Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-06-27

startled by voice behind him saying
:" Let me assist you
Now. to be found in acemetery at mid
night trying TO put on your own shroud
is not pleasant position, so You can inn
agine how disagreeable the surprise was.
The one who spoke was Father Grim
bot, the guardian of the place, an old
original, well known 10 all the surround
ing wineshops. He approached NJ Math-
las. looking at him with a pleasant
smile.
~Howi is that you, NJ. Matthias, al
ready p
M. Matthias. very much embarrassed,
tried to distort his features. thinking a
sinister appearance would rid him of this
troublesome fellow. But no. Grimbot
gave him benevolent pat on the shoul.
der, dexterously arranging his shroud.
Il have Just come from my tomb,
said NJ. Matthias in a sepulchral voice.
"Ah, that is plainly TO be seen, inter.
rupted Grimbot; "but you are in a greater
hurry than the Others
NJ. Matthias never stopped to listen, but
walked off with long strides on the tips
of his toes, like phantom. Grimbot,
marching by his side, continued Yes,
the Others never came out so soon-al-
ways waited a month or two.
NJ. Matthias turned suddenly upon him,
waving his winding sheet in the air.
go, he cried in hollow voice; leave
me; this is sacrilege."
There now, said Grimbot, becoming
Fa4 l.
want to take little promenade, like the
others"
NJ. Matthias, very much annoyed, went
straight on, disdaining to reply. Hesaw
the entrance to the cemetery just in front
of him. Being man of precautions, he
had some louis in his pocket "Say no
more, said he, holding out the pieces of
gold "Give me the key"
Grimbot drew back STEP "The key
you want the key Well, that is fancy"
"Four guineas, groaned NJ. Matthias,
extending more gold.
Grimbot pushed aside the proffered
handful, and said:
"You know, now that you are out of
the chapel, will not oppose your taking
a little walk like the others.
"The others? What others?"
Grimbot made sweeping gesture.
"The dead.
"The deadl What dead are you talk
ing of? i am living don't you see?"
"Bless my soul, this is a good joke,
but am jolly fellow. Come and take
q glass with me. !" His hand fell like
pinchers on the wrist of M. Matthias. He
dragged him to the little building where
he lodged, and pushed him into a room
on the ground floor
NJ. Matthias was actually dumfounded.
Grimbot closed the door, took bottle
from the table, filed two glasses. and
holding one up said, "Your health, NJ.
Matthias.
Listen to me, my good man. You
love a joke; that's all right. Only there's
a time for all things For personal
reasons l allowed myself to be inferred,
but now want to go out. 1t is a seri-
GUS affair. / will pay you well; you
shall not lose by it,"
Whilst he spoke, Grimbot turned away
from the table and placed his back
against the door.
"You talk WELL" he sneered. SAh,
you are not the first one. | have heard
them talk like that before, you see. /
love my people. Every night one or two
of them come and take glass with me.
Yesterday it was the notary Randall
you know him well, he is your neighbor;
the one with the broken column on his
grave. Day before yesterday it was
1. r..
l am good fellow. allow them all to
come out and take the air. :"
NJ. Matthias turned pale. Grimbot spoke
with such perfect sang froid, the firm
responsibility of functionary not to be in
huenced. He was a broad shouldered,
thick set fellow, with the hands of a
guerrilla, his eyes burning with a smold-
ering fire. NJ. Matthias shuddered This
man was evidently mad, filed with
strange hallucinations. He believed his
cemetery was peopled with returned
spirits, and held high carnival with those
phantom beings every night. He lived
in a fantastic world created by his
drunken imagination, and actually con-
founded the living with the dead
NJ. Matthias begged, prayed, protested,
finally became coaxing. How could the
intelligent Grimbot mistake him for a
dead man? 1t was absurd.
"Come. said Gambot in a decided tone.
Enough of this. Be reasonable and re-
turn.
Return where?"
@To your place in the angle of the third
division. "
"What; to my tomb? Never!"
@You will not? Well, we will see.
n Matthias looked at those enormous
hands and shook with fright. Heglanced
around, seeking some way Of escape;
only one, the door, and before it stood
Grimbot like a buttress. No matter, he
must pass it, at any price. He made
rush.
Grimbot coolly stretched out his open
hand and seized the throat of his ag-
gessor. M. Matthias, gasping and strug-
Cling to be free, hung from the end of
those sinewy arms, his legs dangling, his
body writhing in commissions. The clutch
of those enormous hands tightened-
a gurgIing, sinister sound-then all was
still
Grimbot, who had seen 50 many others,
threw him across his shoulders and car
ried him with the firm and dignified step
of the faithful guardian to the chapel,
cast him into The crypt, replaced the
stone with a turn of his foot, then con-
dnued his way across the tombs, mutter-