Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-03
I"Roy is right, We ought not to go there
alone at that hour. O Roy, can't you

Roy is right. We ought not to 90 there
alone at that hour. O Roy, can't you
come too2' va.
4 "Impossible?" said Emma, decidedly.
I'VE certainly don't want that young
gentleman's escort. He would have rea-
son to triumph over us if we took him,
and to tell the truth, I'm sure he's afraid
himself
Roy, instead Of resenting this, only
shook his head solemnly.
SWELL, yes, must acknowledge I'd
rather be in bed on st. Mark 8 Eve than in
the church porch among the graves"
ooh, / can't go!n Alice asped.
every well, my dear. . Emma answered;
"only you'll have to 90 to bed alone in
the great red room, as she shall be away.
II ghosts are really abroad tonight, or
the spirit Of the doomed, whats to pre-
vent them from paying you visit? Bet
ter see them in our company, child. [
can't let you go on being such ridicu-
lous coward and such a laughing stock as
your are. You must go with US to-mor-
row, and see for yourself that they are no
such things as appantions. When one
Of you castles Of terror is demolished,
we'll make short work of the others.n
$50 you really are going?" Roy asked.
eyes, we really are, unless you are
mean enough to tell mother what we IN
tend to do. She's not afraid Of ghosts,
but she's in terror of tramps.'
Poor Alice shivered and whispered to
me she wouldn't be sorry If Roy did tell
Mrs. Lyons.
All me! looking back through the years
to that day, I wonder at our cruelty to
the girl whom we truly loved, and whom
we would have defended from any real
danger with our lives. We did not mean
to be cruel, but in our ignorance and fol-
ly we struck that timid, tender nature
deadly blows in order to harden it.
Roy did not reveal our purpose, as we
feared he would. In fact, he seemed ter
ribly busy in his own room, and had sew
eral Of his young friends with him that
night and the next day. They all kept
out Of our way, which was comfort.
When night came on-and pretty
dark night it was at frst-we were SO
much excited that we did not feel at all
uneasy at the long walk before us. We
had lantern, and everything ready in
our room, and waited impatiently until
the clock struck the half-hour after
eleven.
The back door was never locked, and
we crept softly down the stars, hardly
drawing breath until we were outside.
Emma had taken the precaution to give
Alice strong cup Of tea before we start
ed, and she did not seem more nervous
than usual.
We laughed and tested as we went
along, and were soon seated on a long
bench within the church porch. The
little lantern threw very feeble light,
but the clouds had dispersed, and the
moon, just risen, shone full on the church.
yard and every object in it.
We did not expect to see anything
Of course, but somehow the influence Of
the time and place sobered our high
spirits, and we grew silent and thoughtful
waiting for the great church clock to
strike midnight, the hour of our release.
"What a reliefr' whispered Alice, as
the first ponderous stroke almost made us
start from our seats.
We waited until twelve was rung out,
and then rose to depart. Suddenly,
without sound, from the shadows of the
church emerged procession, gray,
weird line of figures, some Of whom we
recognized with thrill of terror.
"Look! look! It's old Mr.. Morton!''
whispered Emma aLook at his long
white hair! he died last month. And
there's John Sclwyn' What's the mean
ing oft? There's some plot here, certain. .
Half-frghtened, she felt convinced that
it was practical joke.
But the other girls were more than
half-frightened, and chung to each other,
watching the noiseless line of figures
glide over the graves, and circling the
churchyard, return toward us on the other
side. At the end of the line was a slen-
der figure, and we caught our breath as
we recognized Alice's long golden curls,
and even a dress of peculiar pattern
which she sometimes wore. The figure
moved on, holding hand to its heart.
ooh, it's Alice!'' gasped Adela. And
Alice, who, at the first sight of the APP
partitions had buried her face on nv
shoulder, looked up, recognized her
double, and with scream, fell senseless
in my arms
Then our tense nerves gave way, and
shrek after shrek rose on the air. The
ghostly procession took to flight in most
unghostly haste, and the one who per-
sonated Alice, tearing off his headgear
and encumbering skirts, rushed up to Us.
It was Roy.
"For mercy's sake, stop that scream
ing" he cried. ssThe whole country will
be reused. It's nothing but Jest.
What's the matter with Alice?"
you've killed her, believer groaned
Emma.
He seized her in his arms, and swiftly
ran toward the house, all of us following.
We were beyond speech then, and I shall
never forget that midnight race with the
senseless figure which we fancied was al
ready dead.
No, alas for her! not dead; for when.
after hours Of Inconsistencies, she
opened her eyes, it was to scream and
fall into convulsion after CONFUSION.
"Wlll she live, doctor?" asked Mrs.
Lyons, when the morning light shonc in
upon us.
"She is in no Immediate danger" he
said; Hbut unless am mist lken, death
would be a mercy to her.
We did not quite understand him, then,
but we did later, when we saw our pretty
Alice poor, idiotic creature, whom her
family were compelled to watch as if she
were an infant. She had epileptic fits
constantly, but we were all middle.aped