Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-09-06

he Sald, With SLOW, deliberate emphasis
OF tone, looking very steadily at the
boyish fellow opposite off YOU care
to hear the truth, it is because [ have it
III my power to turn your unbelief into
something very different. F."
you !" exclaimed about q dozen
voices.
"Td Like to hear you tell anything
about ghosts that I'd believe" sneered
the other.
The answer was calm.
81 should not tell you anything. I
should simply present to your own
eyes what you must believe as reality. %
Saying this, the speaker rose, and drew
from his pocket bank-note, which, I
could not help remarking to myself, he
seemed to have in very convenient rea-
diness. Here is five dollars, y he con-
blnued, IN the same placid way. 81
8 ould ike to lay ys,u a wager, Young
I1fean, that if you agree to enter .yonder
little room pointing toward a small
apartment which opened off from the
bar-room-" and Will, after locking
yourself securely inside, think of any
friend or relation who is dead, I can
cause the spirit of such person to ap-
pear as you knew him in life, palpab1y
before your eyes. Do you accept my
Wagera"
do I accept it?" was the quick,
scornful answer. eff do not, it is by
no means because I lack the courage
to do SO, but, rather, because I do not
possess, just now, the amount YOU
name. All that I have, at present, is
barely sufficient to pay my expenses
here for a single night and take me to
l., whittier [ am now solourning,
tomorrow morning.
There was something so fearless and
candid about the way in which these
words were spoken, thatI felta decided
inclination, just then, to make sum
mary use of a certain fve-dollar bank
note in my own waistcoat pocket. Re
straining myself, however, / listened to
the response which this frank ayowaI
received. It was spoken with a sneer
OF by no means an agreeable character.
COZ course, I don't doubt your cour-
age-certainly not. However, I cannot
reduce the terms Of my wager"
'And you needn't do So" I here
broke in, abruptly. Then, addressing
the previous speaker, and advancing
toward him as fspoke, y" Young man"
[ said, eff you viii accept this bank
note from me, will be very happy to
offer it.
The youth sprang up with q grateful
smile lighting his face.
FFThanks, " he said" many, many
thanks! Have no fear, sir, that your
money will not be soon returned to you
when I have grown five dollars the
richer"
Saying which, he thrust my bill into
his pocket, and walked toward the
door of the little anteroom. Reaching
its threshold, he turned toward him
who had made so bold spiritual boast
and exclaimed:
E'Now I am quite prepared for you.
EEiayt confidence, Z beg -yor. n the
truth Of what statement I shall make,
and rest assured that when the ghost
makes his appearance, [ Will acknowl-
edge his august presence, "a sceptical
laugh finishing the sentence
"I don't doubt that you will do SO,
was the rather naughty reply. Then the
door of the ante-room was closed, and,
q few seconds later, we heard the sound
OF key being turned on the other side
Of it.
Utter silence reigned for several mo-
ments. The man who had made so
strange an offer to reveal the super
natural stood gazing at the recently
closed door with an expression OF sol
emn dreaminess on his countenance.
Presently there came low, rapid cry
from behind that same closed door
Every eye was turned toward it, and on
every face there was look of startled
amazement. At length these words
plainly reached our ears, rather gasped
than spoken:
For heavens s sake, Andrew Robin
son, cos33 it be true that you are stand
ing here beside me! / see you as
plainly as I ever saw you in life. You
must come from another world, and
yet-oh, mercy he comes toward me
he touches mech, help! help I am
ainting-I-I-n
Here followed the sound Of heavy
fall
simultaneously with that sound, ey-
erybody sprang from his seat. T was
the first to reach the door Of the little
room, and, spurred by an intense i'm
pulse of compassion, endeavored to
burst it open. But the stout hickory
resisted my single efforts, and [ think
It was fully three minutes before the
united strength of at least four of us
finally made the door yield
AS soon as it had yielded, we rushed
into the room. That room was per-
fectly vacant. While we stood staring
st each other in amazement, some one
po-rGed toward the rooms single win
dow, which WAS wide open, and scarce
ly foot from the ground beneath it.
Then suspicion Of the truth suddenly
flashed across me, and I cried out,
with excited voice:
Where is the other man See il
he has escaped. II so, the two are ac-
completes, and We have all been nicely
tricked."
But "the other man" had escaped
during the recent confusion. Quite a
prolonged search about the premises
finally brought with it the conviction
that some sort of a vehicle had re-
Gently driven away from one Of the out
er gates
There could be no doubt, we all con
cluded, that both gentlemen had
ELECTED their fight together, and that
my i've dollars had made an unlocked
for T1G1,Y,1 I II