The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-03-04


field of battle, or as now amid the sick
ness which was devastating the colony
at this melancholy period.
Major Hamilton was taken down with
this sickness, dry fever, which ''drank
the blood, p" anil was attended with de-
hrium The Major was confident of
recovery, and, from his happy temper
ament, his physician agreed with him.
But these hopes were not destined to
be realized He expired seven days
after he was first seized, while endeav-
oring to speak last word to his friend,
Captain Gordon. He was buried under
arms at sunset Of the same day
Now, it was on the second night after
this wonderful event that Gordon, hay
ing retired to bed later than usual,
found himself unexpectedly awake. He
touched his repeater, and found It only
little past l o'clock. He turned on
the other side and composed himself
afresh Thoughts of his friend came
over his heart as his cheek reached the
pillow, and he said: "Poor Hamilton
Well, God have mercy upon us!
| He felt at this moment that some
one near him said 'tAmen" with great
solemnity He was effectually aroused,
| and asked, ''Who is there !"
There was no reply. His voice seem
ed to echo into Hamilton's apartment,
and he then remembered that the door
was open which communicated between
the two rooms. He listened intently,
but heard nothing save the beating of
his own heart. s. 1t Is all mere imagin-
ation," he said, and once more laid his
| head upon the pillow, and the moment
he did SO, he distinctly heard, for the
| first time, the Majors well-known step.
| 1t was not q matter to be mistaken
about. The ferrule sound: the pause
| for the foot; the sound again, measur-
ed on its return, as if all we're again in
! life He heard it first upon the piazza :;
he heard it approach; pass through the
door from the piazza into the centre of
the apartment, and there it seemed to
pause, as If the figure of the departed
were standing on the other side of that
open door In the room it had SO lately
| occupied.
Gordon rose. He went to the window
that opened upon the piazza, and locked
out The night was very beautiful the
moon had gone down; the sky was of
the deepest blue; and there was no
sound save the low dash Of the waves
upon the lock at the foot of the bluff,
and no light save the lucidity of a sin
gle star, which traced its glittering
pathway of light toward him, across
the distant waters of the ocean.
at is very strange" said he q
could have sworn / heard it,
He returned to the door that stood
| open between the two rooms. The
Majors apartment was darkened by the
shutters being closed, and he could
distinguish nothing inside it. While
he stood gazing into the dark room,
the thought OF being in the presence OF
a dlssembodied spirit rose in his mind,
and although brave man, he did not
Immediately control the bristling sen
sation of terror that began to possess
him.
He passed out onto the piazza. The
sentinel presented arms.
"Have you been long stationed
here2" said Capt. Gordon.
Half an hour" was the reply
did you-did you happen to see
any one on the piazza during the time p
4 did not
Gordon returned at once to his room,
yexed at himself at having been the
sport of an illusion Of his own brain.
He closed his door and his window, and
went to bed.
He was now thoroughly awake, and
had regained, as he thought, entire pc
session of has faculties "My old com
rade, said he, ''what could he possibly
want with me? We We're always
friends = kind-hearted, gallant fellow
that he was. No man was ever his
enemy, except upon the field itself
Why should [ have dreaded to meet
him, even if such an event could pos
sibly be-"
4 moment or two after this he was
almost paralyzcd with dread, by the
recurrence of the well known step,
which now seemed pacing the dark and
tenantless apartment. All combined
to make, IN his lmaglnatian, a situation
appalling and awful. 1t was, there
fore, with great earnestness that he ex.
claimea:
In the name of God, Hamilton lis
that you?"
A voice from the threshold of the
communicating door, addressed him in
tones that sank deeply into his soul:
to me. In ten days you viii apply fol
a furlough; it will not be granted you.
You Will renew the application in three
weeks, and then it will be successful.
Stay no longer in Scotland than is ab.
soiutely necessary. Go to London.
Take lodgings at No. 81 Jermyn street.
You Will be shown into an apartment
looking into garden. Remove the
PANEL from above the chimney piece,
and you will find papers which will es-
tabllsh the fact OF my marriage, and
will give YOU the address of my wife
and son. Hasten. for they are in deep
distress; and those papers viii estab-
hsh their right. Do not forget me. y
When Capt. Gordon arose it was
broad day. He dressed himself, went
to town, drew up a statement of the
affair, aud swore TO it, A recent ar
rival had brought intelligence of the
death of his father, and of his acces-
sion to large estate Within ten DAYS
he applied for Through, but such
had been the mortality among the Off
GERS that his request was refused An
other arrival, however, brought to the
island reinforcement for the garrison,
and the difficulty was removed, on a
second application, in three weeks.
He sailed Immediately for Scotland.
arranged his affairs, and intended at
once to leave for London: but agree
able engagements, one after another,
retarded his departure, and lie forgot
his friends concerns, and the prefer
natural visits which no had rooo;vo1