Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-03-22

you are ghost out of his senses, say
SO; if not, vary the monotony by say
ing something else. Can't you swear :"
He groaned and wrung his hands.
81 can't" he said 1t isn't allowed.
I wish I could. Now, what shall l do
with you? What shall l do with your"
"You have asked me that hundred
times already. Bah you are a ghost.
Ghosts can do nothing. [ used to be-
lieve that they did not exist Now I
see they do. But look here
I took the poker from the fire place
and passed it through him. Then cut
him down like guardman at Water
loo. Then I sliced him in two like
soldier at an assault-of-arms. At each
pass of the weapon he ducked, recoiled
and cried aloud.
"See, you cannot resist do what 1
like with you. What can you do in re-
turn ?"
He raised his hand and struck at my
face. It was as if cold wind blew
upon my cheek. could not repress a
shudder. The old shiver came across
me. He saw it at once, and sprang at
my throat. To my surprise what was
before as break of cold air became
tangible. 1 felt his cold grasp with his
long, bony fingers at my throat His
face, close to mine, was filled with an
eager longing for revenge. His lurid
eyes glared in mine. His teeth glitter
ed in the twilight. It was but for a
moment that was afraid. Then 1 raj
lied my courage, sprang upright, and
looked my spectral enemy in the face.
AS l looked, the tangibility of his fin
gers weakened, the tightness of his
grasp relaxed, and his look changed
from one of triumph to that of. baffled
rage. Then he fell back suddenly and
threw himself into an easy chair, glar-
ing round the room.
I never allow any one but myself" y.
I said, "to occupy that chair. 1t is
mine. Please take another"
He changed the chairs Immediately.
"Will that do?"
1t was the one next to mine I begged
him to take the one on the other side
of the fireplace, which he did at once.
Then sat down and surveyed the stu
alton.
was alone, save an old woman, my
temporary factotum, in the kitchen.
The people in the houses around were
now all away for their holidays. I had
ghost, presumably a lunatic of dam
gerous kind, under my roof. . was
impossible to get rid of him, unless he
chose to go. You cannot push, kick Or
throw ghost out of window or door;
you cannot lock him in one room while
you go to sleep in another; you cannot
shut yourself up in your room and de-
fy him; above all, you never know what
tricks he may be at. Thinking Of
these things, I became conscious of an
other access of terrror-s lighter this
time. My guest, however, perceived
it, and in twinkling was on me again,
with his skeleton fingers round my
throat. [ shook him off; that is, re-
tanned my presence of mind and he
covered back to his seat, where he sat,
his head on his arm, and his long white
clothes clinging to his limbs, sight
never to be forgotten.
" Pray tell me what it means" said.
1t means that if you were afraid of
me, would throttle you like a dog. /
mean that / am sitting here waiting for
a moment when you will realize who
and what [ am; the injuries you have
done me, the wickedness Of your life,
the loneliness Of your position, and
your presence with another world. Ha !!
ha =! see it coming Your nerves
won't stand me another quarter Of an
hour, and then I shall seize you by the
wind-pipe, and squeeze, squeeze, the
life-blood out of youp'
Presently he went on again:
"You will have to go bed soon. You
can not sit up all night"
elbow long can you stay here?'
GAS long as [ please. Ho! no! no
I can be with you, now that I have
found you, morning, noon and night.
When you are quietly in your bed, [
shall be sitting by the bedside, waiting
for moments weakness When you
are in your Office in the city, I shall be
at your elbow, waiting to find you off
your guard, At dinner 7 shall be be-
hind you. You will not escape me.
Sooner or later you will be afraid. The
time will come I shall wait. [ shall
wait"
Pray explain" Isaid blandly. "You
will wait until I am afraid %
Precisely. We ghosts cannot hurt
people who are not afraid Of us. Our
power is only over the cowardly and
superstitious-tha is, over nearly
all mankind. Once a man has the