Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-10-08


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 ia 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 o'clock ! pay my vic,
tim--hes my victim nova visit. And
must 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 al means, if you will let u.s." said
DalryInple.
81 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. He moved quickly along the road
and we followed, filled with sensation
which cannot explain. With ghost
on his nightly rounds! 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 going? Who was the
murderer These thoughts fitted
I'D E.saA
Presently he stopped before large farm
house.
"This is the place." said he.
Great heavens! Was it possible?
] 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 Dalrym-
pie
But the ghost gave US no time for
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, fan
cied, came over his face as he beckoned
as to follow him up the stairway.
At the top of the stairs he stopped be-
fore a door.
This is his room," he said.
He turned the knob and went in.
The room was dark, but through an
open shutter q faint streak Of light en-
tered
On a bed a sleeper was tossing rest
lessly about. It was Standiford.
He moaned, restlessly turned over and
then with a frightened start, sat up in
bed
His eyes fell upon the ghastly ghost
figure standing at the foot Of his bed,
looking thousand times more horrible
than when we had first seen him.
With loud cry of terror he sprang
from the bed and ran to the farther side
of the room Slowly the ghost went
after him.
Take it away! Take it away" he
shrieked. Tt's his face! Take it awayl
Oh, Godl Take it away"
Standifords face was so terribly
drawn and contorted by his terrors that
one of his most intimate acquaintances
would not have known him.
The ghost went slowly toward him,
and with a maniacal, terrified look he
ran about the room, getting as far from
the ghost as the room would allow,
shrieking and moaning piteously all the
while
Shrinking in a corner like cur at
bay, with his bloodshot eyes almost
ready to burst from their sockets, Standi-
ford held up his hands toward the ghost
and cried ont piteously;
Go away now. please go awayl am
sorry--so sorry, and this is enough-my
Godl IFS enough!'
But the avenging spirit did not hear
his pleas for mercy. Wherever Standi-
ford went the horrible thing followed
him
For almost an hour il went on thus,
when at last Standiford becoming utter
ly exhausted threw himself on the bed
and covered his face with his pillow,
trying to shut out the hideous sight and
crying ont in the most penitent manner.
For moment the ghost lowered over
him and was gone.
Dalrymple and myself stood rooted to
the spot for a few moments, and then,
realizing our positions, went back down
the stairway and out Of the house.
This is n horrible experience" said
Dalrymple. "and horrible revelation"
We walked back homo in silence, busy
with our own thoughts concerning the
novel experience Of the night.
The next day met Standiford on the
streets He spoke to me in his usual
happy manner, but | noticed dark lines
under his eyes, while he wore sleepy
and detected look.
He was murderer, and no one but
myself and Dalrymple knew and would
ever know.
Would it do to proclaim him to the
world as such with no proof but the
ghosts testimony, and to have the ghost
summoned into court? | think not
Robert l.. Adamson in Atlanta Consti-
tuition.