New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-25


by "A irresistible power.
Al length he reached TIE sceaom OF TAO
sAepa and found himself in largo lo"' un-
derprouud room, lighted BY blue tongue
NJ fame. That seemed to come from very
large eofin which stood in The center OF 'ne
vanlt. At the head and foot OF thus largo
coffin we're two others, directly acrees ~ Us
if they had been placed for seats. Inc cas
had taken up it's position at the further On"
Of the vault, and, mounted on another coInn'
watched them az it paced restiessly oac&-
ward and forward, like some Wild oeass
ready to seize and tear its prey, but II never
moved it's horrible eyes from the unhappy
magistrate.
"G.r said Aunt divers ghost, as che
pointed O skinny hand toward one OF the
cofi,s. More dead than alive, the judge,
obeyed.
Herbert Bruin,' exclaimed the same
spirit, I'VE have brought thee here, to this
last home of our race, that thou nsyest have
one more chance Of repairing some OF thy
evil deeds. Wilt thou sign paper swear
ing never to modest those Of our descend-
ante who weakly and foohshly believed in
thee, aad gave thee q writing'which, In the
eyes Of weak mortals, enablest thee to harm
the widow and orphanr'
IL viii. viii sign anything. Eay, WILL
do better, dear Msis Oliver, will give you
back the paper that good old lady signed"
cried the Judge.
"Good.' replied the ghost; "thoa shalt
not be defrauded Of one penny. Pat tho
paper there" she said, pointing 10 the coffin
before him, and sign thy name here" and
che laid an old, n|6uldy piese Of parchment
before him,
/. "Ohr' he groaned, "by signing do not
sell my soul TOTO" and he hesitated for O
polite word, one that might net shock the
sensibilities Of his visitants.
"Fear not, man." replied Aunt Oliver, a.
she placed Q curious cid silver pen end INK
horn beside him.
He hastily and with trembling fingers
wrote his name. Aunt Oliver troeed hers
in fiery letters, while the MsGregor stalked
forward and made His mark, Q ecsss, to the
document.
The sight Of that sro8 vp bringing q
CLEAN Of comfort to the terrified magistrate,
when suddenly tho eat, who had been
pacing restlessly on the coffin, disappeared
from sight, with hideons yeI. The two
ghosts started.
depart in peacep cried Aunt Oliver to
the magistrate.
He did Eot wait for second bidding,
but few. rather than run, up the steps Of
the vault. Once he reached tho fresh air,
he made for the village, whose glimmering
lights he could see IN the dhta1ee; nor did
be stop in his headlong course nor look be-
hind him until he was safe In his own house.
"Jack. dear Jack Spencer cried Aunt
divers ghost, when the magistrate had
disappeared from the vaEit, as she rushed
to the coffin, upon which the black cat had
been prancing, where have you gomez"
ooh! am here" groaned a voice from q
dark hole. This comes. Edward, Of jok-
ing about ghosts and playing with that
awful blue fire that don't burn that DR..
MeWhitehurst made"
who had been divesting himself Of his
ghostly trsppi1gs. and was now peering
down into the aperture from which the
voice came. IL do believe" he continued;
that you have tumbled into the under
ground passage way the traditions Of the
castle speak Of"
The young men sooA Lighted q Lamp
they had concealed in the vault, and climb
ing down into the hole helped poor Jack
Spencer, Aunt divers black cat, to his
fest, and as soon as they found that he was
more frightened than hurt by his fall, COM
menced to laugh over their adventure, and
to examine with care the hole in which they
found themselves. The dim light Of the
lamp showed black opening before them.
but before they proceeded - examine it,
McGregor returned TO the upper vault and
secured the door.
Edith was as impressed with her mothers
words % the judge had been, and a. che
sat hour after hour gazing into the flicker
ing fire, and thinking, felt something like
hope awakening in her. She was alone, for
she had pursusded the cid lady to retire to
her bed.
AL at once she became conscious that
there was strange and unwonted noise in
the chimney, a. Of some coo dragging q
heavy rafting body up stone steps. The
noise ceased, and she distinctly heard
whisperings in the chimney, behind the Nc
Gregor's picture: Suddenly, to her horror
and terror, the picture, frame and all,
which had seemed 10 be built into the
stones Of the wall, moved slowly towards
her. She sprang up to Zee from the room,
but before she could reach the door two
men leapcd from behind tho picture, and
she found herself clasped in her brothers.
and lovers arms.
Their strange and unexpected appear
ance was explained, and Edith was told of
the ghostly pranks which Jack Spencer, the
judges servant, who had hidden her to
hope, had helped them TO play.
"You would have taken us for ghosts,
Edith" said Edward, IF you had seen how
horrible We looked, with the blue fire, DR..
Nc here made, running all over us. 'Phos-
phorescent light he calls it, and says he
learned how to make it in the old country.
think he brought it straight from the in
fernal regions, and no does poor Jack,
though he helped him mako it in prison, and
frightened the guard under the window to
death with his eyes, when 10 played cat
and helped US ont. The poor judges terror
was too funny, Edith, he will never epeak