The Portland daily press., 1878-08-03

hour into heavy Inconsistencies, awaking
suddenly and with horror upon me that at
first did not understand.
rose and dressed. 1t followed my move
ments. I saw the spectre now only when it
came into the sunlight. Then it was dimly
visible, but only, think, to myself break
tasted and went into the city. 1t came with
me. 1t sat beside me in the train; it followed
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. 1t forgot it
for moment heard whisper iD my ear
81 am here" If managed to fix my atten-
ton on the subject in hand, that accursed
voice began to remind me that was neither
to sleep nor to work, nor to have any peace
for the rest of my natural life.
"What you have done-I shall do-and
worse, 1 shall haunt you'll shall make re-
morse and despair do for you what you did to
her and to me. will revenge myself-and
her,"
What had done to him? How was I 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 spectre, in the afternoon, seemed to
have left me. I even forgot Its existence,
and dined comfortably. At eight O'Clock
met my Eleanor, and persuaded her, not
thinking of what might happen, to look at
some new furniture in what was going to be
our Joint house. She came. Nothing hap.
| pened until we went into the garden. As /
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-s'with bare feet %
| 1 looked. There were footprlnts-great
| gaunt footprints-parallel with my own. I
knew at ONCE what was going to happen, and
| I trembled.
"Nothing, Nelly; nobody. Who should
walk in bare feet except carpenter? Let
us go in"
s'Alfredp' she cried, "see, they are falling
still, the footprints-as we walk. Take me
| intake me awayp
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. l bore my girl
half fainting into the house.
'fWhat was it, Alfred? What was it?
am afraid. And see-see! Oh! Alfred
| Alfred 90
With cry of fright she fell fainting into
| my arms. Between us and the window stood
revealed that awful figure in its long white
| grave clothes, pointing its long bony fingers
at me, but saying no word.
| took Eleanor home. I implored her to
| keep silence as to what she had seen. I
soothed and paci6ed her. assured her that
| it was fancy that it was trick of the imagi-
nation-that it was some schoolboy deviltry-
| anything to keep her quiet. And thus left
her, and returned, miserable and maddened,
to battle with this demon who had fastened
himself upon me.
| He was sitting in my chair. with his abom-
Unable head, as usual, in his hand.
| 81 allow you to 60 away with the GIRL" he
| said, "because do not wish to do her any
harm. But she shall never marry you're
member that Wretchv'-he rose from the
| chair and approached me with threatening
| gestures wretch Was it not enough to in
terfere between me and her? You try to
murder the happiness of another innocent
| young girl! Can you ruthlessly-"
| "Good heavensp' 1 cried, almost beside
myself with rage. "What have done to
you, devil or lunatic, that you should perss-
cute me in this way?"
''He asks me what he has done! Think of
Madagascar, villain of the deepest dye.
Think of San Fran, pirate and crimp. Think
of Liverpool docks and Polly. Joe Kirby
Joe Kirby, you were always as brazen liar
as ever stepped, but did not think you
would brazen it out to me-"
| A thought struck me.
"You call me Joe Kirby. / am not Joe
Kirby at all. I never heard Of any Joe
Kirby"
He laughed.
eff you are not Joe Kirby" he said, 81
will eat my hat-I mean, of course"
''Come, this is trifing. say that you
mistake me for some one else. What makes
you think me Joe Kirbyp"
Because you are."
s'Nonsense. How long since you saw Joe
Kirby?"
"Ten years."
"What was he like when you left him?"
much the same as y0u-sanctimonious
look, reddish hair, stumpy figure, fat cheeks
just like yourself"
ssHad this devil of Joe Kirby any
| marks ?"
"Tattoo marks like mine, on the right arm,
did him-I mean Joe. He did me.''
| drew up my shirt and showed him my
arms, whtesand free from any tattoo mark at
| all.
He was stupefed.
"Well-Tm-no-pm dashed. And YOU
amt Joe Kirby at all? Lord! Lord! what
fool you must have taken me for"
81 did,"
Mate, you hold your tongue about that Yoko-
hama business"
II never thought much of ghosts" said.
'.Now shall think still less OF them.'
$50 on" he said; ego on; let me have
it,"
"Why couldn't you ask before you came
laundering into house with your internal
white sheet? Why couldn't you put the
question before you began?"
"Why, indeed ?" he echoed. "Look here,
| mate, Pm very sorry for this little mistake
1 am, indeed. And frightening the young
| lady and all. What shall do now to make
| things square again ?"
do! what can you do but goright away?"
| He began to disappear. Iseemed to breathe
more freely. Then the shape, which almost
disappeared, started into sight again with
suddenness which brought back the horror
which first seized me.
some word, SIR" he said. "pm afraid I
haven't come well out of this affair. Now
| s'pose Il only say s'pose-I can put you on
to good thing. It may be wreck lying in
four or five fathoms Turks Islands way; it
may be buried treasure; it may be only
pot of money; it may be coins, or it may be
statues; but if I should hear of it, and was
to come and tell you, it might 60 some way
to getting into your good opinion again."
"No," 1 replied. 81 want nothing, ex-
cept the assurance that shall never see you
again.
| He sighed.
"Well, sir, I feel that I can't 20 against
| your wishes. l promise. No malice, eh
When we meet again, which meet we may,
there will be no malice hope.'
Then he disappeared finally, and I have
seen no more of him.
I have often wondered who Mr.. Joseph
Kirby is, where he lives, what he has done,
and how he managed to offend my ghost.
Perhaps, If he reads this, he will throw some
light on that Yokohama business. And I
should like to get at the bottom of the affair
| with Folly and the Liverpool docks.
PORTLAND POST OFFICE.