The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-07-19
II know that. ), said Peerv.

SAID Choker, putting his finger to his
nose.
And at that Peggy, never waiting
even for her bonnet, bOlted out of the
house, and came tumbling into her
daughters half an hour after, shaking
with fright, and vowing she had seen
ChOker's ghost.
The daughter was nearly as much
frightened as the mother, and the news
spread, but nobody believed it.
At least every one said it was ridicu-
lous, and that Peggy must have been
drinking.
She did drink more than was good
for her now and then; and at last the
undertaken himself, accompanied by the
Coroner-the two men nervous on the
subject of ghosts, and besides who had
athorough knowledge of Choker's death
and burial-went to the house together,
accompanied by a train of admirers, who
kept at a respectful distance as they
knocked at the door.
There was no answer to the first
knock, but having knocked again,
clump, clump came a wooden leg
across the passage, and there in the door
stood old Choker
Every one knew him.
He wore his old dressing gown, he
had the black patch over his eye. his
wig set little back on one side as usual.
Walk in, walk in, gentlemen" he
said; 81 believe, Mr.. Undertaken, owe
you small bill. You are prompt in
calling for it; but never mind, never
mind. Let me see the amount, and III
settle it; if not to-day, some other day. ="
The two men drew back.
81 have no bill, SIR" said the under
taker; but hearing report that
that
"That Peggy had seen my ghost, l
suppose" said Choker. Very well,
sir, draw your own conclusions; but you
deserve to be paid. You buried me very
respectfully, very respectfully indeed !;
and your jury gave a correct verdict,
Mr.. Coroner. 1t was apoplexy. All,
well, don't go; don't be in hurry. "
alt is Choker," said the undertaken
to the Coroner; "yet buried him, and
he was a dead man then"
ats Choker, but he was dead when
held an inquest over him." said the
Coroner.
They hurried away and the crowd
hurried away too.
That day the grave was examined.
1t was empty; even Choker's coffin
was gone.
After that every one believed the story
but the clergyman and a scientific gen
tleman.
The former declared that it was wick
ed to believe in ghosts, that there were
no such things as ghosts.
"Choker is not at the house at all, :"
he said, ''and his body is in the grave,
but your imaginations have been so
worked upon you that you fancied you
saw him in the house, and you believed
YOU did not see him in the grave.
When a man is dead and buried that's
an end of him."
''But 90 to the house and see for
YOURSELF" said some one. "Alive or
or dead, Choker is there
Sir" said the scientific gentleman,
''neither alive or dead, can he be there.
A body can not burst its coffin-lid, arise
through the turf, and walk about the town
as before. Nor can a spirit exist with
out body. If / should see Mr. Choker
l should not believe him. My common
sense tells me that l can not see him,
and never allow my senses to contra
dict my common sense. The house is
empty. There is no one there. 1t is
all imagination.
However that may have been, every
one else in Grabtown saw him sooner or
later.
The lamp burned bright in the win
dow at night. The garden prospered
under his ghostly tillage. He drew
money at the bank as usual.
As ghost, his silent, reserved con-
duet seemed very suitable to his con-
dition.
As a ghost, it seemed very proper
that he should have no friend and no
kindred.
People avoided his house of nights,
and boys ran scampering away when
they saw him plodding along lonely
lanes by moonlight. The old folks shook
their heads and said it was curious, but
there was Choker, a fact to every one
but the scientific gentleman, who, when
he passed him, muttered to himself,
Z" Optical Illusion" and whether he was
a ghost or a man endowed with the pow
er of defying death and the undertaken
no one felt prepared to answer.
He was known sometimes as "Chok-
er's ghost" and sometimes as "Choker
that came to-" but no one doubted for a
moment that somehow he was Choker,
and the very Choker that had been dead,
subjected to an inquest, and buried and
all this went on for ten good years, and
people had grown used to it, when one
cold winter morning small note was
brought TO the Doctor, bearing these
words:
Come to me. Pm i'll.
CHoKER.
Don't go, dear" said the Doctors
wife.
Il must" said the Doctor; and went
accordingly.
He found the door of ChokeT's house
open, and the popular ghost himself
wrapped in blanket by the fireside
"Come in," he said, gasping for
breath; 81 wasn't sure you'd come.
I've been feeling the Inconvenience of
being supernatural since I've been too
i'll to make myself a cup of tea. Just
see what is the matter with me, will