Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-12

ssrnsd 20 my essy.chair, and, ringing the
ordered Joseph to make me q cup Of
5trong coffee. When this had been brought-1
told him I should require his services no
more that night, and babe him go to bed at
A little later the clock On the mantel-
piece chimed midnight, and I began to
the time had arrived for following
yoseph's example. As, however, I rose to
90 shls l was surprised to hear some one
call me.
"Come in,'' I said, thinking It must be
inc servant; but no one stirred. For q
moment l stood i%rresolute, but on a repeti.
zion OF the soundw walked to the door INC
snrew IT open: There was no one outside.
"Mr. Clife!" again said the voice, this
Coming from the n%eighborhood Of the
lclosed the door and turned back. "Who
and where are your' I asked.
sugg, the SOLICITOR"
"Pooh, pooh," I replied, dropping into
my chair, "Sugg's@ Fortunately I
stopped in time; l must be careful not to
and no doubt in bed an hour ago."
ITS no use, Mr.. Cliffe," returned the
stranger, ~ know better, and SO do you;
you're a clever fellow, Mr.. Cliffe, but you
can't argue a bullet out of a mans body"
and the voice laughed in a dreary kind of
way.
The last statement had its weight with
me; clearly, if this were not Sugg it was
some one possessed of a curiously precise
knowledge of what had just occurred.
what are you doing here?" I asked.
mAt present IN trying to warm my:
ut first without any flesh or clothes.D
began to realize the position; this,
then. was Sugg's ghost, probably come to
Jake revenge on me for having killed its
s, 81 suppose ~ you mean to haunt me-" l
your trouble for nothing; my nerves are
tolerably strong"
"Oh dear no." he answered, ayou're
quite mistaken; that's an absurd idea PEG.
pie have: Spirits are not allowed to re.
turn to this worlds"
piled, conclusively; s'when rules are made
they ought to be observed"
"That's true," he said, 'sbut an exception
is needed now and then just to prove that
they do exist. Pm one," he added, with a
touch of dissatisfaction.
fulfilled your mission, you had better go.
Pm off to bed, and I can't afford to keep
up a fire all night for your pleasure"
~ must finish my business irst," he
protested.
"That's your affair."" I retorted, risinga
81 Know" he returned; "but for that I
must have your help"
"Indeed," l rejoined; Gin what way"
."Ill explain in 9 word, if you'll sitdown
again." ne said. With my usual good hu-
NOR l did as he requested. After a pause,
during which l presume he was settling
himself comfortably on the hob, he pro-
ceeded:
COZ course what I am about to tell you
will be considered strictly confidential. I
may count upon your discretion?D
I nodded toward the fireplace; its occu-
pant seemed satisfied, and continues:
"For some time before my-my demise,
I was a large and unfortunate Spectator
with me, loss following loss with appall-
| ing persistency. After disposing of all
my own valuables I was forced to fall
back on those of my clients-amongst 9TH
ers yours. Permit me to make you a
assistance yielded to me.
"But the worst has to be told. I fell in
to bad company, and was hurried into the
commission OF deeds from which in a
cooler moment I should have shrunk;
what torments me most is that I induced
some of my friends, and those precisely
I II SuiAOAOoo II uAAouoPSSoAA6S w
follow my example unwittingly. My I'M
expected"-here he again hesitated-"de.
mise prevented me from destroying Ger.
| tain compromising documents committed
to my care, and unless I can do this q
heavy and undeserved punishment will
fall upon those blameless but too confid-
ing persons.0
II am sorry to hear it," I interrupted;
''but 1 do not see how I can interfere."
II do not ask that you should," he re-
tArned, eagerly; 81 lave arranged every.
thing; in view of the facts, leave to return
to earth has been given me, with permits
sion to take possession of my former tene.
ment for one night. All 1 wish from you
is to say where you have concealed my
body"
In all my experience I can not recall
having received so inconsiderate q de-
mand. I do not think am an u
reasonable man, and had Mr.. Sugg's
should have made no demur in giving
my help; but this was a proposal I could
not accept.
"The things impossible" I said; ~ de-
cline to be a party to SO monstrous a
Why, sir,"I continued, waxing warmer,
'syou might as well ask me to second you
in upsetting the law of gravitation."
My answer seemed to disooncert Mr.
Sugg in no small measure. The voice
trembled as it replied:
"For PHYS sake, don't refuse me; think
of the disgrace and suffering you will
bring on the innocent if you persist. After
all, it's a trifing matter to you"
lis it?" I sale to myself, rejecting OIL
the difficulty of bringing back his scat
tered remains to their original form; but
to him 1 only replied more decidedly:
"My minds made up; I refuse distinctly
to give you any such help"
On hearing these words Mr.. Sugg's spirit
uttered q low cry of despair, and then, as
I judged, began to fly rapidly from one
end Of the roomto the other, wailing forth;
"My poor body! where's my bodyW
When. this performance mad lasted fol
some time I lost my temper. Come
Gomez" I said, "you know you can'5 go OF
like this all night"
The voice VIZ, silent for an instant, anc
the next wor(l we're spoken from beside
the fire. ''Oh, can't II" 1t said, "jus'
listenW and tnereupon it gave utterance
to a shrek so weird and shrill that IN spit
of myself I shock with fear. i.
"For Heavens sake" I cried, 'don't d.
that again, or you'll drive me mad"
II spirits can chuckle, certain I am that
Mr.. Sugg's did SO then. "9h, that's moth
ing,nit observed, II was only clearing
my throat"
The mere thought of having the sound
repeated made me turn cold. "Lool
- ~ r 49, 20 ~@,r g. rro,ry1 ,n-~&,