The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-09-09

I thlnk | shall leave you
! This was pleasant.
! shut the windows and went up stairs. JIG
followed me undresscd and got into bed
/ Once there ! Shut my eyes resoluteiy and
tried 70 90 to sleep THIS was impossible
Every ten minutes or 50 felt Obliged to open
them. He was always standing by the bed
side. grave, stern, and resolute to do me mis-
I chief If he coud-if grew afraid.
/ "You still herc?" | asked when the clock
struck two,
/ II shall stay here" he added, $50 long as
Won s,av here shall be with you day and
night. You shall never cease TO feel me with
YOU. | will make sleep impossible, and
! will trouble your business hours"
/ There was little sleep for me that night
When the day broke | dropped for halt an
hour INTO n heavy uncOnsciOusness, awaklng
suddenly and with horror upon me that at
/ first did not understand.
rose and dressed. 1t followed my move
ments. saw the spectre now only when /,
came into the sunlight Then 1t was dimly
visible, but only, think, TO myself. | break.
tasted and went into the city. 1t sat beside
me in the tram; 1t followed me through The
streets; It WAS with me in my office 1t came
after me up the steps of my club.
The thing was maddenng. If | forgot II
for moment, / heard Whisper in my ear,
al am here" III managed to fix my atten-
ton on the subject in hand, that accused
voice began to remind me that | was neither
TO sleep nor to work, nor to have any peace
for the rest of my natural life.
What You have done, | shall do-and
worse shall dog you-l shall haunt you
shall make remOrse and despair do for you
what YOU did to her and to me. l Will re-
venge myself and her.
What had | done to him? How was I to
get rid of this accused lunatic ghost: BY
wha, spell and charm could | lay HIM for
ever in the Red Sea?
The full misery of the thing was yet to
come.
The spectre, in the afternoon, seemed to
have left me- | even forgot its existence, and
dined comfortably. At eight met my Flea
nor, and persuaded her, not thinking OF what
ght happen, 10 look at some new furniture
in " hat was going to be our Courthouse. She
came. Nothing happened until we went in
to 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 edglng OF red sand 10
the gravel" with bare teet?'
looked. There were footDrints-great,
knew at once what was going to happen, and
trembled.
"Nothing, Nelly; nobody. Who should
walk in bare feet except a carpenter? Let US
20 in"
"Aliredm she cried, see, they are falling
still, The footprints,-as We walk. Take me
intake me away"
1t was pleasant, The aCCursed ghost was
setting his long feet beside mine, keeping
step, so that at every football of mine there
was new footprint of his. | bore my girl
half faln,ing into the house.
"What was it, Alfred? What was it?
am afraid. And see-see! Oh! Alfred
Alfredo
With cry of fright she fell fainting into
nv arms Between us and the window stood
revealed that awful figure in its long white
grave clothes, pointing its long bony fingers
at me, but saying no word.
took Eleanor home. | implored her to-
keep silence as to what she had seen. | sooth-
ed and pacifed her. assured her that it was
1t was n trick of the imagination
that il was some schooboy deyiltry-any.
thing to keep her quiet And thus left her
and returned, miserable and maddened, to-
battle with this demon who had fastened him.
self upon me.
Unable head, as usual. in his hand.
Il allow you TO go away with the girl" he
said, because | do not wish to do her any
harm. But she never shall marry you-re-
member that Wretch r'-he rose from the
chair and approached me with threatening
Was it not enough to in
terfere between me and her! You try to mur
der the happiness of another innocent girl
Can YOU ruthlessly-"
Good heavens!" | cried, almost besides
SELF with rage. What have | done to
you, devil or lunatic, that you should perse
cute me in this Way"
He asks me what he has done! Think of
Madagascar villain of the deepest dye. Think
Of San Fran, pirate and crimp. Think of
Liverpool docks ana Polly. Joe Kirby-Joe
Kirby, you were always as brazen liar as
ever stepped, but did not think you would
brazen II out to me-"
A thought struck me.
"You Call me Joe Kirby. | am not Joe
Kirby at all. never heard of any Joe Kir-
BY
He laughed
"If you are not Joe Kirby" he said, al
viii eat my hiatt mean, of course
Come, this is triang. | say that youmis-
AXE me for some one else. What makesyou
hink me Joe kirby?"
Because you are"
"Nonsense. How long since you saw Joe
Kirby"
Ten years"
"What was he like when you left him'"
Much the same as you-sanctmonious
ook, reddish hair, stumpy figure, fat cheeks,
ust like yourself"
Had tins devil of Joe Kirby any marks:"
Tattoo marks like mine on the right arm.
did him mean Joe. He did me-
drew up my shirt and showed HIM my
rms, white and tree from any tattoo mark at
H.
He was stupehed. /
Well-Im-no-Tm dashed. And you
lint Joe Kirby ut all, Lord! Lord! what
fool you must have taken me for
II did" t.
And me to 60 ana let out all the little Sc
refs. Mate, you hold your tongue about hat
/ Yokohama business" l.
al never thought much of ghosts" slid
Now | shall think still less of them /
q" Go on, he said, go on; let me have it,