The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-04-24
AGHoST or TaE sIERH A..

Il was a vast silence of pines, red.
oleBt with balsamic breath. and muf-
led wilh The dry dCs. q dead bark
and matted mosses. Lying on cur
backs. We looked upward through 3
hundred feet of clear, unbrokea inter
val to the 6Tst la.crsl branches that
formed lhe dst canopy above rs
Here and there lbe 6erce sua. from
/ whose active prosecutions we lad
/ lust esc5ped, searched Tor us through
the woods, ba. ils keen blade was
du.led AID turned aside bT iaferc.s-
Isl boughs, and IL brightness dis
sipsted 10 nebulous 10 is throughout
tlhe roodng Of the dim brown aisles
around Us. We were ia smother almos-
pbere, under another SKY, iadeed in
aaolber world than tte dazzling oRe
re tad Just quilted. TIE grave 81
Hence seemed go much G part Of tbe
grateful c0olaess that We bbsiteied to
speak, and f5r some moments lav
( quietly outs,reicbod o. tie pine ias-
sells y bere we bad first thrown cur
selves Fiualiy voice broke The ST.
leHce
ASK the eli 5Isisr; be knows sH.
sbaut i,,r
TIE person here aliaded 20. under
that title vas mv=elL I baFdly need
explain 20 auy Colifornian that il by
no means followed tsat ] was Ma
i3r, OF thai ] was DID," CT that !
knew aay;hiog sbeC. III, or indeed
what Il" referred 10 The whole
remark was merely one Of tae usgsl
conventional ietiets - conversation
"a kind Of soejal preamble. quite
lconmca 10 oUr slang csmp inter
course Nsveriheiess. Is I vas g.
ways ka0gH as ihe Major, perhaps
( ior 10 better reason tbaa that tie
speaker, al cid joorualizt. was 81
ways called Doctor. ! recognized tie
( fsc. 50 far Is 10 lick aWsv an inteTren.
T i1g saddle 50 that ! coal3 see the
speakers lace On 6 level Bith my
owo. aud said nothing.
About ghosts" said The Doctor.
after a pause which Bo55ay broke o.
was expected 10 break Ghosts 3
sir That's what ge wan. 70 know.
+ What sIe We doiug tere il this
blank old ms0sole9m Of CslaTefes
! eonnfy-if il isn't 10 end oai some
.hiBg about EN-. eh ''
/ Nobody replied
.Tbsr's that bsuaied i0use g.
Cave City Can't be more than 3
nile away, sny how Csed 20 b.
just oI the trail "
4 dead silence.
The Doctor. (addrezsing space
generality Tes, sir, il was 2 nigh.y
queer story"
Still tie zane reposefal i8diHer-
ence We ali kaeg tie Doctors
skin as rscertfs..r; we sll knew that
a story was coming, and We n knew
thai aDv interruption would be fatal
Tine and tine sgaia, il our prospect
! ing experience, bad . word Of polite
( encouragement. a rash expression cf
( Interest, even s too eager attitude 81
silent expectancy, broagbt the Doe
/ tor 70 a sudden change Of sabisc,:
tine and time again bsd we sesn
tie GBEsrv stranger stand amazed
and bexildersd between our oE8 IN
diference and the Sudden termination
Of 9 promising ereedote. thro8gt his
osn unlucky ia;effeTeace. So ne
said nothing The aagsv-snotb-
{ Ct instance o. arbitrary nomenclature
pretended 20 sleep Jack began u
twist q c1garrH0. Thornton BIT the
end of pine needles reaec,ive,y.
"Yes, sir. cos;ilued the Doctor,
c3olly resting tie batk Of his hesi
+ % the palms q bis h28is: 81 was
rsther curious. Al except ,be muT-
der Tbst's 8hat gets me. for tie
murder had 30 Tex points, 10 fancy
touches, 10 sentiment. 10 mys;ery.
Was lust ole o the cid -s1Tle sub
bead Pafsgrspts Ol3.fsshiored
Ei3eE scrubs along or bsrd tsck sad
5ee8s. and saves up q little 0oaey %
20 home and see relaiioas- Old-fash-
ioaed assassin sbarpsns up knife. I'd
style, iosds oId sintlock, brass MONT
ed pistol; walks u q old-fasbionsi
miner one dark light, sends him
hgme 70 rs relsiions away back 70
several generations. sod wsiks oF
With he swsg- No mystery there;
nothing to clear 0p; subsequent reia-
Ggus only imFsrtireace Nothing
for zly Fhost 10 de-Bko meant bus-
iaess More lhan that, over for;y
murders, sane old kiad. committed
every year il CzlaverAs, snd 10
spiriiusi Posi obiis coming dae eTery
{ anniversary: 10 assessments made On
T tie peace and gliet cf the surviving
commuDiiy tell you Htsi. boys,
Ire always been Inclined 70 ihro~
CT On the Gaze city gbost sor ~
alone Is q bad precedent. sir If
that kind Ct thing = coing 20 obtain
10 TIE Feet Hlls, we1l have TIE
trains fsll of chaps formerly Knocked
over By Mexicans sod Eoad syeBts;
every little camp snd grocery viii
have siock enough On hsnd 10 60 IL
10 business, snd where's there s7y
security for surviving life and prop
eriy, ebt Wasi's ycaE opinion.
Judge, a. faiI lir6ed legislator r
or course there vas ID response
Yet, II was 3 part Of The Doctors
system of EggrsTaiion - become
discassiFe si these Eomnents il tie
hope CT iaierrapti03, and he eoaiir-
Ced for sons momeats.o dwell OF the
possibility Of a ssis of STAIRS j1
Which gssgier a could ID logger
settle 3 dispute sita 81 enemy nizb-
cut being SCI jecsed 70 succeeding
spiritual emb2rrasslent Bat az
ihis digreSsiOn leli Bpoa sppsreaaiF
isatiessiFe cara
We'll, sir, afisr The murder, tie
esbin ssoed for long tine 6sseried
sad .enaniless Popular oPiaieb
vas sgsinsl II. 0ne dsy , ragged