The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-09-02
UNCLE sAn's GHOsTsBrORY.

| IN lCS D1f10Wy cOVeriet OF mlSt--mllr
INJURED in its sleep; here and there, dotted
over the somber landscape, the liehenee
roofs Of the falm houses reflected the
cold, white rays of the full moon; fa1
away over hill and dale, through ths
blue, hazy distance, we caught ever and
anon the glisten of the ocean waves; III
on the mountain side the little grave
yard stones shone out, ghost like, from
the dark surroundings and vainly sighed
their phantom tidings through the darI
alleys of the Igrove, and the whispering
wings of mid-sumfaer's night breeze
swept over all, and waited the sweet (?)
/ odor of Herbert's tdhudeen" right into
my eyes and nose, bringing my wander
ing ideas back to our group, sitting oui
| in the old south porch, cooling off, pre-
/ paratory to the aaoSae-iuii Another
Whit from Herberfs sspipe, stronger thar
all others, and I broke the silence
with:
Herbert, did you buy that pipe Of
Danr'
"Dan who?"
"Why, Mark Twain's friend. who adj
vertised it for sale as veritable relic OF
the Witch of Endor."
"Oh! Mark Twain be hangedr'
81 wish you were twain"
"Who, me!'
eyes; you and your pipe"
81 wish you two would stop quarrel.
| ing," spoke up Elite" and LET Sam give
| us ghost story"
''It must be true and authentic one
then. said May, ''for Sam promised to
stick to facts in future
Eyes, Puss," he said, ''if agreeable
to ALL"
We solemnly took the ayes and nays.
and announced s'the ayes have itp and
the red glow of Uncle Sans weed
shining out from the shadows of the
clustered hop vines that wreathe them
selves about the pillars at that end of
the porch betokened meditation and
the coming tale.
"I'm sorry" began Uncle Sam, "that
owing to the restrictions put upon me
I can't make ghost story-one that
| would befit the night-but must tell you
one of the two which have come under
my own observation. and to the truth oi
which I can bring reliable witnesses. II
was about the change of the moonsoons
in 1856, that was laid up in Hong
| Kong with an attack of nothing to do
| and was staying pro TEN. at the Oriental
Hotel. Early one morning, my friend
Harry c., broke in on me, and woke
me out of a sound slumber with his
cherry voiced,
"Hello, Sam, old boy How'r VI
getting on ?"
sGlad to see you," I responded
reused into new life by his pleasant
/ merry presence. Dear old chap wba
a happy way he had Of dropping in be
| fore one was up, and asking after ones
health and the bitters
Just down from Canton; came down
to attend to little consular business fo
Perry. Where's your gin? Amt go
any? Ring the bell?'
eyes" said. When are you going
up again?"
| Tomorrow; and want yon to go NJ
with me. We can have a-jolly time. TO
o. P is going down to see Uncl
Jim E. at Macao, and attend to th
cargo of the Black Prince which viii
leave me in full charge of the consulate
for over week. Will you go?'
'I'll see" and turned out, when m.
boy announced my bath, and ushered il
the gin and bitters in the shape OF on
of Tabor's best cocktails. After swal
lowing his tod, he left, promising t,
drop in on me at dinner, and get M,
definite answer as to whether I would o
would not accept his invitation.
Prompt on time for sherry and worm
wood came Harry, and over one of min
host Tabors good dinners we talked o
old times, latest home news and about
town matters; after which, lighting ou
manillas, we strolled up to Bill E
ship chandlery-a great stone warenous
just above the hotel-much resorted t
by ship masters. The building las
said before) was very large, and had th
appearance of having once been church
It had stone floor and two small CALLER
les, but no openings for the Light excep
the double-front doors and two smal
windows beside them; under the left
hand gallery was small door, whlcl
opened into passage leading to tn
staircase of Mr.. Els house, that stoo
ON the terrace above the store.
We found E. all alone, with the OK
ception of one or two Chinese boys, VIII
were busy in the back part of the store
now flooded with the yellow rays of tn
setting sun, which poured in througl
he wide open front doors. Mr.. William
E. ian Englishman) had some tim
before emigrated to Hong Kong, wit
his young wife and two children, and es
tabiished pretty successful ship-char
dlery. Finding that the tables of th
allied officers in the garrison q
Canton were not very we
supplied with luxuries by th
Chinese compradores, he sent to Englan
for his brother Richard, who came out
and together they set up branch house
under the superintendency of th
younger man in Canton. Dick E 49, wa
one of the best specimens of thorougbre
English dog fancier ever met; he wa
tall, muscular, red-faced, bullet-heade
and broad-shouldered; always wore les
gings, a pea jacket with nnmerou
pockets, from one of which the head {
some pet rat-terr1er was sure to be seer
every now and then, protrnding- tax
observations; above half cordery yes
he wore big handkerchief of the az
proved bull ls-eye pattern, swathed abou
his throat, and in his hand he invariabl
carried heavily Loaded fox-whip.
The chop floating house moore
] in ths river, in which they had thei
store-not giving Dick E. any chanc
to use his limbs, he, after awhile, rente,
small house in the centre of the city
and when warned by old residents as {
the dangers of making residence of hi
city rooms. he grinned, and stretchin
out his muscular limbs, reminded ther
that he was wide-awake and not the ma
to be trifed with, and, to use his owl
4 L L. L.