The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-09-16

mean by stopping me here III this way
We are spirits of the departed dead,
a sepulchral voice replied. and we
have need Of your services; descend
from your vehicle. do aS We bid yuu.
and on the word of a ghost You shall
not be harmed"
The terrified lawyer descended aud
stood BY the speakers side, y lille tie
other ghost tied his horse 10 a tree and
joined them.
Yield Yourself entirely to MS and
Won snail be safe" said the spokesman.
"Nou must needs walk far and must
allow Us To blindfold your eyes, in order
/ that YOU may not discover before y"ur
time the way u the land of the shades.
No more words must br spoken.
obey"
, Mr. Dupont was SO terrified that hr
conlu not speak. and in silence allowed
a cloth to be bound over his eyes; then.
escorted 10y his ghostly companion. he
began To walk. II seemed Ia him that
he would never bc allowed u stop:
seconds seemed ages: every attempt OF
his II speak was checked by impatient
groans Cf his guides. AZ last, after
walking half around the earth. ~ IL
seemed to him, hc realized that he WAS
bcin= piloted mp some steps, and 10y thr
feeling of warmth he knew that he had
left The open air.
The justice Of the peace NAV be
seated" said the ghost who had JIsIe
all the talking.
Mr.. Dupont sat down and the cloth
was quickly removed from his eyes. re-
vcalinlc to his astonishcd gaze the in
terror Cf Il room dimiy lighted by wax
candles. Every side was hung with
blaclS curtains. and on four biack-cOv-
cred stools facing him sat four white
robeI specters, while bcsid" him stood
another dressed like his companions
Before he had time 10 more than Won
der NJ his strange surroundings, the
spokesman began:
MIR. Dupont. we have a solemn duty
for YOU to perform. Gou are justice.
of the peace in the world OF the living,
and u man dear 10 us ON account OF
your noble life: therefore are you here.
We have in these abodcs Of the dead
Two Young shades recently come from
the other world. Each Of these died Of
a broken heart because a stern parent
forbade them L. marry? What do You
think, sir, of such a parent as that"
Mr.. Dupont wiggled about Uncasily
in his chair. and at last said: i think.
good shade, it was very wrong of him.
I'VE knew YOU would" resumed the
ghost, because YOU are a kind man,
and one who loves his children Now
do We understand you 10 say that II tLc
poor girl had been your child II would
never have haPpened2"
surely il never would" replied the
frigh tened Mr.. Dupont.
we have not misiUdEcd you, then,
replied the shade, while the other four
ghos, nodded approvingly. I'VE nave
sumInoled YOU in order that you may
unite ihcln in wcdi0ci., - that ~ t'.la
vorlI II east they may bc hapiE y. Sucn
q ma r lgc as this i not common among
as, 50 We brought you here. a good JUS
;icc Of the peace. rather than - minis
ter. who might have been shocked at
these proceedings. Nou can marry
them just as well as a clergyman Now,
sir. will You oblige rs by marrying
these two shades? If you viii consent.
you may depart at once To your home.
win you?"
VI. rrv the two shades? of course ne
would: anything To get away from this
tcrribls spot. And so, without the pre-
caution of stipuiating his Zee, lie STAN
III cred out:
=
No sooner had he given his consent
than enc OF the black curtains was
drawn aside and tvc other beings in
white entered ard stood before him.
The other shades TUSc. and Nr. Dupont,
not vi hing 10 be tlFr only one to keep
his :c:t. rose too. The good Justice had
ucvcrlnarricd Shad :; nc did not know
quito J nw 10 proceed. Tie looked eX-
actIv like: he did not know which was
the br. e. and which tne groom. lie
| wis! e,' he were well out If IL, and the
only vay TO gain mis- wish was to pro-
| ceed qaiclSly with the csnrcnonY, and
so lie began at once. Some way he
| ElarlgHd To get through although he
! cOul rot have told aftcrward how it
I was 10 nc. lie turned 10 the bride
! whC.i l.c said: DO youtal5c this woman
| to l., your welded wife and to the
! groom when lac should have addressed
| the ri e; Int nj length. much to his
| relic /, ihe y do was said by each, and
( the Justice finished with the Il pro-
| Douucc you man and wife"
: R.t::u WAS not Yet over. No sooner
/ had tn words left his lips than one Of
J the DC ags before him threw aside its
: gho4tl robe. and there. in = beautiful
| wcG.iing gown, stood-his daughter,
| Nar.Ea-ct Mr.. Dupont started to
! speak, but he only gasped, for around
| him stood the other ghosts; they. too,
| had thrown aside their robes and stood
! revealed. Could he believe his eyes?
/ Yes. there was no mistake, he had mar
| r-icd h daughter TO Charles Foster, in
! the Or .sencc OF his wife, his son and
| three family friends; and the justice
| knew enough of law To realize that the
| ceremony was binding The blacl,
| curtains, too. were torn down. and there
| they al stood in his OJrH pGri1r.
There was no help for it, consequent
| " Mr.. Dupont submitted, and someway
all his friends thought that he
was very glad that the joke was
| played upon him; at any rate,
in later days, as he trotted his grand
: children on his knees, ne never tired of
telling over and over again into their
! won Iering ears the tale of the specter
| wed ing.-Franll ID. BloGgett, in Am
| hcrst Literary Monthly.