The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-07-05

utes for an answer, and then hau W
give il up. Well, it was because there
was no parting there Fanny told me
that at an evening meeting, and l
laughed right out loud"
1 looked up at the wall, expecting to
see the shadow, summoned up by Bells
audacity. .....
"What became OF it at last, Miss
Caroline ?n / asked, too scared to laugh
at Bellies witty saying. -.-
80, ii drove them out at last, and al
ter while the old house was torn down.
They found something awful in the
cellar-the bones of very tall man.
Whatever the secret was II rests with
the dead"
Mrs. Holland shuddered. She was
evidently getting too much Of the mar
vellous.
"For my part" she said, 81 fear the
mischievous living more than / do the
quiet dead. Ghosts do not cut throats or
fire pistols, but knaves do. Now, girls, let
us forget all this nonsense and go to bed.
When the sun rises in the morning we
can afford to laugh at all of this. The
most serious thing we have to do for
the night. must certainly have some
one to share my room with me, and
then there will be five left for three
beds. How shall we manage ii? ?"
"I don't know, Pm sure, but I'd like
to have Hattie Brown with me-" Gerty
Haws said. "She would be so jolly if
anything should happen"
81 shouldn't be so nice with bullet
lodged in my head"
"Three will have to sleep in one bed,
or one of you will have to sleep alone"
Mrs. Holland said thoughtfully.
"Iwill take room to myself" said,
possessed by a sudden spirit of courage.
81 shall soon be asleep, and then moth
ing will trouble me but my Dreams"
"That fixes us then," was the reliev-
ed answer of our hostess, and she led
the way into the hall and up stairs. I
was shown to perfect nest of a room
at the end of the upper hall, its win
dows opening upon balcony. To re-
assure myself, when left alone, turned
aside the shutters lit was summer time, J
pushed back the fimly lace curtains
and looked out long into tho night.
A breath of roses came up, from the
garden below. could hear no sound
but the rustling of the trees near the
window. 1t seemed such sweet Chris
tian world to me then, the stars watch.
ing in the skies above! In all that
purity of leaves, flowers and scented
breezes, how could one plan deeds oi
darkness or raise hand against 6
, brother.
From the window | turned to q vol
which was lying upon little table by
the bed. Leaning back in an arm chair
| was soon lost in that sweetest o
sweet poems, Hugh Southerland's Pan
sizes. was sitting opposite the win
dow, though not very near to it, tn
, thought occurring to me as ] settled
down to my book, that in front of mi
was plenty of room for Caroline M
, DoWell's shadow with the hat ant
handkerchief, to wave his hands :an'
r bob his head. AS 1 read, everything
, grew silent in hehouse. Hattie Brown
, laugh, pretty and musical dwindle
down to just gurgle and then cease
altogether. Belle Sloan called out "mel
= ry good night ghosts and robbers" an
was then heard no more. 1t seemed t
- me that / was alone in the wakin
y world-everybody else had entered tina
= misty land that knows no realities.
How L read 1 do not know. Th
= page grew blurred and dim, and
=. found myself whispering over and owe
+ softly
Even as played
1t l felt the shadow there and hid my face;
& But when | looked again the Hover was piue
n The Shadow gone, the sunshine through Il
a Cleaned family, and the widowed wom'
-. Wept."
\ soft light step broke in upon m
II words. l thought that Mrs. Hollan
a was coming to my room to see how
~ was getting along alone, but the foo
,. fall did not pause at my door, but tur
10 ed and went back again. did not G
up to see what it was or who it wa
- was not in the least frightened, al
:, so sleepy and dreamy that 1 had lit
y curiosity. 1t occurred to me that Il
n Mcdowell girls might get afrightif th'
"a heard it, for they were exceeding
IA nervous. A queer conceit got into n
of head, that all the ghosts of which v
20 had talked that night might gath
y. together there and punish us for o
a. lightness ofspeech.
M Still ! was not afraid. | iutter
the leaves of the book and read the tit
no Of the poems until | grew dimly CO
adj scious that was not alone in the roo
ne L turned around quickly and saw
nv figure of man at the back of my cha
Iy He was largo tall man, wearing h
or and about his neck there was a brig
no handkerchief of mixed colOrs loos'
ot tied.
"How did he ever get here?"
nd thought, looking at him with cool cy
IN "What can he want"
N. AS | looked him over, saw that
,er handkerchief was serving a double p
lly pose. That having the ends tied at
,p. back of his neck, he had easily convo
g, ed the part under the chin into
ey to contain-what Ny gold watch
of chain were lying on the dressing tai
lg, but on my third finger my engagem
rly ring, a costly solitaire, was spark
elf and shining, That, at least, was S
nd I thought / would sooner lose a dc
er. watches than that. 1t was terr
ore omen to lose an engagement ring.
its / hadn't the courage to speak to
visitor. / could only look at him,
y strange to say, he never took the slil
est notice of me or my inquil
glanees, but stood for several min
and quite still, as If taking in the situat
'ald "It is Carrie MeDowcll's shadow
Il