Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-05-31
The Gray Ghost of Gilsum.
Bf FLETCHER REEDE.

hCic uilAy DC II rev Hutterlug
rags OF superstition still hanging about
ne, out nothing quite SO worn and
threadbare, let us hope, rs a belief in
| ghosts"
Nevertheless, continued Chaunccy
De Wolf, leaning against the mantel and
looking grevcly down at the smoldcrinp
embcrs of the fire, al am prepared ID
affirm that if any man ever saw a ghost.
l am that man"
You, of all persons. Perhaps vol
will expect us to believe next that it was
your interview with a ghost which
turn d your hair white before YOU
reached the thrties."
EXACTLY that, madam"
"Then you have n great deal to thank
him for"
ooh, have more than that to thank
him for" replied De Wolf. smiling
"Shall tell you the story2"
och, yes, do tell it by all means. " and
madam folded her white hands and
lifted her pretty, incrcdulous face toward
her guest He was an old college friend.
and had come to spend the Christmas
holidays with us in our pretty country
home on the Hudson. AS he stood in
front OF the fire, his shrcwd, kindly face
telling its own story of successful
career, he was, perhaps, the last person
one would have supposed guilty Of such
an anachronism rs belief IN ghosts.
a Roman nose is natures bet on n
mans success, and De Wolf had all the
benefit of the bet His clearly cut feat
tires and fine, dark eyes were rendered
the more striking by the frame work of
snow white hair which was brushed
strais hit back fiom his forehead, giving
him, in the opinion of the ladies, an ap.
pearancc altogether irresistible.
was no! greatly concerned about his
appearance, but knew him to be thor
oughly good fellow, and in spite of his
proiession-hc was Il lawycr-in the
nam a truthful one; | was, therefore,
surprised at the new role which he
seemed DESTROYS of playing.
Are we expe ted TO believe every.
thing you tell usl" asked madam. in n
hooking tone, rs she assumed n listen
ing attitude.
Yes, everything" replied De Wolf.
mo one who kncws me ever accused
me OF having that fatal gift-imagna.
ZION, and you may rest assured that |
shall continc myself in the most ub;ect
manner TO simple facts am incapable
OF doing otherwise"
AS he spoke, the wind which had
been working with nervous, uncertain
fingers ut Il loose fastened blind finally
lore II open, slamming it against the
window with II crash that startled even
the cat from her drowSy dreams on the
hearth-ruS. IL was wild night. the
wind roaring down the chimney and
rafting among the icc-coatcd branches
oil the great Gins outside with Il sharp.
continuous sound like the noise of mus
kerry. Within, the fire had burned low.
ana the long, white curtains ut the win
uows, looking strangely weird and un-
familiar in the lin light. shivered and
trembled rs II, in some occult way, they
were in silent sympathy with the spirit
of the storm.
When we had gathered up the broken
fragments OF glass and had closed the
shutters, Dc Wolf, who alone had been
unmoved by this little household dis
turbance aud the tremendous uproar of
the clements, went on with his story.
1t was on night not unlike this"
he SAID, when | left Boston to stay n
lew days with Earle Russell at Gilsum.
on remember him ut Yale-a very good
fellow. but with penchant for missions.
lie mad married and settled down as n
pastor oil little country church. The
wonder is that he did not 90 to Nova
Ieml la or Central Africa, but perhaps
Ills vile saved him from that. How.
ever, he had found mission at Gllsum,
ana as hls wife had gone on to New
York to spend week with her sister,
russell invited me TO keep bachelors
hall with him during her absence. We'll,
we were having coy time of it to-
gether, when, one night, just as we had
settled ourselves i'll front Of the library
IRE, with our cigars and newspapers, q
boy drove up to the door in an old. IN
painted sleigh, and announced that one
OF Kusselrs parlshioners, an old man.
who lived In an outlying district, was
dying, and wanted to see the minister.
VI course, Russell prepared to obey the
| summons at once, and he did not return
till midnight. When he came in his
hands were stiff with the cold and his
ears were half frozen, but there was a
| glow on his face as he threw OIL his over.
coat and came forward to the fire, which
vas something more than simple salts.
faction at being safely housed again. /
actually believe he did not know whether
his hands were cold or not.
! We'll, he exclaimed, with BRIGHT
smile, Il have seen one more happy soul
start on its long journey. You've NO
idea, De Wolf, he went OIL, how il
takes away the fear of death, if you ever
had it, to see good man die. 1t is
such simple thing, after all, and it is
wonderful how simply these people look
at such matters. When | entered thf
house the old man was lying with his
eyes closed, but he looked up and smiled
rs took his hand in mine.
"'"You are ready and willing to go,
are you, deacon" asked, as his eye:
met mine.
THE old man half raised himself or
i's elbow and replied, in low whisper
oval, to tell the raal truth, elder
I'd rather stay where I'm better &C
,uainted. You see. pve got used t.
things here. an don't know as I car,
'oout making any change. But tn,
ord knows best, and Pm willingness
IN willing" When the end came, hi
Id face frightened into a beautiful
mile
1.-TWO days after, 1 went with m,
riend to attend the old mans funeral
bout six miles out, we drove ND to
| DnelV farmhouse and .l;,btod nv