, 1876-08-11


that could be believed, and the whole
town was in an uproar again when his
story became to be known, as it soon
was by every man, woman and child IN
the place.
Our pastor came to me, and said it
was my duty to sift this matter to the
bottom, as had the care of the church,
and that should devote my whole
time to it. 1 told him of what 1 had
done, and limited that 1 thought it was
as much his duty as mine to lay evil
spirits that were full of unrest, and Of
fered to watch with him that night in
the church; but, as he was rather a
timid man, he would not agree to this,
though telling me it was my duty to do
so. did. but to no purpose whatever.
The ghosts kept out of sight, and the
mystery was not solved.
The next day but one 1 went into a
store to buy some small articles that
needed, and rendered the half dollar
that l had found in payment. The
storekeeper bit it moment, and threw
it into the scales.
" A counterfeit half" giving it back
to me. "Where did you get it ?"
Counterfeit You must be mis-
taken" 1 said, giving no answer to his
question.
1 am not. There are any quantity
of them in circulation in the town, and
some one has palmed this off on you.
The police have been trying to get q
clue for some time, and it is suspected
that there is q nest of counterfeiters in
this town"
An idea at that moment entered nv
head, suggested by the words of the
store-keeper. took up the rejected
coin and glanced at it, and my suspi-
cions were confirmed.
The coin was dated the present year,
and as it was only May, it could not
have been dropped by the stranger who,
with me, had visited the vaults six
months before.
Some one unknown to me had entered
there since that time. Was not here O
clue?
I went at once to headquarters of the
police, and told my story to the chief,
and showed the coin that had been pro-
nounced bogus. He listened eagerly to
my story, and, like the store-keeper,
pronounced the coin counterfeit.
He told me to say nothing to any one,
but to get quietly home, and toni ight to
watch again the church. He had clue
that they were going to follow up that
night, and If that resulted in nothing,
they would accept of mine, and help me
solve the mystery of the ghosts and the
uncanny sounds that had been heard.
By 10 o'clock that night was safely
ensconced in the church, in q spot in
the gallery where I could command an
unobstructed view of the body of the
house, and where I could hardly be
seen, even by the sharp eyes Of o
ghostly tenant of the place.
Did they make their appearance that
night they should not escape my glance,
unless they vanished into thin air the
moment my presence should be detect
ed. 1 heard the clock striking eleven,
and all was still about me-so still that
1 could plainly hear the beating Of my
own heart, and the nibbling of mouse
in a pew below.
Now and then the signing of the wind
through the evergreens without came to
my ears, awakening q spirit Of loneli-
ness in spite of my efforts to shake it
off.
Another hour went slowly by, and 1
think that 1 must have fallen into q
doze, when I was suddenly awakened
by the iron tongue Of the bell.
1 started up and rubbed my eyes,
and, casting q glance down upon the
floor below me, saw a sight which
caused me for a moment to experience q
decided sensation of alarm.
A figure in white, whose robes seemed
to trail on the floor, was moving along
the main aisle in the deep gloom that
pervaded the place.
Slowly it went on, and at last disap-
peared in the direction of the passage
that led to the vaults below. 1t van
ished while I stood rubbing my eyes,
and frozen as it were to the spot.
Shaking off the fear that assailed me,
I rose from the bench upon which 1 had
been sitting, and took q step towards
the stairs that led below; but another
sight arrested my footsteps.
Another figure clad in white moved
along in the steps of the other; but this
one had most unghostlike tread.
1t walked with the sound of heavy
person wearing cloth slippers, and I
even noticed by the scufiing, that it ap-
peared as though they were down at the
heel.
OF one thing was assured-it was
flesh and blood had to deal with.
Standing there, 1 counted five Of
these white-robed figures that, one after
another, disappeared in the direction
that led to the vaults.
Then, though I waited several min
utes, none appeared, and noiselessly I
descended the stairs, and moved along
in the direction they had taken.
1 had no need to light the lamp that 1
had brought with me. for I knew per-