Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-03-27

I without waiting for more, he hurriC
' back as best he might 10 his own hous
I. entered aRd threw himself, dressed as
was, upon the bed. His wife woke al
aud inquired what had happene
4 to him where he had been. II
gave some eyasive answer, an
.. then lay quiet, pretending to go I
sleep, and wishing for the morning.
: Only few minutes, however, ha
thus passed, when rap IL came to th
door again. Osman turned deaf ea
at first; but when II was repeated hi
wife awoke. and, not suspecting wha
had occurred before, begged her hus
band to get up aud see who was outside
Ashamed to own either his fears or thei
cause 0sman reluctantly left the room
and opened the house door. There
sure enough. stood his friend-or th'
semblanee of his friend-lantern il
hand, waiting. who are you" asked
0sman. The other stared. why, dc
you not know me2 said he. "Wert
we not playing backgammon together
last EVENING" and did we not agree tC
20 together to the bath this morning
Come along, or we shall be late; the
day is breaking" Form, voice, man
ner-all were those of his friend. o.
man felt again ashamed 10 hint his sus-
picioRs; so he determined to put bold
face on it, and accompanied the other
into the street.
Before they had gone far he himself
learnt to despise his own fears; so thor
oughly did the easy and straightforward
talk Of the one at his side assure him
that this time it was no tricky phantom,
but real living man and brother !"
beyond a doubt. Still, he refrsined
from mentioning the incident of an hour
before lest he should be laughed at or
disbeleved.
They passed the open place, the plane
tree, and reached the bath. To their
surprise-0sman's, at least-its door
stood wide open, and the entrance hall
was fully lighted up; yet no one ap.
peared to be moving within; the head
bath.keeper's accustomed place was
empty; nor did any attendants come
forward to meet them. But the bathing
wrappers, towels and other requisites
we're all ready put out-some hung up;
some folded in their proper places;
everything was neatly arranged and fit
for use. They must have got the bath
in order, and then finding that nobody
came, have turned in again for NAP"
said Osman's companion. Well, till
some one awakes, we had best change
our dress, and make ourselves comfort
able, for the meantime, in the heating
room.
0sman agreed, and the two exchanged
their out of.doors dress for the costume
ordinary in an Eastern bath, consisting
of very toga-like wrappers, and went
into the large vaulted inner room, which
was also lighted up and ready warmed.
Here they lay down on the raised stone
das against the wall, with dome.like
roof some twenty or twenty-five feet
overhead, and the lamp hanging down
from it in the center.
While they thus reclined at ease, wait
ing till either a servant or some other
bather like themselves should enter, 0s-
man. who had now no doubts left in his
mind as to the real and bodily identity
of his companion, could not resist the
temptation Of recounting to him the
previous adventure of the night. SO he
told / 9w he had been awakened and
beguiled out of doors by phantom ex-
actly resembling in shape and voice the
friend now beside him, and how they
had almost arrived at the bath, when the
spectre betrayed itself for what it really
was by the portentious feat already de-
scribed. The other listened without in
terrupting the story, in apparent aston
ishment. till as the narrator concluded,
So he subjoined, ut hung the lantern
it was carrying on the big minarct, did
it2 Do you think he could have managed
this2" and with these words, he lifted a
leg and foot which suddenly length
ened out just Gs the arm had done be-
FORE and with kick struck the highest
point of the central vault above them,
to pieces the lamp where it
hung.
Osman leapt up terrified, as well he
might be, and found himself alone in
pitch darkness, for every light in the
bath had been instantaneously extin-
guished. However, as he had often been
in the building before, and was thor
oughly we'll acquainted with it, he man
aged, in his trepidation, to find his way
to the door, and rushed out, in bathing
costume as be vas, into the open air,
leaving his own clothes, which he did
not venture to search after, behind him
in the entrance room. But as he crossed
the open space between the coffee house
and the hath, he looked back, and to his
horror, saw the din spd aistaHt top Of
he minaret within the fortress once
more lighted up by the spectral lantern
hanging there Chill and trembling, he
1t last got back to his own house. There
ie found his wife fast asleep; and much
vas she surprised when he woke her to
zee him SO quickly returned, and in such
itrapg, attire. He now made clean
,resSt Of IL, telling her of all that had
,appened to hin that night fron ylrst 10
asst, and adding, that when the day was
ID be would return TO the bath aud fetch
.ss clothes from where he had left them.
Bnt barIlv had be finished his nara
ion when to tas alarm of both, the
ams rap that bad twice been heard BE-
ore was repeated o4tslde. GSmeR's wife,
aturalIy enough, eptreated her hgsp&pG
0 pay no attention to it, but, like Tam
Shanter in a similar case, be would
OF take advice:
Ah, gentle danes II gaos me greet.
To think how monte counsels sweet.
How nopie heightened, sage advices,
The husband frae the wife despises!
But to our tale. Osmsn, who was by
o means a coward, and whose metal
as now fairly up, swore that he would
se the matter out TO the end; besides, {
ided be, the dawn must now be near,
nd it could hardly be phantom again {
lis time. 30 be got up, went, in his '
athing apparel as he still was, to the
ouse door and opened it. Sure enough, {
lere stood his friend. or what seemed I