The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-10-05


Why the sky was so blue,
Yet he told me quite true
Knowing birdie!
WITH A GHOST.
The situation is this : An unilnagin.
ative man Of 80, whose days are spent
in business a new suburban villa; a
bright, sunshiny country; neighbors
all round one; and a new cemetery a
hundred yards distance from the
house.
TO this house and to this man the
ghost came.
And in this wise:
1t was in August. 1 was sitting af-
! ter dinner, trying to get sentimental
over my approaching marriage, and
picturing to myself Eleanor in the
easy chair opposite me. The light was
fading, but as my eyes followed the
lines mechanically, and my thoughts
were elsewhere, that mattered little.
Outside the house there was a stiffness
|extraordlnary-no stirring Of the
leaves; no breath in the air no voices
from my kitchen; no sounds from the
houses on either side, which were
locked up, their tenants being at the
seaside not even the distant bark of
dog or the distant roll of a carriage
| to show that there was another living
person in the world beside myself.
Then a curious feeling came over me
suddenly realized that life may go on
in invisible, intangible forms looked
round me with shudder 1 expected
something. The room became, with.
out 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 au-none Whatever-for alarm.
Yet became unaccouatably afraid.
turned to the window for relief, and
there-there I saw it for the first time
It was standing outside, the window,
dark shadow, clearly outlined against
the sky >; colorless, and yet it's draper.
les were like white grave-clothes
shapeless, and yet, somehow, human
in appearance. And it had a face.
Deep.sunken and lustrous eyes, bright
with phosphoric splendor, showed me
hollow cheeks, lips that trembled as if
with passion, and frowning forehead.
When [ turned he raised his hand and
shook it at me beneath it's linen folds,
and when, with that singular move.
ment remarked by all who have con.
versed and are familiar with ghosts,
"a movement in which the shape
neither glides nor walks, but change
|place,-the spectre stood within the
room facing me. am ashamed to say
that I was frightened.
$780," he said, with an angry glance,
81 have found you at last.
made no reply. What was there
to say?
81 have found you at last, have I !
Now I have you, what shall I do to
you2'
I could only look hopelessly. lie
pushed one arm outside the cerements
which covered it-a long, lean arm,
marked with tattoo representing ship
in full sail, surmounted by skull and
cross-b0nes. lie shook his fist excited
ly in my face. noticed that the air
was not stirred by his movements.
1t was odd, too, that l recovered my
courage as soon as he began to thereat.
en-.
| His gestures became more threaten
ing. He repeated twenty times ruiz.
ming the question with which he first
accosted me: ''Now have found you,
what shall do with you? It seemed,
indeed, as if he could say nothing
more.
"Come,' I cried at last, 'sthis is
fooling. What do you mean by com
ing 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 mon.
otony by saying something else. Can't
you swear. man? Can't you relieve
nature in the usual manner ?''
He groaned and wrung his hands.
81 can't" he said. ''It isn't al
lowed. l wish could. What shall
do with you! What shall l do with
you p
"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.''
took the poker from the Fireplace
and passed it through him. t.Ther
cut Kim down like a guardsman al
Waterloo. Then sliced him in two
like a soldier at an assault.of.arms
At each pass of the weapon he ducked
recoiled, and cried aloud.
''See, you cannot resist. I do wha
I like with you. What can you do il
return 2"
He raised his hand and struck at my
face. It was as if a cold wind blew
upon my cheek. [ could not suppress!
a shudder. The cold lshiver came acros:
me. He saw it at once, and sprang a
my throat. To my surprise, wha
was before as breath of cold air be
came tangible. J. felt his cold gras]
with his long, bony fingers at m!
Throat. Ills face, close to mine, wa
filled with an eager longing for re
!venge. His lurid eyes glared in mine