Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-05-15
TIM SULLIYAN'S GHOST.

Whose ghost IS thGtg
This was said 10y Peter Donnelly, who
was sitting up in his bed, having been
just awakened by the noise Of clanking
chains in his bedroom. The window
curtain was mp, and the light from a
quarter moon shed a soft bat clear light
upon all the objects in the room. The
ghost was walking up and down the
apartment, wrapped in n clean, white,
sheety looking costume and dragging a
long chain, which was fastened to its
waist, and which made a weird noise at
every movement of the ghost.
The ghost stopped on hearing Donnel-
ly's question, and, turning its head to-
ward the bed, gazed with mournful eyes
upon Peter, and, after one long look, it
took up its walk again. The face which
Donnelly saw was enough 10 satisfy him
that the ghost was no other than that of
his old friend Tim Sullivan. SO, reas-
sured, Peter sang out, "Is that you,
Tim?"
The ghost, without stopping in its
walk or turning its head, nodded assent:
whats up said Peter.
And then the ghost broke its silence
and answered. I'm up. and that's what's
the matter"
Didn't they wake You properly, Tim?
/ was there, and l thought we did it in
style. There were a fine lot Of broken
heads at the wake, AID my ovn was II
of them"
"Yis, yis," said the ghost, "the wake
was all right, and ] thank the boys for
the way they behaved; though III say it
now, that l didn't like the way of that
Dan Flaherty making love to my WILDLY,
right before my eyes, rs it were. If !
had been able, / would have raised mel in
me coffin and welted the head of him
never moind, I've me eye on him. IT'S
true, it's a dead eye. but he'll hear from
me yet"
"Then what worries you, Tim, that
you're strolling about when it's time for
all honest dead men to be quiet? Are
you not out of purgatory yet, after al.
the money your %sorrowing wildly has
paid Father Malone for candles and
masses"-
"Yis, yis; that's all right. / got me
pass two weeks ago"
Then, in the name Of the divil, what
do you want, Tim Sullivan, trapesing
around in those nightclothes? And if
it's anything | can DO fer the repose of
your soul just say the word, Tim, and
for ould friendships sake I'll do it as
sure as me names Pete Donnelly."
"Tut, tut, Peter Donnelly; don't use
the name Of the divil so familiar like
you don't know him. He is a much big
ger man than | thought him till | saw
L.. H.. ILL.,. n. .r,r, 1rAlr. D.t,,.
that he's a bigger nan than the mayor
or even the chief Of polacef"
"And have you seen the diyil, Tim?'
CAV course | have"
"And what did he say to your"
"Well, you sec, it was after / had me
pass, when | was on me way here, when
he was coming along with a whole
crowd of his folks, and they stopped me,
and widout aword they took me by the
arm and escorted me right to the diyil
himself, and Ahe divil he says to me,
very politely like, What is your name,
sirY And | answered him at onct, Tim
Sullivan, your honor Then says he,
Where are you gomgg Then says !, i
was thinking of going back to me old
home for a bit. Then says he, Have
OOu gUhA lAno WIN NOAs 4 NNg % 4 Anf
YOU honor and | mp and shows it to
him. He took one squirt mt it, but he
would not touch it, and 1 seen him shake
a bit when his eye caught the sign Of
the cross, and then he says to me, All
right, Mr.. Sullivan, and taking his hat
off he made me a most polite bow, jest
as if | was the finest gintleman in the
land, and was lett alone in the twink
ling Of an eye, Oh, the diyil is born
gintleman, Peter, and any man who
says anything agin him is no friend of
mine, and j tell you that for your own
good, Peter Donneliy."
"Well, well, Tim Sullivan, have il
your way. Divil a word will l say
against the divil, seeing as he is a friend
of me old friend Tim Sullivan; but what
can l do for We, Timg'
81 hardly know if | can trust the sa
cret wild ye, Peter, but I've been casting
me eye-me dead eye'-you know, al
around me, and | can think Of no frient
of mine but you, Peter, who has TIN
courage to take the JOHN hand that pvt
come for. | can do the most Of it, bu
Ineed a live man TO help"
"Will a man risk in the job, Tim, o
is it only the putting some blaguarl
out of the way who's disturbing you
pace Of mindg If it is the last, Tim
you can count on me, but no daling
with your gintlemanly frind the diyil
IL you PLACE, Tim Sullivan. I'm no
that kind of a man"
"All right, Peter" said the ghost
''and by your leave, III take a chaii
Aud novy WON ramimNor pat OROurke'
wake, do you notf where Brannagi
claned out the medicine bottles after Tia
whisky was gone"
"Yis." said Peter, 81 remember
right well, for me cousin Judy Flaniga
broke her leg in falling over the corpse.
"Well, said the ghost, 81, that night