The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-28


were trees The clouds began to thin. turned
to look at my companion. His gaze seemed to
be fixed on some object right ahead
why, man alive! What are you staring ata'
| / asked
He did not answer, but he still gazed so hard
| In the same direction that his eyes seemed to be
starting out of their sockets. At this moment
| the moon came from behind cloud, then Pete
| giving vent to an unearthly YELL jumped out of
the buggy and ran back as hard as he could tear.
| The sudden movement startled the horse, and l
had some difficulty in pulling him in, and when
l had him in hand, he too showed disposition
| to shy. now saw what had scared Pete There
was burial ground on the slope of hill tc the
| right The white tombstones were plainly visi
bic through the trees, and on one grave stood the
| tall, white figure of a woman with long hair, in
| flowing robes Her hands were clasped and
raised above her head as if in prayer. 1t was
| weird. unearthly looking sight, and we'll calcu-
| lated to brighten anybody. Then the ghost, for
suppose L must call it, swayed to
/ and fro and moaned l secured the
horse and buggy to a tree, and sprung over the
| fence that surrounded the burial ground.
made my way up the hill towards where the
| figure stood. do not believe in ghosts. have
not the slightest faith in the supernatural and,
as have said before. have no physical fear.
| My object in investigating this strange appear
ance was partly humane one, and partly curl
| osity. The figure was alive, there was no doubt
about that; and itwas not spook, there was still
less doubt about that 1 was right before it, and
must confess that the moonlight falling on the
| white night dress of the woman, in grave-y yard,
| too did have somewhat startling effect. Her
| face very pale. She was handsome and her
| deep blue eyes seemed to be staring into va
| cancy. She was evidently somnam bulist who
| had wandered some distance from her home
| for there were no houses near-and was in a
| most dangerous position with nothing but slip
| pers on, and thin garment in the damp night
air. My mind made up to
what was to be DONE l must find this
| woman's home and take her to it. knew the
oh afy al r IL
was alternative. 1 seized her by the waist
and lifted her from the ground. She awoke |
| instantly, looked at me, shrieked family, and
| then swooned away. / kicked down the fence |
| and carried her to the buggy, and wrapped the
| rug over her shoulders, supporting her with my
| right arm as drove quickly along the road, de-
| termined to stop at the first house | saw. l
knocked loudly at the door of small frame cot
| tage. situated at the corner of a narrow lane
| The young woman was still insensible. mid
| dle-aged mar put his head out of the window.
and inquired what the matter was
II have got a young woman in my buggy" l
said whom 1 have just found wandering about
in her sleep in the graveyard She has tainted
| and is half naked; you had better let me in."
'By gosh" said the old man sympatheticallv,
| that must be Mrs. Sherbrooke. She has never
got over the death OF her husband I'll come
| down." d
1 laid my snowy burden on the Sofa in the cot
tage, and the man and his wife applied restora
tives The young widow recovered conscious
ness, but appeared to be quite dazed by the |
strange surroundings.
II guess" spoke the man, "the best thing for
you to do, mister, is to drive Mrs Sherbr0oke |
home She lives in brick house about mile
up the lane on the left. IN 20 with you if you
like, but you can't miss it."
Borrowing another blanket and putting it
around her 1 drove towards the young womans
home. There was much commotion in the house
Mrs. Sherbrooke had already been missed, and
her father brother and the coachman were
dv 0f rtrpO in
| tons to look for her. l learnt that she had
| acquired the practice of walking in her sleep
| since the death of her husband. A careful
| watch was kept over her movements during the
night but she frequently managed to evade all
| such precautions Her favorite haunt was the
| burying ground where her husbands remains
| were inferred. I received the warmest thanks
| from the family for what had done, although
| no man with spark of humanity could have
| done less.
''You won't be able to catch that train at Pitts
field" said Mrs Sherbrooke's father. Stay here,
at any rate until day break and III drive you
| to the station"
1t was quite true; my advent ure and the delay
in consequence would prevent nay arriving at
| Springfield at the time l thought. l therefore
consented to stay, but did not care to go to bed.
| The old gentleman got out whisky and
| cigars and insisted on staying up with me, and
| then he began to talk
Its painful story in connection with my
| daughter but perhaps you'd like to hear it. Well,
she was very much in love with young Sher-
brooke, and they were married. He was good
| fellow, but rather shiftess and erratic. He had
some means and got tired of the East and con-
| cludej to leave his wife for little and 60 to
| Texas to see what was to be done there with his
capital. He started. and was killed in the Green
river bridge accident"
II was in that smash-up" / said, becoming
| quite interested.
| ooh, it was horrible" sighed the old man.
| ''You, as see, came out of it all right but poor
George was in the forward car, the smoker, and
was mangled almost beyond recognition We've
| got a few pieces of him buried in yon grave
yard where you found my daughter 1 identi
| fed them and brought them with me from
| Centerview. 1t was pretty difficult job to
pick them out but we knew they his re-
| mains owing to diamond ring on the finger"
"a diamond ring" exclaimed in astonsh-
ment ''what kind of diamond ring2"
| IAN old-fashioned thing, one that's been in
| poor Georges family for generations. He was
| proud of it, and always carried it around with
| him."
WAS it," asked "a ring with one large
stone of fine water with star-shaped clusters of
| brilliants2"
"Why, of course it was"
''And had it two pieces of thin gold wire to 90
| round the fingerF
Certainly; you must have seen it."
II have seen it, said.
"We'll soon settle that question:" remarked
| Mrs Sherbrooke's father, going to the drawer of
| a bureau and producing the identical ring that
! had given to Colonel Pike. of ST. joe, and had
| afterwards been claimed by the unfortunate
young man who was now slowly recovering from
| his injuries at Centerview.
Describe your late son-in-law as closely as
| you can"
"Wel!. George was an odd sort of chap. No
one liked him until no knew him well. He was
| rather slouchy in his dress and inclined to be
quarrelsome But he was very good fellow for
| all that"
| This answered exactly to the description of
| the man at Centerview in the doctors hands. It
| yTa now my turn RI a INV onIT
| ally had a very attentive listener The tender
hearted old gentleman interrupted before had
| half finished.
George isn't dead" he cried, bursting into
tears, land Annie will be happy again. | must
not tell her until morning But how came this
diamond ring to be found when this Colonel