The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-04
care. Two wax candles stole from my

adviser, the cook. My Latin Cesar"
never left my pocket. and one afternoon,
Just at dusk, l peeped cautiously into the
odd Catholic church upon the hill and,
finding no one thrtc, filled a small bottle
with holy water from the font near tine
door Now was perfectly equipped.
For the next two or three DAYS alter.
mated between feelings Of doubt and fear.
but at last the Sunday came o. how tri.
umphant | felt rs | looked around in
church and thought Of what hero was
soon TO becomel How people would want
to notice me then and not be blaming me
for everything that took place, as they
did now Failur. in tho great attempt
never entered my ininG
AT supper wa, very quiet. obeyed
Implicitly and refrsed the third piece of
cake which was kiadly offered to me by
my mother, a circtl Instance never known
Ia have happened before. My mother was
considerably asto0ished, and more 50
when announced my intention Of going
up TO bed and kissed her fond good
night. AS fingered on the steps | could
lear her make some kind remark, to
which my father very cruelty answered
"Bosb" and went On with his reading.
Ten o'clock struck on the church clock
could hear them about 10 go to bed now
they were coming up the stairs; now they
had gone into their room. Here was my
opportunity, so stole softly down stairs
With my boots in my hand looking more
Ike thief than hero, a fact which &C
H1owledged to mTself as | came face to
fsce with the mirror in the hall. To I'm
lock the side door was short work; to run
down TO the summer house in he garden
and get my candles. water and matches
was the next tasE Then went to where
my fathers small boat lay under the gar
den on the rocks
The rope was easy to undo and the tide
pretty high, 50 | was soon rowing out to
ward the black mass i'll front. The spirits
at last would have their rest.
That was frigltenedI will not deny,
but the night was so clear and the moon
seemed so friendly that | took courage,
and besides. it was only half-past ~ and
nothing would appear until II. | had
nearly two good hOnrs yet
The old man-o' war seemed very lonely
when approached it. The figure head
appeared to regard me with less friendly
glance than i'll day time, but l did not
care. got up to. the deck slowly and
with great quiet. could hear my heart
beat as looked around and realized for
the first time my utter loneliness. Could
bear to meet the ghosts Il they should
appear Clearly could not. And it was
getting later, too what if anything white
should come before midnight? Why, it
would be terrible My courage was fast
falling, ] wouldn't have stayed there
until -, not even to be Lord Nelson him
self.
But stay; something might be done,
even in my absence a brilliant idea,
and safe onel | went to the center of
the ship, trembling i'll every limb. lit
my two candles and set them down, and
then, in a voice broken with fear, began
slowly to read the opening chapter in
Cesar. "Gallia est omnis divisa In
parties tres"-and so kept up until fin
ished the first page, and laid the book
down open at the place. Then i poured
the holy water around in great profuson.
"Now, thought l. what more can |
do? Here is everything ready, all the
materials at hand. and if the ghosts come
and want to get released let them go
through the ceremony themselves. Tho
candles are lit, my Caesar is at their dis
posal--I shall say lost it; and now I'm
going home" And thereupon | ran
quickly To my boat and rowed as If
thousand fiends were following me, no
longer q hero, but a much frightened boy.
As good luck would have it got in
safely. gained my room, undressed, and
then, with feeling of great restfulness.
took my position ut the window. Twelve
o'clock struck Nothing could be seen on
board the Bellona, but | had no doubt
that strange things were taking place
there. watched carefully, was getting
sleepy-so sleepy-and finally, without
my knowing it. dropped on the floor
asleep.
Great heavens" what was that?' The
whole house seemed to rock and sway and
n mighty noise as Of thunder sounded in
my ears rushed TO the window. There
where the man-o' war had been mighty
sheet of flame burst forth. 1t was a
fiightful sight. The villagers were
crowding on the quay in AFFECT terror.
Ny father rushed down and called out in
anger "Brcslin some miscreant has
fired the gunpowder stored Oh that old
hulk See that no one leaves here to-
night"
saw it all now; gunpovder had been
the mysterious cargo, after all That was
why my father had asked about pipes.
My candles had done the work. The old
ship was gone the ghosts had been laid
And | hid my head under the sheets and
made no movement that night, and in the
morning, when every one was talking
about the explosion, there was one young
gentleman who had no theory and who
had slept through it all-and that young
gentleman vas myself. L. S." in
Philadelphia Times.