The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-09-01

BY Jove! it will be grand fun! 1t will {
ook like the ghost of the Haunted ]
Tower" 9
/ did not like the way in which he {
spoke. There was something repugnant 9
to my feelings in mention of the fate of {
poor H, and thought that we had {
done enough. In fact heartily repent !
ed of my suggestion. The eye Of Harry
was continually and reproach- {
fully fixed upon me; but he did not an
ticipate that any positive harm could I
come from our joke, and therefore, to
certain extent, he gave his assent to it.
sheets, busters, paper--in
fact everything upon which we could
lay our hands, were seized, and carefully
thrust into Manton's flannel trowsers;
a bolster was then taken from the sofa,
and being swelled to convenient size
by the application of sufficient number
of sheets and table-cloths, was invested
in his boating-jersey; a pair Of socks,
properly stuffed, with his rowing shoes
on them, were fastened where the feet
should be; and then the top of the
bolster, being drawn tight by means of |
Il piece of cord, was surmounted by
rowing-cap; and in few moments a
perfect efiigy of the stroke of the st.
Valence boat was swinging from the
window of the Haunted Tower; and
then, when we were all leaving the room
to screw up the outer door, Manton, in
somewhat louder tone of voice, said:
Blackford! Blackford do open the
doorn
But it was worse than useless to APP
peal to men in such frame of mind
and we descended the staircase some-
what more quickly than we had gone
up, and then slowly and gradually dis
persed to our several rooms, utterly re-
gardless of Manton's objections to being
screwed in.
got but little sleep that night. Why
l felt that vague and restless uncasincss
/ cannot exactly say, but certain it is
that for more than an hour l lay awake
thinking on the nights work, and the
part which | had played in it. How
ever, WEAKNESS at length got the better
of the indefinite anxiety that oppressed
me, and sleep came to my rescue when
l was almost despairing of rest; and,
though slept buta a short time, | awokc
in the morning considerably refreshed
by the brief interval of repose that l
had enjoyed.
: The recollection Of the joke of the
previous night Immediately returned
to me, and was eager to know how far
; the bed-mallers had been affected by the
, sight that must have met them on en-
teriag the college gates. However, my
!, suspense on that score was but short
: lived, for Mrs. Brown rushed breathlcss
} into my keeping-room, and commenced
vigorous attack on my bedroom door.
"Sir! sir!" she called out, in excited
: tones.
, l fcigned drowsiness, and answered in
voice that seemed to rebuke her for
waking me.
"Yes! what is the matter, Mrs.
: Brown?"
"Oh, sir what did you gentlemen dc
( last night? Oh dear oh dcar!"
And then she stopped, and it seemed
as if she We're crying.
2 could scarcely keep from laughing
she evidently heard that was treating
it as joke, but said:
: "Why, what is the matter, Mrs
| Brown? What have you called me Sc
} early for?"
: "Oh, sir, it is dreadful, and the tower
staircase tool"
| "What is dreadful?"
ooh! Mr.. Manton has hanged him
G self"
= Nonsenser' l said calmly.
81 wish it was nonsense. 1t is dread
Y full"
o I" Mr.. Manton has not hanged himself
| What rubbish are you talking about p
"Oh! come and see for yourself" Ant
5 then her emotion seemed to overcome
a her, for | could hear her sobbing ant
/ crying bitterly.
E There was something in her manner
o in spite of my laughter, that impressed
me and hastily dressed myself, and
}, leaving Mrs. Brown sobbing in myrOom
S | went down into the court. A groul
= of undergraduates was collected unde
e Manton's window, and from the windoy
l. was still swinging a figure. But
shudder instantly passed through m,
y whole frame as l looked-the figure wa
o dressed, not in boating uniform, but il
y ordinary costume. There was no ca
l, on the head the hair was blowing
70 about loosely in the wind; on tn
e ground, close to where l was standing
n was the efligy that we had suspended o
l. the previous night. What did it mean
t. What could it mean? The first man
d saw was Blacllford; seized him by tn
e arm.
rt Blackford," / said, in hoarse tone
ID "what is the meaning of this?'
to lie turned quickly upon me.
n "You should know as we'll as i, Wi
ID ford," he answered, in a voice that
m scarcely recognized as belonging to hin
'd "perhaps better"
g felt stung to the quick, but 1 mac
It. no reply.
r. "Manton has hanged himself"
I'd believe that | knew perfectly we
X before he spoke the real state Of the cas-
I'd but felt as if wanted some one to to
ed me plainly.
ne 1t was but too true: there was Ma