Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-11-03


cut but her face was pale and sad. with
sharp. clear cut features. and mass Of
rough. reddish hair was carelesSly
twisted into long knot at the nape Of
her neck.
She motioned me to one Of the chairs.
taking the other herself, and she now
sat bending over the fire. apparently too
deep in her own bitter reflections TO be
conscious Of my presence. The express
sion on her thin. worn face was very
sorrowful, and her hands were tightly
clinched in her lap. But, though thin
and worn. her face was still lovely. and
as gazed thought how lovely it would
be were the hollows filed out and the
1eep lines smoothed away.
Suddenly. with little resolute ges-
ture, she turned toward me and began
to speak in low. rapid tones
Il brought Jon here because wanted
to tell you my story, and want your
help II you will give it"
Then. with voice rising and falling
with varying emotions, and with deep
gray eyes fixed ON my face, she told her
sad tale. The beginning was common
place enough-a beautiful, willful girl:
Il stern. unyielding father; two lovers.
one brave and handsome, the other mo-
rose and unattractiye; a proposed flight:
sudden death: a broken heart-the last
three were the tragic elements
"And saw them carry him by the
house-dead." she said. speaking in a
strange. dull way, "and for long time
think | must have lost my senses.
When my father still insisted on my
marriage with the wretch he had chosen
for my husband raised no protest. /
viewed the preparations for the we'd
ding with indifference. lseemed turned
to stone. But a week before the mar
riage my reason returned, and realized
the horror of the coil which was slowly
tightening around me. Then it WA
that determined on what was virtually
a living burial was born in this dear
old house, and | knew every nook and
Granny Of it. My foster mother had
shown me the sliding panel in the room
above that which then occupied, and
she and | were the only living persons
who knew the secret. She was devotcu
to me, and ! at length won her over to
my plan, .
"On the night before my bridal day |
fled down here. and here have remained
ever since. For eight years have been
dead to the world. had valuable
jewelry which had been my dead moth.
er's; that has been gradually sold. and
on the proceeds have subsisted. Ny
foster mother comes daily and brings
me food-not through the house of
course. There is secret path and door
of communication in the garden"
"And the ghost?" queried
"Oh," she said, with queer little
smile. II am the ghost! You see,
wanted to keep the house empty. SO that
| might wander about the rooms and
grounds; but now am tired of this un.
natural existence. Life will always be
sad for me! have had a dreadful grief,
and all my dear ones are dead; but. in
| spite of all. my youthreasserts itself, and
| solitude has at last lost its charm. SO
wish to return to the world, and you can
help me to do so. Will your
OF course helped her, and within a
week from that time the Thorpe manor
"ghost"-now laid foreg6f-was safe
under the kind wing of John Ridgway's
homely little wife, ard by the time the
roses were blooming in my sweet
scented old fashioned garden tht
ghost" too. .shad bloomed into beauty
and |. sober old bachelor, had fallen il
love-quite hopelessly, told myself
for her heart was with her dead, ant
yet it happened that one June afternoon
as we stood alone by the sundial on tht
sloping shady lawn, something gave mt
courage. Perhaps it was that sht
looked so sweet in her fresh muslin
gown, with the flowers in her belt, OF
perhaps because / caught a strange
feeting look in her shy gray eyes; any
way | know she murmured that sh,
loved the dear old home with its man,
gables and pretty garden. Then
whispered:
I Need you ever leave itg' And look
ing under the broad briinined garden
hat into her flushed happy face added
Come, sweet ghost, and haunt the ol'
place forever~
And she consented. - Munyon's Maga
zine.