The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-03-26
.MnoS1*A GHOST STORY:

Mn0SJ 4 6m0SJ S10RI.
ibid you ever see = ghost 7" was tho
appeal.
"Wcll, ! came deuced near it, I can tell
you,' said young Howard.
"How near !'' asked the company,
drawing their chairs to the fire.
1T was in that desolate, od-forsaken
part Of New jersey" said Howard, :'near
Barncgat Shoals. What with the nature
of the soil there, its barrenncss and ster.
ility, the jagged, repelling grimness Of
the rocks, and the wild, desolate infinity
of the waters, there's something about
Barnegat that breeds IN affinity with
ghosts and spectres. There had been =
wreck Of i. coasting schooner in the
vicinity, and although the news Of it
didn't make much Of q sensation in the
newspapers, it brought despair and desc.
lation to one heart At least-that of the
young mates mother. He was IN old
schoolmate and warm friend of my own,
and I volunteered to 60 down and SEQ if
the body could be found and brought
home.
"When I reached there the whole as.
pect OF the place struck me as forbid.
dinghy wild and lonely and then, toward
the close ofa stormy day, poor old Jack 8
body was washed ashore, stark and stiff,
and distorted almost beyond recognition,
I wasn't able to lend tfe fellows down
there helping hand. Was seized with
nervous chill, and went indoors to the
brandy flask. Propped up with an srti-
fetal courage, went out and found them
hauling their helpless burden toward =
tisherman's hut close by. They had
flung it in an old tarpaulin blanket, and I
couldn't help protesting inwardly against
the rude way in which they bumped it
along through the breakers and over the
rocks.
II thought Of that tender. womanly
heart at home in the East, and the gen.
tie reverence that hedged about her eve.
~ thought and feeling about Jack, and
/ determined there and then that he
should be taken home to her in some
shape that wouldn't appall or horrify her.
. "rhey laughed at me when spoke ola
coffin, but new ertheless resolved upon
getting one, if such thing could DO had
for love or money. Not that coffin is
absolutely requisite in all cases. It
wouldn't have mattered . pin to either
Jack or myself if, tied up in the old tar.
panlin, with weight heavy as destiny it.
sell, we were forced to the bottom of the
sea. but to = woman, a conventional
woman, . victim to circumstance and GUS
tom. coffin was the only thing that
could render the affair respectable, or in.
deed bearable.
II passed = sleepless night, and went
of before daylight in search Of an OLD
man that had bore q queer reputation
about there for appropriating any thing
that came inshore, and rendering it use.
full or ornamental with = rude knack he
had in the carpenter line. The boys told
me there was little Of everything in his
old rookery, and they hadn't tho least
doubt I could find even \ coffin there, or
something that might be modelled into
one.
ut WAS good league to his dwelling,
and l reached there with foreboding
that my journey was for nothing; but
upon broaching tho subject to him, he
stated his readiness 1T once TO comply
with my demands.
"'But what will you do for material =
/ asked.
HE smiled grimly, and, opening door
that lei to sort of loft, he beckoned me
to follow him. In that loft there was
wood readily adapted to build \ ship, =
house, q theatre-anything and every
thing that might be desired. Not com.
mon wood, mark You, but wreckers' ma
terial F.; panels Of French walnut, ,exQuis.
itsly carved in bas.reliefs, bits OF precious
ebony, Of sandal.wood, Of box, and some
Of that delicate white pine that exhales
. delicious perfume. The boys had said
that he was very clever in tho carpenter
line. / WAS inspired with sort of trust
in his capacity, and his willingness to un-
dertake tho job was only equalcd by his
determination to be we'll paid for doing
it.
"'Don't you fret, young man. said tho
old skeleton. 'l'll fix it for you in =
shape thatll suit. I'll have it - scrump-
tious q anut, that is, Of ye're abs to
bear the heft Of the expense. It's cost
~, yer know. to hev things pious and
nice down this way: wo can't always Of.
ford it; then the sea bein' handy, it's =
temptation to save time and money but
Of the expense Amt counted in
Mover mind the expense, pard.' I OF.
claimed. You do the thing up nicely for
me and 1'llsee you through; but it must
be done Ut once; the body is almost be.
You'd saving, now, and want the coffin
BY tomorrow night. 1t must DO readv to
be shipped before daybreak tho next
morning. H. =. a.
""A:i right, -: said the old screw. Il
don't mind losin' little sleep to be
obligin, Of only tho expense-' -,
"'You old vulture, 1 roared, I'll nav
You half on tho spot!' And counted
cut to him enough greenbacks to make
his sharp old nose come down and chon
over his chin with an unctuous smack Of
!. IN hev ii that scrumptious,' said
the wretch, with greedy enthusiasm,
that you'll clap your hands over it. It'll
be that peart and pious that you needn't
b ashamed Of it in church,
II nodded approvingly, and started on
the homo stretch With the comfortable
feeling of man Who has, done al be
could to aaneliorate IN irremedieblo sui:
/ fering. All that day there was = threat
suing aspect Of The winds and waves that
BODIED more, nischief on that malevolent
6bose, NJ tve heavy clouds hung bla1ll
my = - *