Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1886-10-28
No. 26.

|
Then stopped, for slowly and myster-
iously rose up that horrible head that
had driven me back before. 1t came,
as before, out of the grave. saw its
ashen countenance, its sunken eyes, its
wild, disheve!ed hair, and could not
face It, | turned and ran again, over
graves and stones and hedges, until
again fell. This time | stumbled
over a spade that the sexton had
doubtless dropped and forgotten.-
When [ regained my feet, I looked back
and saw the moonlight, the rank, wet
grass, and the new grave but the
ghost, or rIian-whichever he might be
was invisible. He had doubtless gone
down into his grave gaiE, in the same
silent, wejrdlikc MANNER in which he
had risen from it.
Should | turn my back forever OIL
this uncanny place ? Should I go to
the inn and send for my goods at
"Death's Lodge" trusting that the sex:
tons good wife would pack them ? -;
Should I leave everything here, and en-.
courage fear that had twice already
mustered me?
After time I thought | would 60
forward.
"If I DO" thought, II may yet find
an explanation of this mystery If l
turn back, will always believe that /
have seen ghost
There was a carrlage-track through
the cemetery that ran very close to the
grave from which the apparitioh had
apparel, and l resolved now to take
this in preference to walking over the
grass, as had previously done. had
lost confidence IN myself, and thought
it possible that | would run away once
more, if the apparitlon again appeared
| realized that the carriage road would
afford me less periIous footing. If |
ran I would be in no danger of strik-
ing against grave-stones.
| took another precaution against
danger. | picked up stone and car
RED 1t with me. 1t did not occur to
me then that it would be curious
weapon to use against disembodied
spirit.
l had approached the grave before
at its side, but my new course brought
me close to its foot, AS l came very
near | saw, what | had not imagined
before, that a man was lying on the
ground beside the grave. He was on
the opposite side from that on which
made my former approach. AS he
heard my footsteps he arose to a sitting
posture, his head rising little above
the grave. | realized the situation at
once. From my former approach, [
had been deceived into supposing that
his head arose from the grave, when in
reality it appeared from the side oppo-
site to which had been standing
When | had run away, the man had
resumed his former reclining position.
l decided that he was not a ghost, but
some tramp who had wandered into the
graveyard IN quest Of quiet place to-
sleep.
| would haye left him to resume his
SAUNDERS but for an accident. AS |
started to 80 | saw him cast his body
across the grave, while he uttered d
cry that made my blood turn chill. |
knew by the sound that he was insane,
and | feared be was dying I ran into
the house and called the sexton. We
two managed to get the wretched crea-
ture into the Lodge. We watched at
his bedside until morning, when he
died. learned that his wife had been
killed three days before by being
thrown from her horse, and the shock
of hearing of her sudden death had de-
throned his reason The unhappy
husband had stolen into the cemetery
and lain down to die beside her grave.
4 + i x
| have meyer told Ethel the story Of
my fright. At first our marriage and
our interest in our new home put 1t out
of my mind D4ter, did not wish to
recall it, but the wretchcd mailman
aroused all the compassion in my ma
ture. Now that have written the
ztory, she may read it, and see how su-
perstitious | once became.-FIaaces Is.
CWYtc.
The more you chclne spendlhrllt.