The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1880-07-17


that his companions began to fear mar
alysis. He shook off his supporters
i however, and finally moved homeward al
his own accord, policeman on either
4 side.
His speech i. affected, poor gentle
man " whispered Williams.
s. | shall never speak again - groaned
the captain, which treasured the consto-
bic, although he did not utter another
word.
They reached Trefavon at last and
found supper and Il good fire AWAITING
them. When Williams had withdraw
with his last orders, and stately Good
night " from his beloved Gwen tbe
spirit seekers and finders were left alone
The captain recovered his speech.
You fancy you got rid OF the ghost
You only sent 1t from one tree to an
other. | saw it again, walked with II
talked with it, till 1t vanished into that
haunted chapel. | am as much in NV
right mind as you are.
Il saw it there, also, said the super-
intendent, soothingly, perceiving that
Glyn was excited.
"Saw 1t? Then you own You have
been wrong, and more obstinate than a
mule. 1t babe me beware of Pryse.
uperintendent.
q am not surprised. Eat YOUR sup
per, go to bed, and We will settle the
question tomorrow by daylight. | am
going past the chapel, and you must
come with me. Not another word. |
know what you are about to say is right:
but | have an hours work to do, and
should like to see you in bed first. ="
Il should think it was right? &"
chuckled the captain, taking up his can
dlestlck, "but I've had enough of the
chapel"
A good nights rest restored him tohis
usual spirits, and rs ghosts did not walk
10y day he consented to accompany the
superintendent on his rounds. They
went on foot, and he did not fail to I'M
prove the occasion by lecturing his
friend on his unbelief, who listened in
much humility.
When they reached the little church
Pryse went into the church-yard without
consulting Glyn, who, however, felt con-
strained to follow. He almost expected
to see the specter IN the gloomy, ghost
ridden spot. He saw instead woman
standing by neighboring hut or out
house, WHO shrleked and seemed about
to run away when she perceived the
visitors. The superintendent laid his
hand gently on her shoulder, with the
words:
"Be good, and I will not harm YOU
Matty. Why will youfrighten people at
night?"
She began to cry and moan, when he
drew a gay blue ribbon and packet of
sweetmeats from his pocket. which
turned her lamentations into 10y. She
danced round him, took his hands. and
showed him much affection. The captain
ventured near and saw a strange, wild
figure, envelOped in many-colored shawl
which she wore like a mantle. Her face
and hands were white, her matted locks
long and fair, her eyes rowing and luster-
less, her lips cOlorless.
This is your ghost, said the super
lntendent, pointing to her. as she stood
admiring her ribbon and eating her
sweets. "Thls is poor Mad Matty."
She looked up at the sound of her
name, but shrunk back behind the
superintendent when she perceived a
stranger close to him. She soon forgot
him, however, III her new pleasures, and
began to glide and dance about, holding
up her ribbon, and moving it in and out
among the whitewashed graves. 1t was
Eastertide, and the peasants, according
to their custom, had hdied up Their
small inheritences, planted endless wall
flowers and pOlYanthuses, Whitewashed
the stones and Frightened up the other
wise glomy spot, Mad Natty assisting.
1t was no wonder that 1t looked ghostly
III the moonlight.
eyes, that is your ghost" repeated
the superintendent, while the captain
was following with his eyes the move
ments Of the bewildered creature before
him. ''Sit down on this tombstone, and
| Will tell you her story It Is pathetic
enough, though not supernatural
The captain obeyed, and the two men
seated themselves on one of those large. +.
fiat, ugly slabs, raised foot or so from
the ground, on which friends were wont
to chronicle the epitaphs OF their dead.
"Matty, like all distraught women, is
supposed to have been crossed in love, "
began the superintendent. II only
wish that | could lay my club across the +
back Of every man who deceives a wOIn- "
an. She had no friend patient enough
to try to keep her wandering mind at
home, so at last it strayod away alto .
gether. Her relations lived in this neigh .
borhood, and, when her parents died,
Matty was allowed to DO much as she
liked. Deprived Of the shelter Of their
roof, she took possession Of this Shed,
and has been undisturbed in it for TWEEN
ty Years at least; for She is older ihan
she looks. Sometimes there seems
method, at other times mischief, in her
Thanks to her, the ghost
stories connected with this place have
trebled. There are people, as you know,
who don't pause to find out whether a
ghot's ghost; so Mad Matte must an
5wer for fool.
Here the captain WINGED.
"This churchyard is her home, and
she likes It, She gets her dinner at the .
squire's and her clothes everywhere, ter
rifying or amusing the donors as the
within takes her and them. She always
to secure white garment,
whether gown OF bed gown, which she
puts on at night. | imagine this to be
a habit, but others think it is done TO
frighten wayfarers. She has scarcely
wit enough to carry on a system Of ter
ror. however, but changes her dress a.
she was accustomed to 10 when sane
she sleeps in the hut, mt
others in the wood we passed through
Poor soul She breads neither ghost
nor goblin. though [ have seen her
frightened at her own shadow IL the
Perhaps this is why she
climbs trees and perches like a huge
u u. "a. l. n. !