Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-07-31
THE Colonies STORY,
BY EDITH UPPER.

eyes" said the colonel, as he pulled
vigorously at the cigar he was lighting.
eyes, believe in ghosts. should be
the most ungrateful man alive if l did
not, for a ghost once saved my life."
n There was a chorus of "oh'sn and
'iah's" and feminine shrek or two at
this statement.
'Fact," said the colonel, as he leaned
back against the huge tree and prepared
TO enjoy his smoke. eff it had not been
& for ghost and those two dogs yonder /
= should not be here tonight"
Veal gathered closer about the camp
fire, and Mrs. Dick Torrington, who was
notorious coward, hastily tumbled from
her hammock and came forward, crying
out that her teeth had already begun
chattering, while her husband voiced the
sentiments of the group by begging the
colonel to tell us the story.
We were happy, jolly party
camping out in the Adirondacks.
There were the Meachams, the Tor
ringtons, Joe Darrow, the colonel
and the writer. We had been fishing all
day and had had most extraordinary luck
We were all in a most amiable frame of
mind-in just the mood to hear a story.
Would the colonel tell us about his ghostl
The colonel was an eccentric gentle
man of about forty-five years. He was
an awfully good fellow, great diner-out
and capital story -teller. We had often
been RECALLED by his marvellous tales of
adventure by field and flood, but he had
never led us into domain peopled with
spectres.
He signifed his willingness to guide
us thither tonight, and so we huddled
between him and the fire and proceeded
to make ourselves as comfortable as pos
sible during the recital
Mrs Dick Struggled up under her big
husbands arm. Bess Meacham drew a
little nearer Joe, and even Phyllis, who
boosted there was nothing under heaven
she feared save drunken men and snakes,
condescended to allow me to sit on the
pile of blankets where she had thrown
herself, her pretty head pillowed on her
little brown hands.
The colonel, of course, was facing us
moving quietly about behind was Jack
Conroy, the guide, and stretched |
out in lazy enjoyment by the swapping
fire lay the colonels two superb English |
bloodhounds.
at was in ~ began the colonel,
'sthat bought ranch in Colorado and |
stocked it with sheep. My health had
been so miserable for some time, the |
doctors all agreed that an outdoor life |
was what l needed. | was loath to leave
st. Louis, where / was enjoying social
life amazingly, but as did not care to
fill consumptive's grave just then,
yielded to the advice of my physicians.
''My ranch of a thousand acres lay in
great, green, fertile valley, shut in
by frowning mountains. 1t was beau
tiful spot-a veritable garden of the
gods.
"The neighboring ranch was owned
by young Englishman, a big, handsome,
blonde fellow, with the sunniest dis
position and the sweetest smile in the
world. 1t was impossible to know him
and not love him. God! how fond |
was of that boyl''-The colonel broke off
and smoked few moments in silence.
"Ialways fancied, he finally resumed,
that he had been in some scrape or
other in England and had come to
America to be rid of it. Nothing dis
graceful, | am sure. l cannot connect
dishonor with Lionel Ashton. He was
too ingenious, open-hearted and frank
for anything of that sort. He may have
been indiscreet. reckless, imprudent, but
never dishonorable.
1--WE were soon the warmest friends.
Not a day passed that we did not see
each other We rode about the ranches
inspected and criticised the
sheep and cattle, went to the mountains
on hunting excursions, and the cool OF
the evening always found my boy
stretched full length in front OF my
cabin, pulling away at his pipe and dis
cussing some topic of mutual interest.
HE was almost like son-or
rather" said the colonel, hastily correct
ing himself, ''like younger brother. II
he did not come over just at an appointed
hour l missed him directly, and found
myself wondering why Lionel didn't
come. And then when he came dashing
up on his pony, his fair young face
shaded by his big sombrero, and calling
out in his CHEEKY voice, Hello, ColonelF
some way the day at once grew brighter
Toward the end of August, Lionel
began talking about going through the