San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-02-14
D0LPH HEYLIGER.
Bv WASHINGTON IRVING.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. }


(ooxrmuEp FROM LAST whkK.)
Dolph Heyliger had now nearly at
tanned his one-and-twentieth year, and
tho term Of his medical studies was
lust expiring, yet II must DO confessed
that he knew little moro Of the profess
sion than when he first entered the doc
tors doors. This, however, could not
be from want of quickness Of parts, for he
showed amazing aptness In mastering
other branches Of knowledge, which he
could only have studied ut intervals. He
was, for instance, q sure marksman, and
won all the geese and turkeys at Christ
mas holidays. He was bold rider; he
was famous for leaping and wrestling;
he played tolerably on the fiddle; could
swim like fish; and was the best hand
in the whole place at fives or ninepins.
All these accomplishments, however,
procured him no favor In the eyes of the
doctor, who grew more and more Grabbed
and intolerant the nearer the term Of ap-
premiership approached. Frau Ilsy,
too, was forever finding some occasion
to raise q windy tempest about his ears;
and seldom encountered him about the
house without clatter of the tongue; so
that ut length the jingling Of her keys,
rs she approached. was to Dolph like the
ringing OF the prompter's bell, that gives
notice Of theatrical thunder storm.
Nothing but the infinite good humor of
the needless youngster enabled him to
bear all this domestic tyranny without
open rebellion. 1t was evident that the
doctor and his housekeeper were prepar-
ing to beat the poor youth out of the
nest the moment his term should have
expired; shorthand mode which the
doctor had of providing for useless dis
ciples.
Indeed, the little man had been rem
dered more than usually irritable lately
In consequence of various cares and vex-
ations which his country estate had
brought upon him. The doctor had been
repeatedly annoyed by the rumors and
tales which prevailed concerning the old
mansion, and found 1t difficult to prevail
even upon tho countryman and his fam
lily to remain there rent free. Every
time no rode out to tho farm he was
teased by some fresh complaint of
strange noises and fearful sights with
which the tenants were disturbed at
night, and the doctor would come home
fretting and fuming, and vent his spleen
upon the whole household. It was in
deed a sore grievance, that affected him
both in prids and purse. He was threat
ened with an absolute loss of the profits
of his property; and then, what a blow
to his territorial consequence to be the
landlord of haunted housel
1t was observed, however, that with
all his vexation the doctor never proposed
to sleep in the house himself; nay, he
could never be prevailed upon to remain
In the promises after dark, but made the
best of his way for town as soon as the
bats began to fit about in the twilight.
The fact was, the doctor had a secret be-
lief in ghosts, having passed the early
part of his life in q country where they
particularly abound; and indeed the
story went that when boy he had once
seen the devil upon the Hartz mountains
In Germany.
At length the doctors vexations on
this head were brought to a crisis. One
morning, as he sat DOING over volume
in his study, he was suddenly started
from his slumbers by the bustling in OF
the housekeeper.
"Here's a fine to dol" cried she as she
entered the room. "Here's Claus Hop
per come in, bag and baggage, from the
farm, and swears he'll have nothing more
to do with it. The whole family have
been frightened out Of their wits; for
there's such racketing and rummaging
about the old house that they can't sleep
quiet in their beds!"
"Donner und blitzen!" cried the doctor
impatiently; twill they never have done
chattering about that house? What
pack of fools, to let a few rats and mice
brighten them out Of good quartersP
"Nay, nay" said the housekeeper,
wagging her head knowingly, and piqued
at having good ghost story doubted,
"there's more in it than rats and mice
ALI the neighborhood talks about the
house, and then such sights have been
seen in It'll Peter de Groodt tells me that
the family that sold you the house and
went to Holland dropped several strange
hints about it, and said they wished you
Joy of your bargain;' and you know
yourself there's no getting any family to
live in it."
"Peter de Groodt's q ninny-an old
woman," said the doctor peevishly. "Ill
warrant he's been filling these peoples
heads full Of stories. It's just like his
nonsense about the ghost that haunted
the church belfry as an excuse for not
ringing the bell that cold night when
houoO "oo va
fire. Send Claus to me-"
Claus Hopper now made his appear
ance-a simple country lout, full of awe
at finding himself in the very study OF
DIR. Knipperhausen, and too much en-
barrassed to enter into much detail of
the matters that had caused his alarm.
He stood twirling his hat in one hand,
resting sometimes on one leg, some
times on the other, looking occa-
sionnlly at the doctor, and now and then
stealing a fearful glance at the deaths
head that seemed ogling him from the
top of the clothes press.
The doctor tried every means to per-
s,lade him to return to the farm, but
all in vain; he maintained q dogged
determination on the subject; and
at the close Of every argument or
solicitation, would make the same brief,
infiexible reply, "Ich kan NIGHT, myn-
heer." The doctor was a "little pot, and
soon hot" his patience was exhausted
by these continual vexntions about his
estate. The stubborn refusal of Claus
Homer seemed TO him like flat rebellion;
his temper suddenly boiled over, and
Claus was glad TO make a rapid retreat
10 escape scalding.
When the pumpkin got TO the house
keepers room. he found Peter dc GrOodt
and 81 veral other true believers ready 20
receive him. Here he indemnified himself
for the restraint he had suffered In the
study, and opened a budget Of stories
about the haunted house that astonisbed
All his hearers. The hOusekeeI,eT be-
lieved thea all. IL 1t WIS only to spite
the doctor for having received her intel-
Hgence % uncOurteOusly- Peter de
Gruoit matched them with many q
wonderful lc-cnd of the times q the
Dutch dynasty. and q the devils STEP
ping stone. and Il the pirate Tat Uas
tarlyed AZ Gibbet Island, and CONTINUED
70 swing tlsere al night lOng aftgr he
gzllosrs vas taken -dgU-ns ard Il tie
Th,ost of the unfortunate Goverr0r Leis-