The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-06-29


knees Knocked together, and his toe
mails fairly jingled with terror, and
just as he was preparing to give VI
the ghost, the ghost, who probably
had no idea of being given up, slowly
turned around, placing her back to the
fire and fixed her cold CLASSY eyes on
McSpilter. A.sfi-,n-'.'- 80 q
"By George" !" he exclaimed, "the
original of the portrait !" 'i' : T.
Il That was all he said. He didn't
feel much ike talking just then, or ]
dare say he would have said more. :
If his name had been Hamlet, be
would probably have entered into con
versation with her, but unfortunately
as was McSpilter, and so, he didn't
say anything. Perhaps he was afraid
of compromising himself. rather
incline to this opinion from the fact
that he had always been very guarded
in his conversations with "the SEX
though | really don't know why, un-
less he was afraid that he might posi-
bly, commit himself, and so leave a
loop to hang q suit for breach of
promise on. .N'''" '' -''''i '.'"
= The ghost, stared at McSpilter, and
McSpilter stared at the, ghost. He
couldn't turn bis eyes away from her,
and he couldn't shut !, them, and all
the while the .perspiration was pour
ing out of the uncommonly porous
skin OF McSpilter. ., f51..,.s =. ,.,.rt
+, And yet, Notwithstanding his-well,
we will say embarrassment because I
am, not positive. that he was really
frightened, and know that he was
embarrassed, as any. modest young
man would be to have a female ghost
stalk into his room at two o'clock i'll
the morning. ri'1uni h.r-od :
4 i say that Notwithstanding his en-
barrassment, he noticed that the
| ghost was really quite pretty, as of
course she must have been to bear
such striking resemblance to the
portrait as to cause McSpfltcr to cry
out in the way he did. To be sure
she was very pale, while the face over
the mantel was quite blooming; but
whoever saw ghost that wasn't pale?
Pm sure Linever did. .s..g
But all this time the ghost was try
ing to look McSpilter ''out of counte-
nance" or else McSpilter was trying
to look the ,ghosta'out of counte-
nance" (I believe he begun it1, but it
don't matter which, 1t is enough to
know that neither of them succeeded,
and the ghost getting tired at last of
gazing so steadily at one object, and
having warmed herself thoroughly,
turned round and glanced at the por-
trait, and then turning again, she
winked at McSpilter, and glided slow
ly out of the room.
McSpilter always said that she
winked at him, and 1 don't like to
doubt his word. But it is just posi-
bic that he was mistaken, because,
you see, there was no light in the
room except what the open fte afford
ed, and that was rather low.
The ghost glided out, Of the, room
and the door closed noiselessly behind
her There was something surprising g
about that, McSpilter thought. II
she had gone right through the door,
that would have been commonplace
enough for a ghost That wouldn't
have excitel McSpilter's suspicious,
but on the hinges of that door he
hinged doabF. 81 =,
"Was it a ghost?" and McSpilter
rubbed his eyes. "Have 1 been
dreaming ?" and he pinched his leg.
81 don't believe I've slept a wink
since l got into bed" he continued,
''and by heaven I'll find out the mean
ing of this before I do sleep wink "
And so saying he jumped out upon
| tie floor -. .-........ .--..-.-..-.
He tremblcd, or shivered go, that it
was with the greatest difficulty that
he managed to keep his head on his
shoulders. But it was the cold, of
course that made him shiver. He
wasn't bit afraid o no, McSpilter
wasn't afraid He said he didn't care
b snap for ghosts, and that he'd just as
lief fiice q million of them as not. 81.
And so he struck light, and II ap-
plying a match to the lamp it famed
up finely, and he took It in his hand
and went to the door opened it, and
| G-r-r-r- ra-cious mel" said McSpil-
ter, dropping the lamp on the floor
He came very near dropping him.
self. He thought he should drop all
4 in pieces. for There in the passage
not two yards from where he was,
stood the ghost, with her CLASSY eyes
fixed upon his face. But when the
lamp fell, McSpilter was left in dark
ness He couldn't see the ghost, and
he hoped that the ghost couldn't see
him, because-well, you know he was
not dressed to receive callers, and he
was modest man, and-and, well,
this was really very embarrassing, to
say the least, and so he slammed the
door in the ghosts face, and then he
placed his back against the door, and
held it, never thinking that the ghost
might take it into her head to walk
right through the door and there he
stood, shivering (with cold) so that
he shook the house nearly as much as
the storm did : III fs1sr..
50. l can't tell you exactly how long
| McSpilter stood with his back against
the door, but it probably wasn't more
than five minutes, and they seemed
very long to our hero, as minutes al
ways do to people in critical situations
but as the ghost did not appear, Nc
Spilter's courage arose, and with his
courage came his doubts. He couldn't
and he wouldn't believe that it was a
genuine ghost; but then, what was
| it 2a., .-tf 1sts .-.e,a za9lf.st sHe
II will KNOW" exclaimed he; and
so without any more nonsense he pro
ceeded to relight the lamy, which he
found on the floor at his feet. r-i
ssNoxy Mise ,,,uttara1 MoSpiltar