The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-01-01

." - yvWU Doou Euvos, sOO, h8lO ner
husband, who was one Of the circle by
the fire.
$50 I have, Lemael, true ex you are
alive. come right face to face with
John Norton oomin' through the field
from oar house to the main road sec
him just as plain a. see You folks naow,
but didn't wait to SEQ him long, ken
tell ye, but just scnd by him like light
nin,' n run intew the squire's, n told
Miss Elsis oil about it. / wux dretful
scarf, but thought she'd orter kneow
about it. 80 l KEEP, up till got there, m
then went off intew q kinder faint
Being sorter weak after fit er phthisic,
couldn't STAN it.'
"Haow did he look?" inquired one
man, under his breath.
"Dretful material, only kinda white m
peaked, m he kinder halted n looked
staight At me kinder wild n s'prised.
They cay ghosts don't never like to be
overlook, n don't s'pose he spected to
meet nobody in that londsome field"
But how could you zee his face so dis
tinctly on 30 dark nightP !" said the
squire, seeming considerably disturbed.
"Good grashus. you don't spose 1 went
through that there field without no Ian
ternr Still, after giving him ono good
look, l wuE 30 Austered that dropped
the lantern on the spot, m run screechin'
along as fast as could. You'll hev to
git that there lantern, Lemule, fur t
wouldn't dew to lose it, nohaow; we can't
afford tew git q moo one"
"Well, good people," said the squire.
we mustn't let ghosts interfere with
our New Years festivals. 1t is time that
all invited guests should be at my house :;
and here / am, the host, away from
home"
And the squire hurried away from the
store, and along the dusky wood until he
came to brilliantly-lighted old mansion
on the hill.
1t had long been his custom to give q
house-warming, a. he called it, on New
Years Eve. Nearly all the town were
hidden to these festivities, and they were
enjoyed hugely by young and old, rich
and poor. Some of the old families
thought the squire somewhat democratic
in his way of giving entertainments, and
rather turned up their noses at the small
sailors and fshermens' families; but
neither the sailors nor the fishermen too k
it to heart, and everything went merry as
a marriage bell, as general thing
The squire entered the house, greeted
few guests who had already arrived,
and then sought Elsie, his daug hter, who
was standing by the window at the end
of the long hall, looking pale and dis
tressed.
"Don't you be troubled by Mary Jane
Blagg's nonsense, DEAR" he said, j" she is
foolish woman, and is always imagining
all sorts of mysterious things"
"But, father, I've had such strange
dreams of late. / don't believe in such
things, of course, but they say several
other people have seen the-apparitiOn." !"
Nonsense it is all imagination. May
be one of the Port Nortons is about here
Just now. There is o strong family ro-
semblance between them all, you know
The mystery will be explained in a few
days, ! am sure"
Elsie cleared her brow, and entering
the parlor, greeted the. coming guests
with her usual quiet cordiality. She was
tall, handsome girl of .twenty-seven,
with the brow of a madonna, and large,
dark eyes, which, even when she smiles,
are intensely sad, though filled with
warm, kind glow, which cheered one like
a fire on frosty night
The large, square rooms are soon filled.
Heartsome fires leap on the wide hearth
stones. There is gossip in the corners,
playing of games by the young people !;
there are quiet flirtations on the stairs
and in tho halls, and after supper there
is to be dance in the great dining
room.
Elsie looks paler n sober n ever to-
night, don't she ?" asks one of the gos
sips in the corner, Of her crony.
eyes, she duz. was hopin' that
she'd quit thinkin' O. John Norton, N
give Tom Rollins, that's worn to shad-
der waitin' fur her, some encouragement
They did say, jest before John went
away, that she was ruther turnin' the
cold shoulder on him, n favorin' Tom !;
but, lor', there warn't no truth in it, fur
see she and John part the day he went
away, m though they was both quiet or
nuff, there warn't NO coldness between
'em, kin tell ye."
"Did you hear heow John Norton's
ghost he'd been seen raound here by four
or FIVE different persons ?" says another
gossip in mysterious whisper. Elsie's
heerd on it, and she's terribly out about
it."
"Speakin' O. ghosts" says Captain Ri
Icy, an old sailor who had had more
strange experiences, known more mystic
rious happenings, than any other man In
the town, and that was saying q good
deal; al saw . dreadful strange appari-
ton out tew sea abeout twenty years
ago"
Do tell us about it," said several of
the young people in the same breath,
leaving their games and joining the circle
around the FIRE, for Captain Riley's stories
were famous in the town.
"Wall, noaw, s'pose I've told the
story Q hundred times over at one time
m another in this place, but if you are
anxious to hear it can tell it again."
Nearly oil the people in the room were
anxious to hear it, aud after fitting to
and fro in his chair several times, and
clearing his throat with great deal of
vigor, he commenced to relate the thrill.
ing tale of . ghost which appeared on
shipboard during one Of his foreign voy-
ages-the ghost of . sailor who had been
Wronged by the former master of the vos-
sci, and was mysteriously murdered on
shore after the ship reached port
Elsie, her dark, large eyes dilating with
interest or emotion, joined the listening
Il