New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-04
THE BLACK GHOST.

uhcG InliS' 20 SQUIRE Iangbourn's only daughter
Cre,a On that day her first proposal was made
10 her, in the ivy-bowered walk ieaulng from
,be house to the tennis ground, by no less -
,arsonaqe than Sir James Bracl1eth0rpe. nch
baronet and IA terrible bore. Poor Greta replied
Economically in her fright that she was very
nn,,mcb oblig ed 10 limit was very good of him
but She really didn't tmnlS-he must forgive her
bnt-she was certain she couldn t-sRe was very
so-ry-it was quite impossible-and then she
broke down and began TO cry; whereupon Slr
lanes feeling very awkward, stammered out
- he was afraid he'd startled her-there was
no hurry about il if she'd like TO think 1t over
and so forth: which did not appear to console
her in the least. lie then bctook himself TO me
Sanire. made his proposal 20 him in concise
fashion and received an entirely favorable re
Spouse In fact. the Squire was delighted at
This turn of affairs and when Sir James informed
him that his daughters had appeared considerably
less So he answered promptly
oh stuff Nou leave her 10 me. I'll stand
none of her nonsense and so I'll show her pretty
soon fine state of things for girl like that
10 he having opinions of her own. When was
lad young people did as they were told ana
III have it. so now, or I'll know why not.
Now. Sir james had no sooner gone lnuo tne
house 10 seek this interview with the SQUIRE than
Bernard Courtcnav entered the bower-walk from
tears. How sorry he was! How hard he tried
tc comfort herl How anxious he was 10 Illo"
what could be the matter Ill,
It's that h-hor-rid Sir James she soDbed
pteously. Oh Mr. C-courtenay, L can't O-Oear
hm!" -
Sinnnlarly enough neither could Mr.. COurtenay
Indeed he vowed solemnly that the baroneo was
the most laundering ass he had ever seem dlio
he meant il.
In a few moments he had learned what had
happened, and in a few moments NOR "T rd
was effcctually cOmforted Moreover She hri
earnestly promised that, happen WhdU hhE I'm.
she never would have ANYTHING TO 40 WIN lhaU
dreadful Connected Sir James, VINO dldh seem
10 believe that sir could possibly intend 10 REFUSE
him. and that no matter what might be her
fathers opinion on the subject, she wOul1 N.Y.
great deal 10 do-tor ever aaT TI ahnnt hnr
Bernard Courtenay, who could talk apouu lnI
fayorite books and who understood pictures. anu
who cared nothing at all about tho'e SlupIl'
foxes over one of which she was sure papa Wouiu
break his neck some day IL sounded il1IIe
odd IN hear her talk of papa breaking his neck
over p fox. but everybody knows that, III Such
aGtating moments one may INK any ru""Sn
and he thought an angel
This was all highly satisfactory so far. But,
unfortunately. Bernard was not wealthy and the
Squire had rather uniuStly called him 6ookworm
the very first evening his son Ned had Drought
his friend home with him from college. The
prospect therefore anything but hopeful, Tor
if once the Squire set a man down as bookwOrm
il went hard with that man II ever he wanted
a favor of the pigheaded old gentleman. linen
in must he confessed that Bernard was a Dad
shot and that he could not bring himself even
ia pretend a liking for foX-hurung so OF COURSE
tho sporting Squires contempt for h1m was I'M
speakabe Marry his daughter TO a fellow VINO
went round by the gate? Not he! But DIT
man and what more could a fond parent desire
in a son-in-law?
Greta and Bernard fully realized their diff
culties and discussed them anX iOusl ~ 49,.
II tell you what exclaimed Greta with
sudden hope LIS ask Ned 10 help us. You've
no idea how clever he is with papa. ] always go
10 him when papa'S more trCsOme than usual
The suggestion was promptly acted upon. Ned
was discovered in the billiard-Toom prac;
Using difficult stroke over ana ama
pose which would have enchanted his tutors
if that side OF his character had ever been DIS,
closed to them. He manifested ms usual goQu
51,a
dcnce but his view OF the situation was scarcely
rcassuring He had already been informed COM
placently by Sir James that he would soon have
The felicity of owning his august self as brother
in-law. the Squire having freely bestowed ms
daughters hand upon him. Ned had been almost
too much overwhelmed with the weight of tins
unsought honor 20 make becoming reply, ana
he had barely recovered from his establishment
when he was summoned to his fathers presence
and informed i'll an emphatic manner oil the
parental will.
And look You here, Ned said the Squire in
conclusion, I'll have no shilly-sh1llylng rom
Greta about this business, and 50 | tell you. And
you'd better get that boolwom OF fellow away
sharp: he's been here quite long enough dangling
about after her DyC y hear 7? S,.,,,. ..,o :, lad
finished imparting this disheaTtcnmg intelligence,
" ms not hit OF good going against the governor
when he's in that pleasant frame Of mind, 50
/ didn't try it on. III do anything can to get
you out of this mess, Greta but | don't see my
way very clearly just AZ present
4 long conference between the allies led to
more satisfactory conclusion. POOR Ofetd was
weary and overweight with so many exciting
scenes. Her head ached and She was sick az
heart At last she left Bernard and Ned together,
and wandered away by herself down the ivy
powered walk in tie cool evening air. H. was
nearly time TO dress for dinner. The sun had set;
a gray mist rising and deepening the twl
light. Beneath the thick. trailing ivy that through
long years had twned itself about the arched trcl
lSwOrk il was already almost dark Grcta Saunered
down the path, still brOOdng on her troubles
and irving vdinlv 10 see some way of escape
Ala nod Nrqoa lU NJ bp n a
the walk, which, shrOuded in mist, might have
been window through which the old yew-tree
lawn was dimiy visible like grim. gaunt
spectre. As she fixed her eyes upon ii, thinking
the while on very different matters, she was
startled by seeing black shadow glide past the
opening. so as mOmentarily To hide the tree from
her sight.
Grcta paused, half inclined 10 turn back. but
she rebulIed herself for her childish fear and went
on reSolutely. She told herself that her senses
must have deceived her. but she had hardly done
so when the figure reappeared This time she
saw il more distinctly Ii hesitated a second AZ
the end Of the walk and then cane 1891 h q"
She stood still and awaited its approach
few minutes afterward Greta burst into the
billiard-rOOm In state Of great excitement
What in the worlds the matter? ~ exclaimed
Ned. My dear girl, you look if you'd seen
ghost
tween laugh and a sob. So l have but it's a
black onei7
Bernard evinced some concern at this announce
mcnt. for he feared lest her unaccustomed ey
perences this afternoon had been altogether Too
much for her.
1T is nothing he said soothineIy "Tt
couldn't have been anything. You're tired: it's
your fancy"
But Grets dsregardng this wellmeant con-
ISOLATION, went on eagerly:
Ned I've got something 10 tell you. Ned
do lsten,7
Ned did listen, and the result of Gretas com
municaton was a consultation so long that tbe
usual time allowed for dressing for dinner was
considerably curtailed consequently she came
down late The punctual Squire was dspleased
and the Squires displeasure was never hidden
under bushel but was heard and felt and seen
OF men and women alike. This fact was ia itself
sufficient 10 account for GretaS palpabe nervous
ness during dinner: and she suffered from yet