Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-07-08
from the Argosy.j
MAD MATTY.

A belief in ghosts is common to mos
primitive people. The outlying district
of our town mad their legends of ghost
and fairies; indeed, no Welsh district i
without them. But most of these wer
harmless from their antiquity, and eve1
the peasants began to consider them a
bygone tales. This, however, was no
the case with ghostly stories originating
within the memory of the living, TO-
much terror was experienced by the ig
norant and superstitious concerning thu
sights which had their origin in circum
stances of recent date Nor was it easy
to convince them that flesh and blool
were not spirit when once they had re-
solved that they were.
Mr.. Superintendent Pryse was one Of
the spirituaists Of his day, and dur.
ing his long rounds took almost as much
trouble to run ghosts as criminals to the
ground. But he has friend, who occa.
sionally came from distance to visit
him, who was rs profound believer as
he was skeptical. They discussed the
matter without coming to any conclusion
grew hot, grew cold, like the weather,
but found the temperate degree 1lnat.
tainable.
81 am told that hundreds have seen
the ghost that haunts Gwynant bridge, y
said Capt. Glyn one day when the sub
ject cropped up.
"Fools they can't have seen it, be-
cause they are afraid to cross the mea-
dows," returned the superintendent.
"But women lose their wits, and even
their legs, when they do happen to near
the spot" -
"Have you ever seen it?"
''1es; more than once; but I don't
believe in IT.
II thought seeing was believing?"
"Not in the matter of ghosts. Our
see into the spiritual world than they are
into the animacular. We haven't arrived
at spiritual microscopes, eh?'
"No need. Ghosts are visible without
EN-"
"We will go and look up the Gwynant
ghost this evening"" said the superinten-
dent. "She only shows about the full
of the moon. It is a woman, you see;
for all fools are feminine, except, per-
haps, Capt. Glyn, commander in her
majesty's navy.
The captain would rather have con-
fronted death on a raging sea than have
sought ghost by moonlight; but he was
too proud to say SO, and therefore acced-
ed, unwillingly to the proposal.
Mr.. Superintendent Pryse took down
his club and the heavy walking stick
whence he could draw sharp weapon;
then called majestic Gwen, his house
keeper.
TELL Williams to wait here until TO-;
then, if We are not back, to follow us to
Gwynant BRIDGE" he said.
"Where the ghost stands and talks,
sir?" asked immovable Gwen, who, her
master said, ought to have been man.
"Yes. Come along, Glyn."
They set out between 6 and 7 o'clock
of fine April evening, for four mile
walk across the country. The moon was
rising, and would be at her full. Their
way led them, first up billy road be-
meath which a rapid river foamed and
tumbled over rocks and stones, between
trees that looked like an army Of spirits
in the shadowy light; then through a
wood. Here myriads of blue bells had
folded themselves to sleep in the white
light, and primrose buds slumbered
amongst their leaves, while, between the
beam and breeze, it seemed that fairies
tripped it among the silent flowers.
By the time they reached Gwynant
meadows the moon had risen, and had
made of the dews that trembled on the
grass blades prisms Of light. They trod
them down as they crossed in the BRIDGE
When they came within a few PAGES of
the haunted spot they halted involun-
tarily and exclaimed together: "There
it is!''
There it certainly was. Among the
trees on the left side of the bridge stood
a white, transparent. figure, tall and I'M
movable. One hand was outstretched,
the other concealed by shadowy drapery.
The most incredulous must have &C.
knowledged that an apparition was be-
fore him-a pale, thin, luminous, mo-
tionless ghost.
Enough. Come away" whispered
Glyn.
returned Prvse aloud.
''Made OFF, was audibly repeated by
some hooking voice.
"She can speak, anyhow" said the
superintendent, softly, breaking from
the grasp Of his trembling friend.
He walked toward the bridg e, holding
his official club in one hand, his stick in
the other, resolved enough to frighten
away any ghost. he did so in effect.
II VOW, she's gone!'' he exclaimed
s'Gone" repeated the unearthly voice.
ono; she's lere!' returned the cap
tain, and "Here," was the ghostly repe-
tiion.
II say she's gone!' 81 say she's
here!' "Gone!' "Here !'' was repeat.
ed until the wrathful superintendent
scarcely believed his senses. It was a
new version of the fable of the chame-
leen.
At last he walked back to the captain,
and-there she was! pale luminous,
transparent. He stood awhile, silent
and perplexed; then Selling the captain,
dragged him toward the bridge.
"There !5didn't say she was gone ?"
he cried, pointing to the group Of feath-
erly birch where no ghost was visible
The captain was almost more terrified
by her absence than her presence, and
returned to his first standpoint, followed
by the superintendent.
"There she is again :" they both ex-
claimed, and "Again,' repeated the
hooking voice.
The specter was once more visible, her
arm still outstretched.
"You'n believe in future, " whispered
Glyn.
"Can't promise; but it certainly is
mysterious. Stay where you are while I
run her to ground. replied Pryse, so
low that the ghost only murmured in re-
ply.
He need have laid no command on the
captain, for the poor mnn was planted
Observation-Disclosures, mesmerized, m1ai-
umized; only those hard words were not
in use at the time" the march of dis
covery not having as yet begun to tramp
in that direction at Trefavon.
While Glyn, medium like, was fast
falling into a trance from gazing at he
knew not what, Pryse, poiiceman-like.
was examining the spirit haunt, as if It
had been the hiding place Of an escaped