The daily Cairo bulletin., 1883-01-07

lne nights lnleITNptel sport, NnllSl
his sisters clustered round him, 10th to
tear themselves away one moment be-
fore the baronet's br0ugham was an
nounced to bear them home-it having
been decided that Dick should spend
the night in his present quarters, .ralll-
er than risk the dangerous possibility
Of chill.
Don't be ridiculous, Dick, returned
Kate seriously, as the young man
paused after the delivery of this last
speech. II think the moment Is ill
timed for jesting; levity is altogether
incongruous under the circumstances,
and
DO you know, Dick" interrupted
Edie in mysterious tones, drawing
nearer, and laying her fair head on the
pillow next her brothers, that you
will 90 henceforth by the name of The
Haunted Mani for Dawkins, the gar
dener, is sure to compare notes at the
Pig and Whistle with the carriers, over
friendly glass; and really there is 10
discrepancy in their revdence--thes state
ments of one and all coincide to quite
extraordinary degree"
Il am not testing, girls, swear!n re-
L
ing, | admit, on Christmas Eve, but
now | speak gospel-truth. At the very
moment of my fall | heard yoce---a
not far distant human volce-a single
cry, whether of warning or commisera-
ton | can scarcely tell, yet 80 distinct
and ,lnmistakable, that it made an i'm
preston even then upon mind and ear
alike. Nell you tell me--you appear
the most reliable spokeSw0man Of the
three-eXactly what cock-and- story
these fellows have got hold Of; for rs
you say. it seems not ut all unlikely |
shall be henceforth eyed askance, IL not
altogether Stunned, as that undesirable
notoriety, popularity dubbed the haunt
ell man.
"Well," began Nell with an air Of
some importance, not altogether unbe-
coming, seeing she was appealed to as
a reliable authority by the mystiied
invalid. sit seems that Jack Dawkins
and his wife were sitting at supper
when the door flew open according to
their story revealing a sleDder glrllsh
figure, standing motionieSS on the
threshold. Dick at this iunctlire vain
" stroye to repreSS smile, Tor Nell,
unconscously, rose with the occa-
sion" adopting singularly impressive
and melodramatic style, suited TO the
supernatural character of the events 1t
was her duty to narrate. For mo-
ment she did not speak, they say, but
pointed with one hand over her shoul-
der. Jack springing to hisfeet awed and
terrified, for they declare her face was
white and quite unearthly, her hair
hanging weirdly round her. Then
presently she gasped, \ man drowning
in the lake under the ice, not twenty
yards from your door. Go at once TO
The resCue-go at once, or words to that
effect Nell corrected herself desr-
Gus seemingly of being quite veraclous,
bat YOU must imagine Jacks lingo, |
can't altogether initiate that! Well, as
it happened, his nephew was outside IN
the back garden choppng wood and
Jack declared before he could 80 much
as gle 'un call the space was once
more vacant where the girl had stood
she had vanished as mysteriously as she
had come Well yon know the rest.
Jack and the lad started of at once and
arrived at the scene OF disaster not one
moment too soon: they had taken u
short ladder and pole with them, the
wife following with whisky blankets,
Sc, and you were dragged out in due
course. more dead than alive. The only
wonder is. Jack says, that you'd got so
far up the stream without mishap, for
the ice under the shelter of the trees is
comparatively thin. and
Never mind all that" Dick inter
rupted irreverenlIy, II want to know
about the girl, Where on earth could
she have come fromY'
"Ah, that's what everyone wants
to know, supplemented Kate; whilst
There's the rub Edie opined, one
and all gazing blankly at the hero of
the nights adventure himself by no
means the least myStilied by the Singh
lar complexion of affairs.
1T seems, moreover continued
Kate, THAT the carriers had already
told the story Of your rescre at the
crossroads, over their ale at the public
house last night; asserting that they
had received intimation Of the disaster
from a spectral being in every respect
resembling the famous Burnham ghost
So Jack and his wife are already Won
dering whether this second marvellous
interposition on your behalf may not
perchance have emanated from the
same miraculous source. AS for me,
really don't know what to think; re-
gard the matter in what light one will,
it's most disquieting reflection that
that"
"That ones brother isa haunted man
--eh, Kittypn roared Dick infinitely
amused. "Iloweyer, all ! can say is,
that if ghosts in general would but
adopt the same role as this ghost in par
ticular, the mortal dread in which they
are popularly held would rapidly dis
solve itself into the thinnest of thin air.
For it seems TO me ] may freely risk
my life half-a-do2en times in the bliss
| fll consciousness that this most deect-
able wrath will send human assistance
to my aid in the very nick Of time
| "Ah. but bear in mind the Burnham
ghost only walks at Christmas round
| about the common and crossroads y
| Edith hastened to impress upon her
| brother with such genuine anxiety, lest
he should run the fatal risk at some i'll
! advised moment, that both the girls
and Dick himself laughed heartily in
chorus at her smplicity--the young
man assuring her he would not be fool
hardy excepting NJ prescribed seasons,
| when the danger was but nominal
Soon after that The carriage was an
nounced. the fair trio embraced the in