Middletown transcript., 1891-10-29

SIDE Dy SIDE, nursing our NOUNS, anu
waiting for the leader to come back to
us, aa, from what I saw Of him, felt
pretty sure he would do. Rounding
theturn into the home stretch we be-
gan to go up to him, but had run
hardly another furlong when | felt
that my mare had enough of it. Then
I called on ner and made my effort.
sGive way, Fred, when you'r beaten,
cried Charlie to me, and the next
moment The Flirt began to drop back.
Instantly Zanetta shot out like an
arrow and in flash had passed me
and gone on after the leader. / saw
him gaining on her foot BY foot and
inch by inch, but they had only fifty
yards more to go. and the youngster
was still neck to the good. She'll
never catch him. I said, and the
words had hardly left my lips when,
right on the post, Volunteer stopped,
sweryed and SHE'D, and Charlie had
got the mare home by short head.
/" 1t was marvelously strange. The
track had been perfectly clear, moth.
ing that could see to account for
Volunteers eccentric behavior. Yet
there the fact was. The horse had
stopped and risen on his hind feet
right on the winning post, thing
that in all my experience had never
seen. Everyone was amazed. but
they were not so amazed as | was
when, few minutes later, little
Tommy Garrett, who had ridden
Volunteer, came up to me with face
as white as sheet, and trembling
like a leaf. I asked him the reason
Of Volunteers mishap.
That's what came to tell you"
he answered in frightened voice.
He caught hold Of my arm, raised
himself on tip toe, and put bis lips to
my ear
:" DO you elieve in ghosts?" he
whispered.
+" 1 stared at him for a moment
without replying. wondering whether
he had gone crazy.
Ghosts" l CALCULATED in astonisE-
ment. "Ghosts? Why 7"
Because, I've just seen one; not
ghost like me or you, the ghost of a
fly"
"If an electric shock had struck me
at that moment it could not startle me
more than his last words did. /
staggered back against the wall and
looked at him in silence, unable to
speak or move.
ayes he went on, his teeth chat
tering, it's true; just at the finish of
the race, and | was in front, when
there before me, right in the middle
of the track, just as though she had
risen from the ground, stood a illy
with blood all down her sides. You
may believe me or not, as you like.
but the horse saw her, too, when he
SHE'D, and nearly rolled back on me
She was gone again in an instant, but
I tell you saw her as plainly as |
see you.'
II think I was as white as him
when asked: what was the filly's
color ?
ebay answered Tommy at once ;
bay, with white.blaze forehead
"The words had hardly been
spoken when there was the report of
a shot outside, loud cry, with rush
toward the paddock. l ran to the
door of our room and looked out
Rowland was lying on the ground
with pistol in his hand and a stream
of blood flowing from his mouth"
"When they took him to the hos
pital it was found that he was not
dead, and he did not die. After four
months confinement he rose from his
bed, perfectly recovered, but dumb
for the rest Of his days. The bullet,
entering his mouth, had shot away
greater portion of the tongue, and
passed out the back of the head. It
seems that the action of the shot had
destroyed certain highly sensitive
cerebral nerves, with the result that,
in addition to being deprived ofspeech,
the whole OF one side of his face would
be paralyzed.
"fhat was the end nf John How
land. Ruined in pocket, in mind, and
in health, he sank from one degree of
wretchedness to another until he be-
came what you have seen. I believe
he once tried TO get employment in a
stable, he had started life as stable
lad, though there was no animal that,
though quiet as sheep at other times,
did not become perfect fend when
he drew nigh, not one that would let
him lay 6nger on it.
"You said that the blood of that de-
fenceless creature would follow him
to his grave" I unused, after pause.
"Will that prophecy be fulfilled, l
wonder z"
"Thus speaking, / strobe TO the
window and looked down on the crowd
of moving objects in the brilliantly
lighted street below. From a saloon
across the road, farihgly illuminated
with colored gas jets, could be heard
the scraping of a violin coupled with
the shufiing of feet on the sandy floor
inside. When the sounds were at
their loudest, the half-closed door of
the saloon was pulled violently open,
and the little, bent, shambling form
that I knew so we'll stumbled out on
the sidewalk"
aQuick," I called to Bowman, who
was still seated ID bis chair. Quick.
Look here" BoWlnan rose, and, com
ing up to where I was, stood with bis
hand upon my shoulder, erimiy look-
ing down on the figure Of the old card
seller. HowIand stood stock still up
on the pavement Iooliue irresolutely
up and down The stf61f as II nnde-
cided which way ID 5kn Then,
drawing himself toee( Der with sn|
effort, he started across the road At
the same moment a wild frightened
ahnutino roea II the air and fun