The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-08-18
but no sound came from them. At last


who are you, and what do You
mean by stopping me here in this way7'
"We are spirits Of the departed dead"
a sepulchral voice replied, land we
have need of your services; descend
from your vehicle, do as we bid You.
and on the word Of a ghost you shall
not be harmed"
The terrified lawyer descended and
stood by the speakers side, while the
other ghost tied his horse to tree and
joined them.
yield yourself entirely to us and
you shall be safe" said the spokesman.
You must needs walk far and must
allowus to blindfold your eyes, in order
that you may not discover before your
time the way to the land Of the shades.
No more words must be spoken
Obey"
Mr. Dupont was SO terrified that he
could not speak, and in silence allowed
cloth to be bound over his eyes; then,
escorted by his ghostly companions, he
began to walk. 1t seemed to him that
he would never be allowed to stop;
seconds seemed ages; every attempt Of
his to speak was checked by impatient
groans of his guides. At last, after
walking half around the earth, as 1t
seemed to him, he realized that he was
being piloted up some steps, and by the
feeling of warmth he knew that he had
left the open air.
THE justice Of the peace may be
seated" said the ghost who had done
all the talking.
Mr.. Dupont sat down and the cloth
was quickly removed from his eyes, re-
vealing to his astonished gaze the in
terror of room dimly lighted by wax
candles. Every side was hung with
black curtains, and on four bfack-cov-
cred stools facing him sat four white
robed specters, while beside him stood
another dressed like his companions.
Before he had time to more than won
der at his strange surroundings, the
spokesman began:
Mr.. Dupont, we have a solemn duty
for you to perform. You are justice
of the peace in the world of the living,
and a man dear to ms on account OF
your noble life; therefore are you here.
! We have in these abodes of the dead
two young shades recently come from
the other world. Each of these died OF
a broken heart because stern parent
forbade them to marry? What do you
think, sir, of such a parent as that?"
Mr. Dupont wiggled about uneasily
in his chair, and at last said: II think
good shade, it was very wrong of him.
1--WE knew you would" resumed the
ghost, because you are kind man
and one who loves his children. Now
do we understand you to say that il the
poor girl had been your child it woult
never have happcned?"
.3Surely it never would, replied the
frightened Mr.. Dupont.
1--WE have not misjudged you, then,
replied the shade, while the other foul
ghosts nodded approyingly. 1--WE have
summoned you in order that you may
mite them in wedlock, SO that In this
world at least they may be happy. Sucl
a marriage as this is not common among
us, so we brought You here, good jus
tiee of the peace, rather than minis
ter, who might have been shocked al
these proceedings You can marry
them just as well as a clergyman. Now
sir, will you oblige us by marrying
these two shades? II you will consent
you may depart at once to your home
VIII you?"
Marry the two shades? OF course hs
would; anything to get away from this
terrible spot. And SO, without the pre-
caution of STIMULATING hisfee, he STAN
mered out:
"Oh, yes surely. anything you wish
No sooner had he given his consen
than one OF the black curtains wa!
drawn aside and two other beings il
white entered and stood before him
The other shades rose, and Mr.. Dupont
not wishing to be the only one to keel
his seat, rose too. The good justice hat
never married shades; he did not know
quite how to proceed. They looked ex
actly alike; he did not know which wa
the bride and which the groom. H,
u wished he were we'll out of 1t, and tn,
only way to gain his wish was to pro
coed quickly with the ceremony, ant
so he began at once. Some way h
managed to get through, although HI
could not-have told afterward how i
was done. He turned to the brid,
when he said: do you take this woman
to be your welded wife?" aud to thu
groom when he should have addressed
the bride; but at length, much to hi
relief, the II do" was said by each, ant
the justice finished with the 81 pro
nounce you man and wife"
But all was not yet over No soonel
had the words left his lips than one o
the beings before him threw aside it
ghostly robe, and there, in beautiful
wedding gown, stood-his daughter
Margaret. Mr.. Dupont started Il
speak, but he only gasped, for arount
him stood the other ghosts; they. too
had thrown aside their robes and stoot
revealed. Could he believe his eyes
Yes, there was no mistake, he had mar
ried his daughter to Charles Foster, il
the presence of his wife, his son ant
three family friends; and the justic,
knew enough of law to realize that thu
ceremony was binding. The blacl
curtains, too, were torn down, and ther,
they allstood in his orn parlor.
There was no help for it, consequent
ly Mr.. Dupont submitted, and someway
all his friends thought that h,
was very glad that the joke wa
played upon him; at any rate
in later days, as he trotted his grand
children on his knees, he never tired o
telling over ami over again into theil
wondering ears the tale of the spectel
wedding. Frank d. Blodgett, in Am
herst Literary Monthly.
|
| .sHa ia Ba BAT"
In the Chinese language the same
word may be given several differen
meanings by the meditation OF tn,
| uoica The same thing may happen Il