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

talk? Come, so that l might remind
you what went on, you know, at Yok-
ohama, eh? What do you say to
that %
CT have nothing to say to that
Lord Lord some men will brazen
out anything? And what about Hong
Kong business? Who promised what
tell me that-if some one talked with
the plank, and something was thingum
bobbed-eh?"
Here was very serious question. l
only shook my head.
Thingumbobbed," he repeated.
Scuttled, you villain and the coolies
sent to Kingdomcome? And after that
to round upon man! Why did I go off
at thirty-six, with rum and water
enough to float King Solomon's fleet
Why? Why? Why?"
"Can't say, am sure. Shall we say
good night %
eff you are going to bed I will 60
with you. Man now I've caught you,
do you think l shall leave you?"
This was pleasant.
shut the window and went up stairs.
| He went with me. undressed and got
into bed Once there I shut my
eyes resolutely and tried to go to sleep.
This was impossible. Every ten min
utes or so felt obliged to open them.
He was always standing by the bedside,
grave, stern and resolute to do me a
mischief, if he could-if I grew afraid.
"You are still here?" I asked when
the clock struck two.
~ shall stay here" he added, $50
long as you stay here. shall be with
you day and night. You shall never
cease to feel me with you. will make
sleep impossible, and 1 will trouble
your business hours"
There was little sleep for me that
night. When the day broke dropped
for half an hour into heavy uncon-
sciousness, awaking suddenly and with
a horror upon me that at first did not
understand.
I rose and dressed. 1t followed my
movements. [ saw the specter now,
only when it came into the sunlight.
Then it was dimly visible, but only, l
think, to myself. 1 breakfasted and
went into the city. 1t came with me.
1t sat beside me in the train; it follow
ed me through the streets; it was with
me in my office; it came after me up
the steps of my club
The thing grew maddening. If l
forgot it for a moment, heard whis-
per in my ear-"I am here" If [
managed to fix my attention on the
subject on hand, that accused voice
| began to remind me that I 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 haunt you'll shall
make remorse and despair do for you
what you did to her and to me. | will
revenge myself and her"
What had 1 done to him? How was
[ to get rid of this accursed lunatic
ghost? By what spell and charm could
[ lay him forever in the Red Sea?
The full misery of the thing was yet
to come.
The specter, in the afternoon, SEEM
ed to have left me. [ even forgot its
existence, and dined comfortably. At
s o'clock l met my Eleanor, and per-
suaded her, not thinking Of what Nigh
happen, to 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 I
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 footprints parallel with
my own. knew at once what was go
ing to happen, and I trembled.
Nothing, Nelly; nobody. Who
should walk in bare feet except car
penter? Let us go in.''
ALFRED |" she cried, "see, they are
falling still, the footprints we walk
Take me intake me away'!''
1t was pleasant! The accused ghost
was setting his long feet beside mine,
keeping step, so that at every football
Of mine there was a new footprint of
his. | bore my girl half fainting into
| the house.
"What was it, Alfred? What was
it? I am afraid And see-seel Oh !
| Alfred-Alfred p
With a cry of fright, she fell fainting
into my arms. Between us and the
window stood revealed that awful fig
ure in it's long white grave clothes,
pointing it's long bony fingers at me,
but saying no word.
T too11 F1oopor hor,c 1p,,lo.aI