The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-03-10

present turned by mute consent in the
direction indicated 10y the girls out
stretched hand; then, for one long mo-
ment. silence as of death ensued,
whilst the expression Of each face lex
elusive neither OF materiamilias nor
Dicks underwent an iustantahel
change n chan O. Which in the case Of
the three girls bespoke little less than
positive terror. blwildcrment ON the
mothers part, and a strange mixture of
amaze, amusement, and incrcdulity
on that Of the hero of the night him
self.
Then Dicl, sprang to his feet, cleared
n chair in his path ut single bound,
darted ont at the pirlor door, down the
narrow PASSAGE, and out ut the front
door, almost in less time than it takes
me to narrate the fact; only to return,
however. IN less than sixty seconds, and
drop apparently spcechlcss and exhaust
ed into the chair he had previously va
Gated.
well. did you see anythingy" ques-
toned Kate hoar3rly, whilst both the
other girls drew long deep breath.
"NOthing-nO one! responded DICK
in awo-strickcn tones. gazing blankly
round.
"llow strangel" groancd Nell in sep
ulclral tones, yet it was plain-plain
"a ones own face in Il glass.
plain what was PLAIN: asked the
vicar. rous ii from the vcritable sum-
Der which had overtaken him at last,
and glaucing round with the injured
air of man prepared to resent as per-
sonal insult any insinuation that he has
temporarily strayed from his own fire.
side TO the shadowy realms of nod.
"Why. what on earth's the matterp
NAt oil 1A,L ~ thAnrrh NnI' al "A
ghost!'
Then hy General accord the three
girls. and m'mma hcr Il. not less than
Dick. hurst Wtoa lit of uncomfortable
aunhtcr-laulhtor which had an hys-
tercal echo. and an uudcrcGrrent sus-
pciou sly akin to suhs represScd; in
deed. Edic calmly produced her hand
kerchicf. aud wiped her eyes, declaring
she chad laughed till veritable tears
ran down her checks
"But what rs II all about? the vicar
questioned with rising sense of griev-
ance. in that apparently he was to be
excluded from participation in what
was evidently 50 excellent a joke.
Instead of answering him, however,
the family party continued to stare
blankly at one another, until Dick Mt
length broke the silence, turning to
Kate with u mpludramatic air: kitty,
tell me. did my eyes deCe We me, or did
did really sce-over there, mt the
window, pressed against the pane-Just
between the shutters. which seemed to
have been pushed apart, a.
A. echoed tile three girls stimuli
taneously; then by tacit consent all
paused.
tiently. Dick don't stand gaping there
I a. I..sN on
speak! Mamma, Kate, | insist, tell me
what you saw
Whnt did You see, Dickp" Kate
questioned slowly beneath her breath,
turning to her brother, "or you, Edie?
Nell - mamma - why does no one
speak,
Il SAVIOR fancied | saw" began
Dick cautiously, "a small" lie
paused. looking appealingly ut Nell.
| White face. pressed against The WIN
dow-pane!' she continued, taking up
the parable boldly; "the face of-of "A
| girl"
IAN clothed in white, it seemed to
me- Edith went on eXcitedly, each SIS
ter being ready and eager now to add
her testimony of the astounding truth,
once the ice had been elfectually brok-
en- "and with long eliin locks streaming
in the wintry breeze2n
"JMe Chronicles of the Barnes Com
mon Ghost supplemented DICK IN
low solemn tones. "lf you quote, Edie
why not quote correctly, and duly rem
der up your authority
what i'm Heavens name is all this
nonsense. ChildrenY questioned the vi,
car, rousing himself for action, and
now thoroughly ANNOYED. "Dick, In
surprised at you. am, indeed; and
wife, really | wonder you encourage
ridiculous talk of this nature!'
"But Herbert dear, II saw ii tool
faltered poor Mrs. Carlisle, turning
wde-opened eyes towards her husband
II did, indeed. my dear"
"Saw whatY" the vicar yelled, spring
ing to his feet.
"IIerl papa" "She! dad" 1T
father" simultaneously escaped tn
lips of the Wears. three daughters
some of whom, in this moment of emo
ton, waxed more emphatic than gram
NAUTICAL, as the reader well-versed II
Lindley Murray may observe.
1.-The Barnes Common Ghost" Ed
added boldly, "of whom we were speak
ing but a few minutes ago. She opene
the shutter and just peeped in, and the
dsappeared-as they always do-in
trice. before one could draw BREATH"
And when Dick rushed out" col
tinued Nell, "behold! she had left II
sign. Dick, without doubt it was til
merciful wandering spirit, who came
see Tiff the carriers had obeyed he
and whether you were safely housed
Though, after all. Kate opined COZ
| temptuously, lone would hardly thin
, ghost required ocular demonstratlo
,, of fact. | rather incline to the belt
/ that creatures of that sort know ever
/, thing by instinct, and
. But the vicar interfered peremptori
a at this juncture, expressing hlmse
9 both grieved and shocked that intel
! gent and carefully-educated girls, nut
less daughters of his, could cOndescei
!, to speculation of this vulgar natur
= lie hardly knew whether he was mo
q Disguised by their ignorance, or ind
+ nant at Dicks foOlery. lie sternly ft
q babe the very mention of ghostlore f
y the remainder of the evening, and mu
: regretted that he must consequent
=, deprive the company, by way of pu
= ishing their friyolity, of q long-prOl
=, ised treat in the shape of a Celebrat
y Christmas story of Dickens's-treati
n of hobgoblins in general, and high
~ interesting spectre in particular-whi
N he had previously undertaken to re
70 aloud wien they should all he assembl
- round the Greside on Christmas Eve.
~ Nevertheless, during the temporg
~ withdrawal of the Wears presence In
" in the evening Dick and the girls la
~ ened to put their heads together and
u open the much-yeXed and hnally.
W booed subject. Individual impressic
= We're compared respecting, H. ana
g. striking similarity of detail in each
It's / 81. tho lpngT FRmurk