The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-07-02
AN ANNOYING VISITOR.
A Recreant Bachelor Tormented
by a Mischievous Ghost.

A Recreant Bachelor Tormented
by a Mischievous Ghost.
Mr.. Penoyer Pevensey entered his
bachelor apartments on It'll Streetin
a leisurely manner, carefully hung up
his coat and hat in the hallway, and,
setting aside his dripping umbrella.
glanced about the luxuriously furnished
room with visible satisfaction. Then,
drawing before the ch~eerfully glowing
CRATE an armchair, he seated himself
with one OF those signs to which one
gives vent when conscious of having
gone through something disagreeable,
and anticipating a quiet rest.
Mr.. Pevensey had, indeed, gone
through a very trying experience. On
that very evening, at precisely half-past
nine, he, a bachelor of eight-and-
twenty, and not Unlocking (Which fact
added in no small degree to his self
complacency), had proposed to the
charming Miss Emory, and was even
now trying to regain his scattered ideas
and explain to himself how it had all
happened. One thing was certain-that
from that time on he was fettered, and
could no longer proudly boast of his
freedom from the gilded chains of Hy-
men. Mr.. Pevensey, as he thought of
this, involuntarily heaved another and a
deeper sigh, and slowly shook his head
several times. 1t was plainly to be seen
that he was not in that love-sick condi-
ton wherein young people are supposed
to abjure food and shun sleep, and a
superficial bachelor observer, merely
knowing the fact of his engagement,
would have sworn that he had been be-
guiled and entrapped by mean of those
subtle arts and devices known only to
females. Be this as it may, the fact
remains that Mr.. Pevensey was in a
rather irritable mood, and, after rumi-
mating on his impending fate for half an
hour, he lighted q Cigar and opened the
s'Reveries of a Bachelor" with the de-
sire to extract a few drops of consola-
ton therefrom.
The rain beat d~olefully against the
window. The clock, to offset this, kept
up a most pleasant ticking, and. at in
tervals, an equally pleasant and melo-
dious Ginning, all of which sounds fell
upon Mr.. Pevensey's ears unheeded. for
he had gradually fallen into a dreamy
state of half consciousness. The fire
burned low, and the red-tinted globes
overhead shaded and subdued the light,
as it revealed the half-recumbent figure
of the bachelor thus passing from reYery
to slumber.
Patter-patter, tick-tick, patter-
"Ahemi' said q voice at his side in a
predatory way.
about him. Close by, with his chair
tilted back and his legs stretched out
toward the blaze in a most comfortable
and degage manner, was seated a ghost
of the male persuasion-a transparent
semblance of q mana veritable spirit.
Mr.. Peyensey gasped and each hair
began to look about for its individual
end ON which to stand. The ghost
noted these signs of trepidation at first
with a smile and then with a wheezy
chuckle. Finally he broke out in a hol-
low cackle.
II say. Pen, old boy" said he, as soon
as his risibilities had sufficiently SUBJ
sided, ..don't you know meP Penn
broke. you know Pembroke died last
e
This was said in a husky, rafting
voice. but in the most cheerful manner
imaginable. MI. Pevensey gradually
regained his composure; his hair sub
sided, and in five minutes from the time
of the ghosts question was able to give
an audible answer.
sAh, yes; o, yes, ha, ha! I know
you, Pembroke-yes, knew you all the
time"
mo you didn't" said the ghost.
s.You were too confoundedly fright
ened.n Here he stopped to chuckle
again. But 1 say. Pen, l won't hurt
you, you know"
90" said Mr.. Pevensey, ironically,
his courage by this time quite returned
you won'tP"
mo-" said the ghost, reassuringly,
Il won't. Now I'll tell you why ]
came" He stopped, took from a ghostly
cigar-case a shadowy cigar, lit It with
al invisible match, and began to send
forth volumes of ghostly smoke. After
the fifth puff he continued:
.tYou have forgotten it, but l haven't
Don't you remember one night, twelve
years. ago. when we made a vow over &
sknnp"
A glance of intelligence was now dis
cernible in MI. Pevensey's eyes. HI
was getting interested.
'.That whichever one should die frs
must"
.Appear to the other" finished tn.
ghost, nodding and blowing smoke
from his nostrils. ergo. here 1 am
II must say, Pembroke, that yo,
chose the worst time you possibly coult
for the interview, tonight of all others
but, then," ne continued, as if ex
cusing Pembroke, ".you didn't know
20. but I did" answered the ghost
with difficulty keeping down a refrac
tory chuckle; 81 happened to be there
myself"
"Apd say me make an awkward
fool of myself P"
swell, if you want to put it that way
I suppose 1 did; l was invisible then
you know. quite invisible"
Mr.. Pevensey groaned aloud. II
make an awkward fool of ones self i
bad enough, but to have disembodiet
spirits acting as invisible spectators o
ones folly is m~addening.
Its all right" continued the ghost
"Tm num-"
Don't" said Mr.. Pevensey, in
wheedlipg tone. ''don't tell any one
mean any other ghost; Why. If the.