Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-03-19
a TRUE GHOST STORY.


repeated the question musingIy as he sank
back into the luxurious depths of his
favorite easy char. We were sitting be-
fore a cheerful CRATE fire at the club. The
conversation had turned upon a series of
weird tales contributed to a local paper
| had expressed some mock admiration
for the gifted liar who had composed
them, and was rather astonished to find
my friend disinclined to encourage my
vein of levity and sarcastic comment.
repeated the question. He looked at me
seriously for a moment and replied: Eyes,
| do believe in ghosts. | saw ere the other
night. 1t happened this way and,
lighting a fresh cigar, he related the fol-
lowing experience.
| had been to see Mansfield and was
powerfully impressed with his marvellous
creation Of Mr.. Hyde. The grotesquely
repulsive antics OF the good DR.. Jekyll's
alter ego had left distincly bad taste in
my mind which no amount of subsequent
conviviality could quite destroy-for
that particular evening, at least.
1t was proof against Chateau la
tour, and creme de menthe. | applied both
of those antidotes without success. | had
entered the theatre in a warly opti-
mistic frame of mind. The stock
market had gone my way that day, and
in addition to that very agreeable Incl
dent had received highly satisfactory
communication from certain young wo
man who was not always farthest from my
thoughts. Altogether, my perspective was
an enlminently> rosy one, and as | sat IN
my box viewing the well dressed occupants
of the parquet, ard listening to the ex-
pectant murmur of their conversation |
felt entirely satisfied with myself and
with the world. A sense of luxury took
possession of me, and UsettIed back in the
soft cushioned seat, dreamily conscious OF
a rare evenings pleasure before me. The
orchestra ceased troubling. The audience
with much scrapinggof feet and, ,rustling of
tention and the curtain arose.
Three hours later stood. gloomily in
front of the theater, a changed man Won
dering what kind of a drink would SOON
est cause me to forget the monstrous Mr.
HYDE All my cheerful self satisfaction.
all m7 sunlight, had oozed away at first
sight of the hideous form. | was now a
pessimist from Pessimisville and a candi-
date for a drunkard's grave, if save
way to my raging desire for strong drink
AS breeder of blue-devils, the pictur-
esque, but wholly depraved Hyde has
been a monumental success. At his first
appearance on the scene, where he
crouches cat-like behind the barred gate
at the end of the moon-lit passage,
| was distinctly conscious that hoodoo
of the first rank was getting in its fine
work on me- My feeling of nervousness
at first sight of Hyde developed into a
positive thrill of horror as he glided
through the passage and darted at the
throat of Agnes father. The fendish cry
of satiated maiignity that arose after he
had throttled the old general was ringing
in my ears as left my post in front Of the
theater and started down the street in
search of some anti-hoodooing. By a
strong effort of the will sought to throw
off the disag ,eeable image, but it chung to
me with a persistence that was rapidly
reducing me to a condition OF adject
gloom | tried to think of the stock mar,
ket and of my probable profit for the NOR
row, but Hyde's villainous figure obtruded
itself. could see him fitting about like
an evil thing among the CHASTITY shadows
of his laboratory. | tried to fix my mind
on Mabel's letter, but even that was not
sufficient to Danish the vivid vision of my
bette noir, and | could again see the
wretched beng in the frenzies of death
after he had drank the fatal potion in the
last act of the play, fastened rapidly
along the street until | reached the en-.
trance to popular resort, into which
turned with feeling of decided relief
Now" thought | to myself, & shall
drown this wretched Hyde and witness hi:
| dying struggles sans sympathy, sans re-
! morse" Around table in a far corner
% the room sat merry party of my friends
They saw me and shouted in hospitable
chorus Come, join us. old MANI Die
| join them? Well, rather. And, | seized
my enemy, Hyde, and hurled him upor
lofty crag into seething sea Of chateau
j laotur and creme de menthe