The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-03-23

'Di>D
remind me that [ was neither to sleal
nor to work, nor TO nave any peace FOL
the rest of my natural life.
"What you have done, shall do
and worse. I shall haunt you-I shall
make remorse and despair do for you
what you did to her and to me. I viii
revenge mysef-and her."
What had I done to him2 How was
[ to get rid of this accursed lunatic
ghost? By what spell and charm could
l lay him forever in the Red Sea-
The full misery of the thing was yet
| to come.
The specter, in the afternoon, seemed
to have left Inc. I even forgot its exist
ence, and dined comfortably. At s
o'clock [ met my Eleanor, and persuad-
ed her, not thinking of what might hap
pen, tc look at some new furniture in
what was going to be our joint house.
She came. Nothing happened until we
went into the garden. AS led her up
! and down the walk, her hand in mine,
she suddenly stopped with cry:
"Alfred, who has been walking along
the sand-there was an edging of red
sand to the gravel-''with bare feet ?"
[ looked. There were footprints
great, gaunt ootprints-parallel with
my own. I knew at once what was 60
ing to happen, and I trenbled.
Nothing, Nelly; nobody. Who should
go in bare feet except carpenter2 Let
us go IN"
"Alfred p she cried, 'ssee they are
falling still, the footprints-as we walk.
Take me Intake me away"
1t was pleasant. The accursed ghost
was setting his long foot beside mine,
keeping step, SO that at every football of
nine there was new footprint of his.
I bore my girl half fainting into the
house..
"What was it, Alfred What was it?
l am afraid. And see-see Oh !! Al
fred-Alfred !"
With cry of fright, she fell fainting
into my arms. Between us aud the
window stood revealed that awful figure
in its long white grave clothes, pointing
its long bony fingers at me, but saying
no word.
I took Eleanor home. implorel her
| to keep silence as to what she had seen.
1 soothed and pacifed her. I assured
her that it was fancy-that it was a trick
of imagination-that it was some school
boy deviltry-anything to keep her qui-
ct. And thus left her, and returned,
miserable and maddened, to battle with
this demon who had fastened himself
upon me.
He was sitting in my chair, with his
ambominable head, as usual, in his
hand.
'I allow you to go away with the
girl, he said, ''because do not wish
to do her any harm. But she shall new
| er marry you-remember that. Wretch
he rose from the chair and approach
ed me with threatening gestures
"wretch Was it not enough to inter
| fore between me and her. You try to
murder the happiness Of another inno-
cent girl Can you rllthlessly-''
II "Good Heavens - I cried, almost be-
side myself with rage. "What have I
done to you, devil or lunatic, that you
should persecute ne in this waya'
"He asks me what he has done !!
Think of Madagascar, villain Of the
deepest dye. Think of San Francisco,
pirate and crimp. Think of Liverpool
docks and Polly. Joe Kirby-Joe Kir-
by, you were always as brazen liar rs
ever stepped, but did not think you
would brazen it out to me"
A thought struck me.
"You call me Joe Kirby. I am not
Joe Kirby at all. I never heard of any
Joe Kirby"
He laughed.
eff you are not Joe Kirby" he said,
'I will eat my hat-I mean, of course
| "Come, this is trifing. I say that
you mistake me for some one else.
What makes you think me Joe Kirby ?'
Because you are
'sNonsense. How long since you saw
Joe Kirby?''
'sTen years"
stWhat was he like when you left
him -
"Much the same as you-sanctimoni-
Gus look, reddish hair, stumpy figure,
fat cheeks, just like yourself"
''Had this devil. of a Joe Kirby any
marks ~
"Tattoo marks like mine, on the II ght
arm I did him->I mean Joe. He did
me-
I drew up my shirt and showed him
my arms white and free from any tattoo
mark at ALL
He WAS stupefied.
"Well--I'nl-no- dashed. And
you amt Joe Kirby, at alE Lord Lord
what fool you must have taken NE
for
'.I did"
'sAnd me to go and let out all tht
secrets. Mate, you hold your tongue
about the Yokohama business"
81 never thought much of ghosts,
said s'Now / shall think still less O.
them"
$50 on" he said, 'igo on; let me hav'
it."
ssMhY couldn't Won ask before yol