The record-union., 1891-10-31

1
client Buck Stout had been hanged that
/ reports began to come to. me from Dar-
lington to the effect that his ghost was
/ promenading around that section of coun-
! try terrifying the women, and even caus-
! ing the marrow of DarIington's brave
men TO turn trifie cool. knowing that
my client had died a guilty man, with a
| terrible falsehood upon his lips, / was not
! at all surprised to hear of his spirits per-
ambulations, but / candidly confess that
L was surprised at the visit which that
! spirit paid me, and at the results of it as
well. was busted with my practice, and
| paid but little attention to the ghost talk
until one night, about three months after
the rumor became current, when the mat
| ter was brought home to me in most
forcible manner. Twas in October, and
after hard days work / had retired to
my rooms, very tired, nervous and about
| half sick. l retired early, but although
| much tatigued / was unable to fall asleep.
| Hearing the old church clock strike the
weary hours / tossed and tumbled about
on my couch until after ii o'clock, when
| fell into an uneasy slumber. l Judge
that / could not have slept over few
minutes when suddenly l found myself
wide awake and sitting up in bed tremb-
ling as with a chill. II accents all too
familiar, spoken as from far-off planet,
but terribly distinct, / had heard my
name called.
THE MESSAGE.
"Breathlessly / listened for a repetition
of that plaintive, wailing cry, and it came.
From whence ! could not tell-trom all
around me, from an infinite distance,
from nowhere-but it came, and the fol-
lowing words rang through my soul
rather than through my ears: John!
John! For the good Lords sake, come to
to the Office! Come down at oncep
There was no mistaking that voice. 1t
hat or, al,
but wonderfully sepulchral and subdued.
AS IN dream, obeying an influence 1
could not, neither cared to, control,
arose, and having dressed, passed silently
out into the night. A death-like stiffness
hung over the deserted streets and the
pavements were weird and startling.
hesitated at the foot of the stairway which
led to my office, but, shaking off my fear,
l climbed the steps, and, unlocking the
door, pushed it wide open. Curiously |
gazed into the dark interior. / saw moth
ing, but gradually became sensitive of
another presence than mine. Again on
the threshold [ hesitated but taking heart
as before, marched boldly in and closed
the door behind me. l had crossed the
room and was about raising a window
when the old voice, still far OFT it seemed.
exclaimed:
John, don't you know me?'
81 quickly wheeled, and standing, not
SlA 1GeL away, DGIl6lu lA0 gnOSC OF my
client. There was no doubt about its
being only his ghost, for / had seen the
sturdy Buck meeta fearful death land had
atterward seen his cold and silent corpse
packed safely away under six feet of
clay. And then it was a good, old-fash-
l9ned, honest ghost saw before me, pale,
shadowy and Woe-begone, silently await
ing my response, with its ETHEREAL legs
sadly mixed up in the waste basket.
Buck said | II fear my voice was
somewhat shalSy), how are you?'
I'm in torment replied the ghost, as
1t passed its airy hand over its airy brow
as though to wipe away immaterial per-
in torment. l come now to you for aid,
and | want you to do me last favor
Buck, 1 returned, when 1 took your
case l said that l would stand by you to
the end. l thought the end was over
months ago, but a lawyer should always
be loyal to a client; so name your request
and [ will grant it,
GRATIFIED SPOoK.
'That ghost gave positive sigh of re-
lief, and its countenance lighted up as you
have sometimes seen the moonlight up
the fieece-like clouds after emerging from
a thunder5ank.
john it whispered, your last SER
vice is by far your greatest, as you will
in future learn. | want YOU to act in be-
tial restitution to poor Dunbar's widow.
When l shot him out there in the woods
lhere the ghost shuddered like steam va
por blown by the wind 1 buried his
money on the south side of that oak
stump near which they found him. L
left s337 there, and want you to get it for
his family. Then may be l can rest.
Promise me now to do it, John,' and the
whisper died YEARLY away.
''Of course prom al, and now being
quite at my ease Jh my translated
client, or rather with ne translated spirit
research into the question OF spiritual
entity.
BUCK queried !, after painful pause
IN which my caller seemed preparing
itself for departure, how is it where you
are? Do they treat you well?'
1.-The ghost actually squirmed, and
fidgeting with an imaginary button on
its imaginary vest, asked in evident en-
barrassment the time. l. quickly called
the hour, and before my guest could bid
me farewell / had again launched into the
subject of escatology by inquiring:
Now, old fellow, what is the use in
your trying to dodge the point at issue?
WHATS the climate OF your present abode?
Come, say?'
4 was aware of the fact that Buck had
| been a great admirer of the myriad
minded bard during his Imprisonment,
but was wholly unprepared TO hear his
ghost declaim in piping, tar-off accents:
" But that am forbid
| To tell the secrets of my prison house
could a tale unfold whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul; freeze thy young
blood,
Make thy two eyes like stars start from their
spheres;
Thy knotted ana combined locks to part
! And each particular hair to stand on end
Like qulllS upon the fretful porcupine;
/ But this eternal blaZon must not be
To ears Of flesh and blood
'No sooner was the last word uttered
than my visitor, who had been growing
more and more shadowy throughout
his speech, disappeared, leaving my office
IN It's wanted gloom. So suddenly, how
ever, did a realization of the ghosts de-
parture come upon me that lost no time
IN Yacating the room, and was conscious
of stumbling over the waste-basket and
several chairs in making my exit.
THE MONEY FOUND.
How / got home and TO bed l cannot
recall, but next remember my awakening
the following morning with a splitting
headache and a perfect recollection of my
late experience with spook. Although
as say, my recollection in regard to my
midnight visitor was extremely vivid,
| nevertheless, / was more than half in
clined to doubt it, and by the time | had
disposed of my breakfast / was almost
ready to believe that l had been the vic
tim of nightmare, grim and horrible.
l was to be undeceived, however, for on
reaching my office | found the door wide
open as | had left it in my flight the night
| before. Three chairs were upset and the
contents of the waste basket streyyn reck-
lessly over the floor. L dropped helplessly
into chair and sat there for half an hour.
when L arose and proceeded to a livery
stable. In three hours more | had visited
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