The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-05-29

"True," said the Baron, putting both
hands to his head, and gazing at his guest
with a look of utter helplessness. II
forgot that it is now next century-that Is
to say, if you pe not specter."
"You will excuse me. my respected pa
rent" returned the pilgrim, '.if subject
your hypothesis to the test Of logic, for it
uches me in very tender spot, impugn.
ing, as it does. my physical verify and
my status as an actual individualized
Ego. Now, what is our relative position
You acknowledge the day of my birth to
have been the year Of grace 1852. That is
matter in which your memory is not
likely to be at fault. On the other hand,
with a strange inconsistency, you maintain
in the face of almanacs, chronologies and
the march of events. that it is still the
year of grace 1852. Were You one of the
seven sleepers, your hallucination Ito use
no harsher term might be pardoned, but
you are neither a sleeper nor saint.
Now, every one of the eighty years that
are picked away in a carpet bag of my
experience protests against your extraordi-
nary error. It's l who have prima facie
right to question your physical existence,
not you mine. Did you ever hear of a
ghost, specter, wrath. apparition, eidolon
or spook coming out of the future to hunt,
annoy or brighten individuals of an earlier
generation?"
The Baron was obliged to admit that he
never had.
..Bu. you have heard of instances where
apparitions, ghosts. spooks, call them
what you will, have invaded the present
from out the limbo Of the past?"
The Baron crossed himself a second
time and peered an1Iously into the dark
corners of the apartment. IF you are a
genuine Won Weinstein," he whispered,
you already know that this castle is
overrun with specters Of that sort. It is
difficult to move about after nightfall
without tumbling over half dozen OF
them"
Then" said the placid logician, "you
surrender your case. You commit what,
my reverend preceptor in dialectics, the
learned Arabian, Ben Dusty, used to style
syllogistic suicide. For you allow that,
while ghosts from out Of the future are un
heard of, ghosts from the past are not in.
frequently encountered. Now | submit to
you as a candid man this proposition
That it is infinitely more probable that
you are ghost than that am one!"
The baron turned very red. SIS this
and blood of your own father?"
as it paternal," retorted the pilgrim,
not losing his composure, ito insinuate
the unrealness of the son of your own be-
getting?"
"By all the saints" growIed the Baron,
growing still redder, this question shall
be settled, and speedily. Halloo there,
Seneschal!" He called again and again.
but in vain.
"Spare your lungs" calmly suggested
the pilgrim. "The be t trained domestic
in the world will not stir from beneath the
sod for all your shouting"
Twenty Tasks sank back helplessly in
his chsir. He tried to speak, but his
tongue and throat repudiated their func-
lions. They only gurgled.
That is right" said his guest approx
ingly. Conduct yourself as BELTS a ven
cradle and respectable ghost from the last
century. A well behaved apparition
neither busters nor is violent. You can
well afford to be peaceable in your deport-
ment now; you were turbulent enough be-
fore your death"
my death?" gasped the baron.
Excuse me. " apologized the pilgrim,
''for referring to that unpleasant event. "
my DEATH" stammered the baron,
his hair standing on end. 81 should like
to hear the particulars"
81 was h ard!y more than fifteen at the
time, said the pilgrim, musingly, but |
shall never forget the most trih.ng circum-
stance OF the great popular uprising that
put an end to my worthy sire's career.
Exasperated beyond endurance by your
outrageous crimes, the people for miles
around at last rose in a body, and, led by
my old friend. tall Hugo, the miller,
a0cked to Schwinkenfels and to
your cousin, Count Conrad, appealed
for protection against yourself, their nat
uraf protector. Won Schwinkenfels heard
their complaints with great gravity. He
replied that he had long watched your
abominable actions with distress and con-
sternation; that he had frequently remon-
strated with you, but in vain; that he re-
garded you as the scourge OF the neigh
bo.hood; that your castle was full Of blood
stained treasure and shamefully-acquired
booty; and that he now regarded it as the
personal duty of himself, the conservator
of lawful order and good moral, to
march against Weinstein and exterminate
you for the common good.
"1he hypocritical pirate!" exclaimed
Twenty Flasks,
(which he proceeded to do, continued
the pilgrim, supported not only by his
own retainers, but by yours. ! must say
that you made sturdy defense. Had not
your rascally Seneschal sold you out to
Schwinkenfels and let down the draw
bridge one evening when you were as usu-
al fuddling your brains with your twenty
bottles, perhaps Conrad would never have
gained an entrance, and my young eyes
would have been spared the horrld task
of watching the body Of my venerated
parent dangling at the end of rope from
the topmost turret Of the northwest tow
er."
The Baron buried his face in his hands
and began to cry like baby. They
hanged me, did they?" he faltered.
81 am afraid no other construction can
be put on it," said the pilgrim. 1T was
the inevitable termination of such ca
Yeer as yours had been. They hanged
you. they strangled you, they choked you
to death with a rope; and the unanimous
verdict OF the community was Justifable
Homicide. You weep. Behold, father.
| also weep for the shame of the house of
Won Weinsteln! Come to my arms"
Father and son clasped each other in a
long, affectionate embrace, and mingled
their tears over the disgrace of Welnstein.
When the Baron recovered from his emo
ton he found himself alone with his con-
science and twenty-four empty bottles,
The pilgrim had disappeared.
Meanwhile, in the apartments conse-
Grated to the Offices Of maternity, all had
been confusion, turmoil, and distress. In
four huge arm chairs sat four experienced
matrons, each holding in her lap pillow
of swansdown. On each pillow had re-