Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-02-03

down on. And why will your You damage
yourself as much as you do me. You have
broken off the end of your spinal column,
and ltteredup the floor with chips off your
hams till the place looks like a marble-yard
You ought to be ashamed of yourself-you
are big enough to know better"
well, / will not break any more furni-
ture. But what am I to do? have not
had chance to sit down for century"
And the tears came into his eyes.
"Poor devil" | said, II should not have
been so harsh with you. And you are an
orphan. too, no doubt. But sit down on
the floor ere-nothing else can stand your
weight-and besides We cannot be soclable
with you away up there above me; | want
ycu down where L can perch on this high
counting-house stool and gossip with you
face to face" -.
So he sat down on the floor and lit a
pipe which gave him, threw one of my
red blankets over his shoulders, inverted
my sitz-bsth on his head, helmet fashion,
and made himself picturesque and comfort
able. Then he crossed his ankles, while |
renewed the fire, and exposed the fat,
honey-combed bottoms of his prodigious
feet to the grateful warmth
''What is the matter with the bottom of
y
they are gouged up SOP
internal chilblains Il caught them clear
up to the back of my head, roosiing out
there in Newell's farm. But | love the
place; love it as one loves his old home.
There is no peace for me like the peace 1
feel when am there"
We walked along for half an hour. and
then noticed that he looked tired. and
spoke of it.
"Tred?" he said. "Weli / should
think so. And nov 1 will tell you all
about it, since You have treated me so we'll
| am the spirit of the petrifed man that
lies across the street there in the Museum.
l am the ghost of tie Cardiff Giant can
have no rest, no peace, till thev have given
the poor body burial again. What was
the most natural thing for me to do, to
make men satisfy this wish? Terrify them
into t!-haunt the place where the body
lay So l haunted the museum
night after nig.t. l even got other
spirits to help n e. But it did no good, for
nobody ever came to the museum at mid
night. Then it occurred to me to come
over the way and haunt this place a little,
felt that ii l ever got hearing l must
succeed, for had the most efficient com
pany that perdition could furnish. Night
after night we had shivered around through
these widowed halls, dragging chains.
groaning, whispering. tramping up and
down stairs, till to tell you the truth am
almost worn out. But when / saw light
in your room tonight reused my energies
again and went at it with deal of the old
freshness. But am tired out--entirely
tagged ont. Give me, / beseech you, give
me some hopeP
/ lit off my perch in burst of excite
ment, and exclaimed:
This transcends every thing !-every-
thing that ever did occuri Why you poor
laundering old fotsil, you have had all
your trouble for nothing you have been
haunting plaster cast of yourself-the real
Cardiff Giant is in Albany! Confound it,
don't you know your own remains r.
l never saw such an eloquent look of
shame, of pitiable humiliation, overspread
countenance before.
The Petrifed Man rose slowly to his
| feet, and said:
Honestly. is that true'"
"As true as l am sitting here"
He took the pipe from his mouth and
laid 1t on the mantel, then stood irresolute
q moment, (unconsciously, from old haiti,
thrusting his hands where his pantaloons
pockets should have been, and medita,ivelv
dropping his chin on his breast } and finally
said:
Well neUer felt so absurd before. The
Petrifed Man has sold every body else, and
now the infamous fraud has ended by SELL
ing its own ghost Ny son, if there is any
charity left In your heart for poor friend
less phantom like me, don't let this
get out. Think how you would feel il YOU
had made suclI an ass of yourself"
heard his starely tramp die away, step
by step down the stairs and ont into the
deserted street. and felt sorry that he was
gone, poor feilow-and sorrier still ttat he
had carried off my red blanket aud my
haf n t,,h