Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-07-12


Tins, sleep found me, that deer
sweet si,si, of the iaboring man,
cu,,li:ls like night over a tropic ses
/ with anedeeiSive bound. / know
not how long slanlbered but in
the midst Of that rest, without any
explitstble cause, with 4 sudden leaf
every faculty of my mind sprang
hiionmrt intense and a iert consci-
BUSINESS. 1t certainly was not fright
and singularly enough, for the time
being, there WIS in my mind no
element OF surprise. 1t was simply
a state of calm but most intense ex-
pvclancy, but of what knew not,
nor had iiuno 10 ask myself ques-
tlon. Without raising my head
from the pillow could now plainly
decern the various objects in the
yard especially the long walk and
the gate beyond. / could clearly
see every object through the dark
ness and saw also the darkness IT.
self, hollow and strange, one of the
objects without, but IL did not in
the least obscure the view. saw q
man come 10 the gate and slowly
open il aud as slowly and noiseless-
| iy close it behind him. Idistinctly
and clearly saw Robert Bankhead
come slowly up the walk and enter
the house near by me. afterwards
recalled how closely | noted the
| broad-brimmed hat he wore down
low ever the forehead, his long gray
coat and dark trousers. felt no
surprise, no suspicion that it was
not really Robert Bankhead, come
too hate to be- of any service, simply
that and nothing more! for l had
not time to anai yze the situation or
the strange fascination that COM
PEELED me TO note every peculiarity
Of his appearance. Slowly he en-
tered The house aud slowly a.ivaHc
ed SO AS to nearly lean over my bed.
As he did this, exclaimed "Why
Robin you have come at last have
you ?" AS these words escaped me,
quick as flash OF lightning there
came from behind the apparition,
but a little to its left, u loud voice in
sharp woman-like treble, impera- 1
tive, incisive in its quickly snapped
wording. "Bob is dead. ~ In an
instant glanced up under the hat
at the face that hung nearly over
me, and the sight that met my ap
palled gaze, never, never can for
get. There indeed, were the fanIi-
lar features of Bob Bankhead, but
Oh how changed from what they |
were when last we met! The eyes,
half closed, were sunken, dead and
glazed, the face white with and
swollen clamOry gh,lstliness peculiar
to those long drowned, while across
the left cheek the long dark hair |
diSheveled and spread was pressed
as If swept there by the waves. For
Il moment, too paralyzetl by horror
to move or speak. 1 gazed nj this
awful phantom when 10 In another I
instant all had vanished into thin
air. My mind seemed To leap back
from some vantage ground of obser-
walton whence il had seen without
eyes and heard without ears, leapcd
back In panic terror to seek It's /
averted refuge behind the organs OF
sense. Again / beheld the close
deep dark ness of the summer night
surrounding, me like wall, and
again in full chorus arose the ritsp-
ing iteriitions OF the perpetual katy
dds, while through q break in the
trees saw the seminal stars keep |
their solemn ward in the intinitude
of space and In the infinitude OF
eternity, and amid the tulnultuouS
beating OF mime own heart arose the
thought like an audible voice. Bob
death = As far as | am concerned
personally, there is little more To
add. III Il short time | returned
home and was informed that a few
days after my Departure Bankhead
also left with the expressed inten-
ton of fulfilling his engagement 10
me, and that since then nothing
had been heard OF or from him.
his brother Immediately
departed for Memphis, knowing
that Wylie z. Griffin, an overseer
on plantation about five niles
from the city, great friend OF ,
Bob's could tell him Of his wherea-
bouts If any one could. Poor Wylie
Was killed there during the war,
murdered by negroes. As ne an I,
ticipated, the two had some days
before been boon companions In Al
frolic in the city, and
Griffin had finally taken leave OF
Bankhead late at night, about to !
AXE passage on a steamer then ly- n
ng 1T the wharf on the eye OF depart !
ire down the river. From another r
Iource the brother learned that s
lbout that time an intoxicated man q
vas drowned, that the body after q
ying in the river several days and
without indentification had been s
buried by the authorities. Now =
thoroughly alarmed, he repaired to ]
he grave to indenlify the body II i
On opening the coffin ii y
vas found that decays effacing fin =
.ers" had obliterated the familiar i
ines OF the features but across the q
eft cheek the long dark locks still v
lung as il swept there by the waves a
from the long coat that still envel- Q
,ped the body sample was taken II
n texture and color was identical o
With that worn by my phantom 4
'COincident? why yes you may
all il that if you choose, rather a
Ong word though ~ "a dream Il
nay he so, but dream or no dream, a
n it Bob Bankhead kept his prom II
sc to mel" a