The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-08-09

that journey to the churclyard, even at
midnight, would frighten me in the
| least"
"How hravely you can talk ~ said Isa-
bella, Indulging in her customary tone Of
sarcasm. "But nobody here believes you.
don't ut any rate. Why, you hadn't
courage enough, the other day, to help
fkill rabbit; your mother told me sol"
81 never like to cause or witness pain,
il it can be avoided" answered Martin,
blushing. .......
"ua! hR! ha what an excellent OK
cusel You are brave enough, to besure
but tender-hearted! Come, now; YOU
dare not 90 to the churchyard this night,
alone. You are not half so courageous
as you would have us believe. Whether
there are ghosts or not, you are afraid
Of them" ......-. ...
Martin was extremely sensitive; but the
sarcasm Of nobody except Isabella could
have stung him so 10 the quick. Scorn-
ing the imputation Of cowarlice, he was
ready to do almost any desperate act to
prove his courage. But" said he, "al-
though have no more fear Of church
yards than ghosts, than have OF orchards
anh applc-trees, | am not going to walk
half mile, merely to he laughed at"
"Ha ha ! but you shall not escape so!"
laughed isabella. "lIerc, before these cur
friends, promise that this ring shall be
yours" she continued, displaying one Civ
en- her BY an oil lover, which Martin had
often desired her to part with, provided
you go to the churchyard alone, in the
dark, and declare, on your honor, when
you reture, that you were not in the least
afraid"
Agreed. said Martin. buttoning his
coat. for, the night was chill.
sand as evidence at you go the en-
tire distance, YOU can brig back with you
The iron bar. which You will find close by
the gate" said Isahela.
Thus driven by tauuts to the commits
si"n Of folly, Martiu took leave of the
company, full Of courage aud spirit, and
set out on his erraml.
IL was near quarter Of n mile 10 Il e
churchysWd, VIZ. approached by a
lonely, dreary path, seldom travelled ex-
cept by mourners.
Ii is impossible to relate precisely what
i,rrpcntd I" Martin on that gloomy road
| | Judge from the circumstances which af
terwards come TO light, and conjecture,
his adventure must have been IN am a.
how to relate il.
Slight as he vas in frame, and tender
in his feelings, he was not destitute OF
courage. ! do not think I've Was trighten.
ed by the signing Of the wind, and the
ruslling of the dry autumnal leaves, ~
many stronger men might have been
He marched steadily To the church -yarl,
stopped nomcnt perhaps to gaze sadly
but not feariuIIy, at the wlite tombs,ones
cleaning fintly in the dark and desolate
ground, for the stars shone brilliantly in
the clear, cold sky; then sh"uldering the
iron bar, 81 which Isabella had spoken, lie
set nut to return.
He had proceeded about half way,
when, in the gloomiest part Of the road,
he saw a white figure emerge from n
clump Of willows and come towards him.
Ii looked like walking corpse, in win
ding sheet, which trailed upon the grouu'l.
All Martins strength Of nerve was gone in
an instant. Courage gave place TO des !,era-
ton, his hair standing erect, and his
blood running chill with horror; still he
stood his ground. The spectre drew near
or, seeming TO grow whittier and larger as
it approached. We cannot tell hat fren-
~ seized upon the brain Of the unhappy
youtl at that moment.
The guests at the clergyman's house
heard terrific scre ,ms. Dreadiug some
tragic termination to the farce, they rush
od to the spot. one Of the number carrying
y lantern. They found Martin kneeling
on PROSTATE figure, his fingers clutching
conyulsivcly its throat, while he still ut
tered frantic shrieks for help. His wild
features c-hibi,ed the very ext. entity Of
terror.
Only two of the most courageous young
men dared approach him. One of them
forced Martin to relax his hold on the
throat Of the figure, whilst the other tore
away the folds Of the sheet. At thatmo.
rneut the bearer Of the lantern came up.
Its light fell on the blood stained, distort-
ed features Of Isabella. Martin uttered
one more uncmthly shrek and fell lifclcss
upon the corpse. He never spoke again,
bat livcd--an idiot!
A frightfnl confusion on IsaLella's tenn.
pie bore evidence that in liis frenzy he
had struck the supposed spectre with the
iron bar. The blow was probably the
cause Of the death I; although such grasp
,as his hands must have given her throat
might alone have deprived her of breath.
He never knew afterwards what he bad
done !; for never gleam Of 'eason illumed
the darkness Of his soul; and now the toll.
ing bell has toll us that Heaven, in its
'nsscy, has finally freed the spirit from its
slacklcs OF clay. and given it lifeand light
IN a better world.
-------s1~ - esks-----1--
One OF Cromwcll's followers, who filed
the important station Of an Irish justice. ut
the period Of 1901, having occasion to
write the word usage eonlsiyed 10 spell
Il without using single letter Of the