Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-12-28
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2s, 1860.

are Tar away are prone 10 do. rs Tor NY
self, I also was strangely low spirited and
/ abstracted.
For week subsequent TO that day ] saw
nothing Of my friend, but at the end Of that
time went 10 call upon him. Bob was
standing by the manicl when entered his
room. bu, he came forward with both hands
outstretched. "My dear Greys,ock," be
said 4" am 80 glad TO see you. should
have come after you to-day II you bad no,
found your way here. Doyou knOw.I have
been III since wO met last7'
IL am sorry 10 hear that" | replied.
"Yes, extremely ILL.," continued Robert.
Z" I caught cold that nigh, in the damp
graveyard. and have been fsverish and 'le-
lirious. believe. would not pass such
another week. GrcJ.toek. for all the di..
mond. Of GolcOnda.
/ lie paused moment, and then drawing
closer n me, placed his hand upon my ,houl.
der. Don't mention d, TO the other fcl.
lows" he said " but ! absolutely imagin-
ed that saw q face looking At me from the
window yondcr. and thata tall woman.
figure drc.-nd in white. aud having ouly
one hand--,hc left va. gone-stood up on
the parapo, Of the mex, roof, and waved her
arm. towards me. Such a m'd idea, you
know. for ,hero i. scarcely iootholi upon
. IL Tor monkey. let alone a woman"
But these fAncis. have lett you now"
I said.
"Ycs. I hope they have" replied Robert /;
" have suffered from no optical delu'ion
ior two days. but wish that that terrible
groanins could Be- pot a stop to. | hear !,
every night, aud persuade myself It y the
work Of Imagination yet no one in the
house Is ~, ani my landlady will no, con-
fc-- that .hc la. beard the slightest noi-r
Grcy.,ock, IL must b. terrible thing 10 be
insane"
"P Put such flncie, ou, Of your mind.
Robert" I aid The truth Is. you have
been fyycri.h. and the remembrance uf your
piece " work With tia, hand has acted up.
on your mind, and caused these appari,ion'.
Take my advice, my dear fellow. and ab.
stain from the puneh.bowl and the vino.
cup; they will lead any one into committing
foolish. II no, criminal action. Come. le,
US 80 out into tho open air to-day, will
devote myself to you. and ws wall see what
country walk will do towards the eterei.,
ing Of these fancic-."
Robcr, avsnted to my proposition, and
W. sct or together. A, first he was NOR,
.criou. than usual. bat, As tho day pas .cd
on. .aw with delight. iha, .,pirit. were
once more rc-uming their wontci tone
The rich color came tac. to his dark cheek
hi. eyes bcamcI with .hcir wontcj bright,
ness. The Tallil ghos,.s,.r was gone, and
the careless boy stood ono, more b.-i4o me
| rcjolccI in the happy change. a, a mother
might in Ihc returning smiles Of her infant
and at dusk We returned to she city as hap,
~ pair as you could wish 10 meet
" Now, Bob. slid, whom We had dinel
" We will sni.h tho evening a, the theatre
and han,sh ihoss gloomy iancies even NOR,
eiTec,ually amid the lights AMI music" D"
" Gloomy thought. :" laughed my friend
- am IN high spirit, tonight, aud ic1i ut
tcrly ashamed Of my ghosily stories. Come,
II 700 Aro ready, am :"
We went on, into the hall as ho spoke
and my hand was upon the lock ofthe door
when Robert suddenly exclaimed:
] II bad nearly forgotten my gloves an
handkerchief, Dinlh ," and he bccSoncd ic
the little black waitress. " Dinah, run u!
and bring them TO me Ny glove, are up
on the table. and you will find the handker
chief in one OF the bureau drawers which i
unlrcked"
; The little darsey started with alaerl,y
but while we waited for her return, q terri
Die scream sound~i through the house, an,
; she came rushing down without, iho article
for which she had bcen dispatched.
Z" Oh, de ghost De ghost" she scream
, cd. " Dar's ghost in Redlaw's room ~
wha, do you mean ?" calculated Rob
! ert: and wha, do YOU meant" was re
i,era,ed by the landlady and her bOaEdsr'
, as they tlocked to the scene Of action.
. ~ went after the han'kercher to Mass
Redlaw's room," sa'Ped Dinah, land
tell Yer the dressed ruG, dar was woman
all in do middle Oh de room hoIdn-
jar, and in DAT jar der wa'ah up
, woman she hadn't only -. IN a.
.esn her J'' as P'a' :. as daylight. TrcO 4
am alive 1t .ns a ghost"
sna'shed the candle from Dinah's tren
bling fingers and rushed up stars. Tn
apartment was empty, and the window W
on the roof closed. opened the eupbOar
and looked in. There stood the glass jar II
which tho hand was preserved, on rernot
corner Of the SHELF Nothing had been di.
,urbcd tha, ! could discover, and, perpleScC
and disturbed. closed the door. As Did
so, a low waillns moan, distinct. despair
ing and horrible, broke upon my ear and
with the blood running cold within my
veins. descended to the hall once more.
Robert sat upon a chair, his pale face
hidden in both hands. I touched him upon
the shoulder and found that he was sense.
less. A, frst, | thought tha, hs was dead.
For four weeks Robert Redlaw tseubled
on the margin OF the grave. and we, hi.
comrades, watched over him with sad fore.
A.. a