The Portland daily press., 1878-08-03
THE PRESS.
With a Ghost.

With a Ghost.
he situation is this: An unimaginative
luf thirty, whose days are spent in BUSH
bright, sunshiny country, neighbors
one; and new cemetery hundred
slant.
is house and to this man a ghost
a in this wise:
as IN August. was sitting, after din
ging to get sentimental over my ap-
ling marriage, and picturing to myself
eancr ia the easy-chair opposite me. The
ht was fading, but as my eyes followed the
es mechanically, and my thoughts were
ewhere, that mattered little. Outside the
Use there was stiffness extraordlnary-no
ring of the leaves; no breath in the air; no
ces from my own kitchen no sounds from
houses on either side, which were locked
their tenants being at the seaside; not
the. bark of dog or the distant roll of a
age to show that there was another liv-
,erscn in the world beside myself Then
.ious feeling came over me; sudden
allied that life may 60 on in invisible,
.ugible forms; looked round me with
oder; expected something. The room
anne, without warning, distinctly darker;
air grew chill. felt cold dews stand
on my forehead. Remember that, up to
is moment there was no reason at all
ne whatever-for alarm. Yet I became
accountably afraid. / turned to the win
" for relief, and there-there / saw it for
} first time.
1t was standing outside the window,
rk shadow, clearly outlined against the
y; colorless, and yet Its draperies were like
lite grave-clothes; shapeless, and yet,
mellow, human in appearance. And it
face. Deep-suuken and lustrous eyes,
ght with phosphoric spendor, showed me
low cheeks, lips that trembled as if with
ssfon, and frowning forehead. When
med be raised his hand and shook it at
beneath its linen folds, and then, with
II singular movement remarked by all who
re conyersed and are familiar with ghosts
loyement in which the shape neither
les nor walks, but changes place-the
ectre stood within the room facing me. /
ashamed to say that was frightened.
&c." he said, with an angry glance, 81
70 found you at last"
made no reply. What was there to say
I have found you at last, have II Now I
you, what shall do to your"
could only look hopelessly. He pushed
,arm outside the cerements which covered
"a long, lean arm, marked with a tattoo
resenting ship under full sail, sur
lounted by skull and cross.bones. He
hook his fist excitedly in my face. I no
iced that the air was not stirred by his move
ments. 1t was odd, too, that recovered my
courase a. ne Degan 70 tnrealen'
ns gestures Decame more lnreatening.
ne ne lspeh'eI :wehy asat Tue Mes
SiI Ia VIII sas .Sn 10 hat 1 Wy ~,
aounI you, "nas 81, snal .s.. ~ w.'u yTu
.u,,s* ~ - ca,eu 9. ,ass; .u !. 70 ioonng.
IL, n %. ~ yuu nea1 w SoIng W my aouse
mi e. a;.h M Ie ss w., ". asning VIVA. yoa
his senses sou 90; t ar u a. sr0o. , Wv =,
-, .Sdu0Ss Say ~ sSay sno ~,
- sas,nS sono a.s ur,o. L you wear
ct 80 ), ia ouu w ssr. ~; ;.s,. ;,a
,.,;si, I 49,, nc sa. III ail1Meu.
What shaI 10 u ;sh WIZ" an,, o., w WIN you
.sYnn h.1o ass miIr sv .hat hndra +;ro.
a,raodv Rahi no,, aro 'a "host Ghost Sin ao"
a. nnts,;r w az suos.; . ea IA
~ no ";a. use4 W De .h sna' lucy ula
hosa 1 = NJ" see lucy w. ou' look
AJo .,. a. .,- 49, ~,
eyo Is sne ppheI Irom III, tne nre.piace and
!;s. ~ .llousn nlu. Lnon Tus nill uow1
h;. stalu i;1sn ~ y a.eatoo nneM silced
l III - my 70 Ioiulo. AZ al assauts1i-
-, eSsu R"ss Sno "e"pon no uuoAou' ie-
co ssSa anu criea alouu. m
liz PC, you T vantos lesis.' ao MnaL ! ike
WIZ ~ y r.;sd ~ h Uaa you 40 ~ ieturn
r. - .asGe nls L1nu anu s.luc a' my iaGe'
Il was as II cold wind blew upon my cheek.
1 cou . no. lepress snuuaer, Inc oid snlv,
p zane acIoss me. ne saw IL az once, ana
Sp,alg ~ my snroa' ~ IL, my surprise Wnat
~, 90 DleaS s VI oo.u al peeane 'angl-
~. .el. nls colu grasp Will MS iong' pony
nnseS AZ ny Inloa. n,s iace, CLOSE w lnlne'
Was Nv Iieu Will an eager longing ZOE revenge.
LIS LIS lurlo eyes giarsa IN mine. LIS teeth
Ia Inc twilight. IL was out ior
moment tnatI was AFRAID. Ihen l rallied
10y courage, sprang uPrignt, ana looked my
spectIa, ensny IN .ne lace. as looKed the
langlpn.ty OF ms lngers weakened, the tlgnt,
LEES OF nus grasp relaxed, ana ms iooK changed
10 one q tilumpn 20 tnat OF Dahled rage.
I en ne Ieh PACK suiienly ana tnreW hlmsef
'n.I al easy Eoa, gaalmg round Inc room;
!. never allow any one put myself," said,
TO occupy that chair. 1t is mine. Please
lake announcer,
Me changed me cnalrs immediately.
Wlll mat &c!
~ was one neAt 70 nine. Degged MIN 10
lake o1e on tne olner slue OF tne fireplace,
WHICH ne Glu az once. linen SAT down and
surveyed Inc SITUATION.
was aiones save an Ola woman, my tempo
4 iac.oIum, 10 tne kitcnen. Inc people IN
Tue houses tguno were all away ior tneir mol
laays. I MAJ q gnost, presumably inuatlc
Y p dangerous kin9' under my rooi IL was
Impossible TO get rio OF him, unless he chose
% g. Ioe ;anno5 push, KICK or throw
gnost OUT OF WINDOW or door; you cannot
lock MN IN one room while you 60 to sleep in
announcer you cannon smut yourself up IN your
pea.room ana oeIy MN; above all, you never
3 10y, wnas trIcks ne may De az. Ihlnking
tuese tnings, became conscious OF another
access OF terror-sngnter Inls Time. NY guest,
nomesel, pefcelveu ~, anu IA twnKnng, was
~ me again. Wltn ms sKeleton myers round
my tnroat. ! snook MN OH; that is, re-
gained my presence OF mlnd and ne covered
!, PACK 70 ms sea-, wnere ne sat, MS head on
: ls arm, ana ms long wnlte clothes cllnglng
70 s ms limDs, signt never 70 De forgotten.
az Tray Iell me Wnat IL means, sald.
~ means LEANS snac Il , you were AFRAID OF me, l
/