punch. Tor III
Internal cold and 1t is somewhafof wall
fom here to Carmine street
BY all means-we'll all pledge to you
safe return
The glasses were filled and drained
Ned Lawrence took up the stake he hac
brought from the grave yard and departed
Good night, Ned, said one of his thoug ht
less and gay companions, Frank Hamilton
will keep you this time; and challenge you
to take your revenge at cribbage.
II return not BY daylight you may con
clude that such is the fact, replied Lawrence
as he closed the door.
A feeling of unaccountable gloom came
over the three remaining gamesters, after
Ned Lawrence departed a second time. In
| vain did they endeavor to rally their spirits,
or seek by increasing their bets TO give ad-
ditional excitement to the game. Lawrence
himself as be again pursued his way to the
grave of the wreiched suicide. experienced
a sensation of dread to which he was previ-
ously a stranger, and it increased as the par
ting remark of his friend REQUIRED TO him.
.Psha 7 he involuntarily exclaimed. / am
fool to permit silly jest like that to affect
me- If turn back | shall be laughed at as
braggadoca, if not a coward. DIN ii
that would be worse than losing paltry
hundred dollars
On he went, and at last reached the bu-
rial place The weather was intensely cold,
and the stars shone brightly in the cloudless
sky. Not soul was visible-not a sound
was 20 be heard. and Ned Lawrence exclai-
ing-.'I shall win p climbed over the low
er wall and hurried TO place the stake al the
foot of the gamblers grave.
Long did his friends await his return at
the club house Daylight came but be was
still aosent His absence was unaccounta-
bic. They sought him at his lodgings-he
was not there. and they at once determined
10 soive'the mystery, ;fpossi5le. by visiting
the burial place.
! Hither they FASTENED, and on the grave
of Frank Hamilton, they found the corpse
of their companion.
No marks of violence were on the body