American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-09-02
WITH A GHOST.

The situation is this: An unimagina-
tive man of 80, whose days are spent in
business, "a new suburban villa; bright,
sunshiny country; neighbors all round
one; and new cemetery a hundred
yards distance from the house.
To- this house and to this man the
ghost came.
1t was August. I was sitting, after
dinner, trying to get sentimental over
my approaching marriage, and pictur-
ing to myself Eleanor in the easy chair
opposite me-. The light was fading, but
rs my eyes followed the lines mechan-
ically, and my thoughts were elsewhere,
that mattered little. Outside the house
there was a stiffness extraordinary-no
stirring of the leaves; no breath in the
ar; no voices from my own kitchen; no
sounds from the houses on either side,
which were locked up, their tenants be-
ing at the seaside; not even the distant
bark of q dog or the distant roll of q
carriage to show that there was another
living person in the world beside my
self. Then curious feelingcame over
me; suddenly realized that life may
go on in invisible, intangible forms; 1
looked round me with shudder; en-
pected something. The room became,
without warning, distinctly darker; the
air grew chill I felt cold dews stand
upon my forehead. Remember that up
to this moment there was no reason at
an-none whatever-for alarm. Yet 1
became unaccountably afraid. turned
to the window for relief, and there
there saw IT for the first time.
1t was standing outside the window, q
dark shadow, clearly outlined against
the sky; colorless, and yet its draperies
were like white grave-clothes; shape
less, and yet, somehow, human in ap-
pearance. And it had q face. Deep
sunken and lustrous eyes, bright with
phosphoric splendor, showed me hol-
low cheeks, lips that trembled as if with
passion. and frowning forehead.
When l turned he raised his hand and
shook it at me beneath its linen folds,
and then, with that singular movement
remarked by all who have conversed
and are familiar with ghosts move
ment In which the shape neither glides
nor walks, but changes place spec
ter stood within the room, facing me.
am ashamed to say that was fright
-ened.
$50" he said, with an angry glance,
ssI have found You at last.n
I made no'reply. What was there to
saya -
81 have found you at last, have II
Now I have you. what shall do to
your"
could only look hopelessly. He
pushed one arm outside the cerements
which covered tia long, lean arm,
marked with q tattoo representing a
ship in full sail, surmounted by skull
and cross-bones. He shook his fist ex-
citedly in my face. noticed that the
air was not stirred by his movements.
1t was odd, too, that recovered my
courage as soon as he began to threaten.
His gestures became more threaten
ing. He repeated twenty times run
ming the question with which he first
accosted me: i" Now 1 have found you,
what shall do with youP" 1t seemed,
indeed, as if he could say nothing more.
"Come," cried at last, "this is
fooling. What do you mean by coming
to my house like a madman? Leave
off asking what you will do with me.
If you are ghost out of his senses,
say so; if not, vary the monotony by
saying something else. Can't you
swear, man? Can't you relieve nature
in the usual manner?"
He groaned and wrung his hands.
al can't" he said. cit isn't al
lowed. wish / could. What shall /
do with you? What shall 1 do with
you?'
You have asked me that hundred
times already. Bah! you are ghost.
Ghosts can do nothing. / used to be-
lieve that they did not exist. Now
see that they do. But look here.''
1 took the poker from the fireplace
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