The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-11-07

ghost. i was murdered in here. / am
ghost and am now going to haunt
the wretch who gave me that, and he
pointed to the gaping. CHASTITY wound
across his throat.
"Who-who killed your asked Dali
rymple
"His manner the ghost asked. -"Ah.
don't know that. But his face!
Ahl how many thousand times have
! caused it to grow contorted In the
most dreadful agony, as would ap-
pear before him suddenly. Before the
night he gave me this death wound ]
used to see him hanging about the vii
lage with the other loafers paid no
attention to him. But on that dreadful
night l recognized him as he stood over
me with that shining blade drawn. ]
cried out for, mercy, but he would not
hear me- He struck the fatal blow. !
felt the keen edge of the knife and then
l felt my life blood flowing out and my
strength was going
"Everything appeared in mist to me
and pretty soon all had faded and was
dead. But was in another world.
could hold communion with a thousand
other wronged beings who had been
transformed from life into the ghost
world They told me merry stories of
how they at all hours haunted those per
sons who had wronged them in this
world But in that respect am pecul-
lar ghost have my regular haunting
hour. remember as my murderer stood
over me the clock in an adjoining room
chimed the hour of o'clock. and every
night just at l o'clock pay my vic
tim-he's my victim nova visit. And
Unjust be going"
He moved toward the door and we fol.
lowed.
"Do you young men want to follow a
ghost upon his cheerful mission? he
asked.
"By all means. If you will let us" said
Dalrymple.
II have no objection. A ghost desires
no company, but you may CO."
We followed him out through the
darkness to the road that led past the
house. Removed quickly along the road
and we followed, filed with sensation
which cannot explain. With a ghost
on his nightly roundsi This was some
thing strange-passing strange.
Over the hills we followed his ghost
ship until the village had been completely
left behind The fields, waving with
their harvests Of corn. were on either
side.
Where was he going2 Who was the
murderer These thoughts fitted
through my mind thousand times.
Presently he stopped before large farm.
house.
''This is the place." said he.
Great heavens! Was 1t possible3
knew the place we'll 1t was the
residence Of Captain James Standiford.
one Of the most prominent men In our
whole vicinity.
"This cannot be true" said Dahym-
pie.
But the ghost gave Us no time fo1
words or thoughts
Follow me-" he said, and he entered
the house. Bolts and bars have no re
straining power against ghost. for he
pushed the door lightly aside and stepped
into the hallway. Evidently he knew
the place we'll A look Of delight. l fan
cied. came over his face as he beckoned
Us to follow him up the stairway.
At the TOP Of the stairs he STONED DO
| fore door.
''This is his room" he said
He turned the knob and went in.
The room was dark, but through ar
open shutter a faint streak of light en-
tered
On a bed a sleeper was tossing rest
lessly about. 1t was Standiford
He 1noaned, restlessly turned over ant
then, with q frightened start, sat up il
bed.
His eyes fell upon the CHASTITY ghos
figure standing at the foot Of his bed
looking thousand times more horrible
than when we had first seen him
With a loud cry Of terror he spranl
from the bed and ran to the farther side
Of the room Slowly the ghost wen
after him.
Take it awayi Take It awayr' h.
shrieked. "lt's his facet Take it away
Oh, God! Take it away!"
Standiford's face was 30 terr1bl.
drawn and contorted by his terrors tina
one OF his most intimate acquaintance
would not have known him
The ghost went slowly toward him
and with a maniacal. terrified look b
ran about the room. getting as far from
the ghost as the room would allow
shrieking and moaning piteously all tn
while.
1 Shrinking IN a corner like cur
bay, with his bloodshot eyes almos
ready to burst from their sockets, Stand
ford held up his hands toward the ghos
and cried out piteously:
"Go away now, please go awayl l ar
sorry-so sorry. and this is enough-m
Godi it's enough
But the avenging spirit did not hea
his pleas for mercy. Wherever Stand
ford went the horrible thing followe
him