Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-06-04


door, which We carefully CIV d
a a placing the young man within
we put writing materials on a small
'ooie III lhe summer house. and fool,
away the candles. We remained nv,
sac with the peddler amongst Us. IN
low solemn voice he began To ch.n,
the following lines: " '''n'
hat riseth slow from the ocean caveS
And the stormy surf. 0''
p""n'oii pale sets his blackened foot
oh the fresh green turf
lhen raising his voice solemnlv bs
said: 0iiiniS' lie
You asked to see your friend
francis Nilliars, who was drowned
three years ago, off the coast Of So,,th
America. What do YOU see?"
81 see,' replied the student ca
white light arising near the window
but 1t has no form. 1t is like AN nm.
certain cloud"
We-the spectators-remainad nro-
foundly silent.
Are you afraid?" asked the NOR
chant, in Il loud voice.
II am not, " replied the student
firmly.
AFTER moments silence, the ped
dler stamped three times on the
ground, and sang:
And the phantom white. whose CLAW cold
Was once so fair.
Dries with his shroud his clinging vest
And his sea tossed hair
once more the solemn question.
"1ou. who would see revealed the
mysteries OF the tomb-what do YOU
see now?"
The student answered, in a calm
voice. but like that of man describ-
ing things as they pass before him:
II see the cloud taking the form O,
phantom; its head is covered with q
long veil-it stands still"
Are you afraid?"
Il am notw
We looked at each other in horror.
stricken silence, while the merchant
raising his arms above his head,
chanted, in sepulchral voice:
And the phantom said, US he rose from
the wave,
He shall know me in sooth:
l will go to my friend, gay, smiling and
fond
AS in our first YOUTH
'What do you see?' said he.
81 see the phantom advance. He
lifts his veil-'tis Francis Villiars! he
approaches the table-he writes.-'tis
his signature"
''Are you afraid?"
A fearful moment of silence ensued
then the student replied, but in an al.
tered voice:
II am mott"
With strange and frantic gestures,
the merchant then sang:
''And the phantom said to the hooking see1
81 come from the south;
Put thy hand on my hand-thy heart OF
my heart
Thy mouth on my MOUTH"
"What do you see?"
'.He comes-he apprenticeship pur
sues me-he is stretching out his arm.
he will have me! Help! Help! Save
mem
Are you afraid now?' asked the
merchant, in hooking voice.
A piercing cry and then a stihet
groan, were the only reply to this ter
rible question.
Help that rash youth" said the mer
chant bitterly. 81 have. l think, wor
the wager, but it is sufficient for me t.
have given him lesson. Let hin
keep the money, and be wiser for thu
future"
He walked rapidly away. We opened
the door Of the summer-house, anG
found the student in commissions.
paper signed with the name "Francis
Nilliars was on the table. As soOr
as the students senses were restored
he asked vehemently where was thu
vile sorcerer who had subjected hin
to such an ordeal-he would kill him
He sought him through the inn il
vain; then with the speed of d madma1
he dashed off across the fields in pur
of them again. That, children, is my
ghost story
And how is it, uncle, that afte
that, you don't believe in ghosts?" sale
|, the first time | heard it.
because, my boy" replied my uncle
neither the student nor the merchant
ever returned, and the forty-five gum
cas- belonging to me and the other trav
elers, continued equally invisible
Those two swindlers carried them of
after having acted a farce. which we
like ninnies, believed to be real."-
Engligh Exchange.