The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-02-01

was standing in the doorway, and saw
you looking at my babe. | heard what YOU
said to him. l have suspected it before" And
then, with Pegram in her arms, she strobe on
of the room.
The ghost had vanished, rs Madeline entered
Filled with rage and bitterness, for my wife
had never spoken to me in these tones before
/ ] ran down stairs and rushed out Of the house
! I walked long and far my mind filed with
dolcful thoughts. When ! returned to The
house, found a note from my wife. 1t ran
thus:
- have gone 10 Aunt Hannah's with Pegram
and have taken Belle. cannot live with who
considers my child a vile nterIoper.'
| AS / sat down in my misery, there was one
/ little spark Of comfort amid the gloom. She
had taken Belle. Ny first impulse was to 1oi-
/ low into the city and explain everything, but
/ quickly reflected that If did this | must tell
her of the ghost, and l felt certain that she
would never return with Pcgram to q haunted
house. Must |, in order to regain my wife, give
up this beautiful home? For two days ] racled
my brains and wandered Gioomily about
| In one of my dreary rambles | encountered
/ the ghost. ''What are YOU doing here?" ]
cried. Miss Belle has gome'
Il know that" the spectcr answered, his air
expressing all his usual impertincnce and swag-
ger. " but she'll come back. When your wife
returns, she's bound to bring young Miss"
At this, a thought flashed through my mind
/ II any good would come of ii. Belle shOuld never
return. Whatever else happened this insoIeut
ghost of q gay young buck should have no cx-
cusc for haunting my house.
'She Will never come back while you are
here" I cried
Il don't believe ii, ;" it coolly answered.
made no further assertions on the subject.
/ had determined what to do and it was of no
use to be angry with a vaporing creature like
this. But | might as well get some information
out of him.
Tell me this I asked off for any reason,
YOU should leave this place and throw up your
situation, so to speak, would you have sue
cessor?"
You needn't think I am going" it said
contcmptUouSly None Of your little tricks
on me. But III Just tell you, for your satisiac-
ton that if I should take it into my head to
cut the place, there would be another ghost
here III no time"
what is it, I cried stamping my foot,
that causes this house 20 be so haunted by
ghosts, when there are hundreds and thousands
OF places where such apparitions are never
seen? ?"
"Old fellow" said the specter folding it's
arms. and looking at me with half-shut eyes,
" j. isn't the house that draws the ghosts, it is
somebody in it; and as long as YOU are here the
place Will be haunted. But you needn't mind
that. Some houses have rats. some have fever
T..
And ! was alone.
So then the spectral mortgage could never
be lifted. With heavy heart and feet passed
through the bosky grove to my once happy
home.
l had not been there half an hour when Belle
arrived. She had come by the morning train
and had nothing with her but little hand bag
| looked at her in astonishment.
"Infatuated girl" / cried could you not
stay away from here three days?"
i am glad you said that" she answered
taking a seat, for now think | am right in
suspecting what was on your mind. / ran
away from Madeline to see if / could find out
what was at the bottom of this dreadful trouble
between you. She told me what you said. and
| don't believe you ever used those words to
Pegram. And now want to ask you one ques-
tion. Had l, in any way, anything to do with
this?"
NO" said I, "not directly" And then en-
boldcned by circumstances, | added: "But that
secret visitor or friend of yours had much to do
with it,"
q thought that might be So" she answered,
land now, George, | want to tell you some
thing. | am afraid it will shock you very
much"
- have had so much to shock me lately that
| can stand almost anything now"
well, then, il is this" she said. "That per-
son whom l saw sometimes, and whom you once
found under my window, is a ghost"
Did you know that?" | cried. Il knew it
was ghost but did not imagine that you had
any suspicion of it,"
why, yes" she answered, Il saw through
him almost from the very Iirst. / was good
deal startled and little frightened when l
found it out, but | soon felt that this ghost
couldn't do me any harm, and you don't know
how amusing it was. | always had fancy for
ghosts but l never expected to meet with one
like this"
"And so you knew all the time it wasn't
real man." exclaimed still filled with aston
ishment at what had heard.
"A real mani" cried Belle. with considerable
contempt in her tones. " Do You suppose |
would become acquainted in that way with
real man. and let him come under my window
and talk to me? ! was determined not to tell
any of you about it, for l knew you wouldn't
approve of it, and would break up the fun some
way. Now | wish most heartily that l had
spoken of it,"
YES" 1 answered, ait might have saved
much trouble"
But, oh! George" she continued "you've
no idea how funny it was! Such q ridiculous,
sef-cOnceited, old-fashioned ghost of a beau."
yes" said /, when it was alive it cOurted
your grandmother"
"The impudencc," exclaimed Belle "And
to think that it supposed that l imagined it to
be a real mani Why. one day, when it was
talking to me it stepped back into a rOsebush,
and it stood there ever so long, all mixed up
with the roses and leaves"
"And you knew it ali the time?"
These words were spoken iC hollow voice
by some one near us. Turning quickly we saw
the ghost of Buck Edwards, but no longer the
jaunty specter we bad seen before. His hat was
on the back of his head, his knees were turned
inward, his shoulders dropped, his head hung,
and his arms danged limp at his sides.
yes" said Belle" l knew it all the time"
The ghost looked at her with q faded, misty
eye; and then instead of vanishing briskly as
was his wont, he began slowly and irresolutely
to disappear. First his body faded from view
then his head, leaving his hat and boots. These
gradually vanished, and the last thing we saw
of the once Buck Edwards was diSSolving
view of the tip-end of limp and dropping
riding whip.
He is gone" said Belle. "Weu never see
him again.
Yes" said I, he is gone I think your dis
covery of his real nature has completely broken
up that proud spirit. And now, what is to be
done about Madclinc?"
Wasn't it the ghost you called an inter
lOper?" asked Belle.
Certainly it was replied.
"Well, then, go and tell her So said Belle.
about the ghost and all! / exclaimed
Certainly" said she.
And together we went 10 Madeline, and ! told
her all. | found her with her anger gone. amt
stepped in misery. When | had finished. al
Pegramed rs she was, she plunged into my
arms. pressed my wife and child closely
NV nY,lf ttrff !. lon