The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-05-25

The next day the ghost was very weak
and tired. The terrible excitement of the
last few weeks was beginning to have its
effect. His nerves were completely shat
tered, and he started at the slightest noise.
For five days he kept his room, and at last
made up his mind to give up the point of
the blood stain on the library floor. II
the Otis family did not want it, they
clearly did not deserve it. There were
evidently people on a low material plane
of existence, and quite incapable OF
appreciating the symbolic value OF
sensuous phenomena The question OF
phsntasmic apparitions, and the develop
ment of astral bodies, was of course quite
a different matter, and really not under
his contol. 1t was his solemn duty to
appear in the corridor once a week, and to
gibber from the large oriel window on the
first and third Wednesday in every month
and he did not see how he could honora-
bly, escape from his obligations. 1t is
quite true that his life had been very evil,
but, upon the other hand, he was most
conscientious in all things connected with
the supernatural. For the next three
Saturdays, accordingly, he tray
ersed the corridor as usual
between midnight and o'clock,
taking every possible precaution against
being heard or seen. He removed his
boots, tTod as lightly as possible on the
old wormeaten boards, wore large black
velvet cloak, and was careful TO use the
Rising Sun LubricatOr Tor Oiing his chains.
] am bound to acknowledge that it was
- - hat h.
brought himself to adopt this last mode of
protection However one night, while
the family were al dinner, he slipped into
Mr.. Otis's bedroom and carried off the
bottle. He felt @ little humiliated at
first. but afterward was sensible
S enough TO see that there was a
great deal to be said for the in
vention, and to a certain degree, it served
his purpose. Still, in spite of everything,
he was not left unmolested. Strings were
continuously being stretched across the
corridor, over which he tripped in the
dark, and on one occasion, while dressed
for the part of BLACK Isaac, or the Hunts
man Of Hogey Woods, he met with
severe fall, through treading on butter
slide which the twins had constructed
from the entrance of the tapestry
chamber to the top OF the oak staircase.
This last insult so enrRged him that he re-
solved to make one final effort to assert
bis dignity and social position, and de-
termined to visit the insolent young
Etonians the next night in his celebrated
character of Reckless Rupert, or the
Headless Earl.
He had not appeared in this disguise
for more than seventy years; in fact, not
since he had so frightened pretty Lady
Barbara Modish by means of it, that she
suddenly broke of her engagement with
the present Lord Canterville's grandfather
and raE away to Gretna Green with hand
some Jack Castletown, declaring that
nothing in the world would induce her to
marry into family that allowed such a
horrible phantom TO walk up and down
the terrace at twilight. Poor Jack was
afterward shot in duel by Lord Canter-
vile Wandsworth Common, and Lady
Barbara died of broken heart at Tun-
bridge Wells before the year was out, so
In every way II had been great success. It
was, however, an extremely difficult
makeup" II l may use such theatrical
expression in connection with one of the
greatest mysteries OF the supernatural, OF,
90 employ q more scientific term, the
higher-natural world, and it took him
fully three hours to make his preparations.
At last everything was ready, and he was
very pleased with his appearance. The
big leather riding boots thatwent with the
dress were Just a little too large for him,
and he could only find one OF the two
horse pistols, but, on the whole, he was
satisfied, and at a quarter past he glided
ont OF the wainscosing and crept down
the corridor. On reaching the room oc-
cupied bv the twins, which |
should mention was called the Blue
bed chamber, on account of the color Of
its hanglngs, he found the door Just aiar.
Wishing to make an effective entrance he
flung it wide open, when a heavy Jug Of
water fell right down on him, wetting him
to the skin, and Just missing his left shoul-
der by a couple of inches. At the same
moment be heard Rtifled shrieks OF
Laughter proceeding from the four-post
bed. The shock to his nervous system
was so great that he fled back TO his room
as hard as he could go, and the next day
he was laid up with severe cold. The
only thing that at all consoled him in the
whole affair was the fact that he had not
brought his head with him. for. had he
done SO. the consequences might have
been very serious.
He now gave up all hope of ever fright
ening this rude American family, and
conteDted himself as a rule with creeping
about the passages in list slippers, with a
thick red muller round his throat for fear
he should be attacked by the twins. The
final blow he received occurred on the
10th OF September. He had gone down
stairs 10 the great entrance hail feeling
sure that there, at any rate, he would be
quite unmolested, and was amusing him
self by making satirical remarks on the
large Sarony photographs Of the u.
s minister and his wife, which had
now taken the place of the Canterville
family pictures lie was simply but
neatly clad in long shroud, spotted
with churchyard mould. had tied up
his Jaw with a strip OF yellow linen. and
carried small lantern and a sections
spade. In fact, he wss dressed for the
character OF Jonas the Graveless, or the
Corpse Snatcher of Chertsey Barn." one
OF his most remarkable impersonations,
and one which the Cantervilles had every
reason 10 remember, as it was the real
origin of their quarrel with their neighbor
Lord Rufford. 1t was about a quarter
past o'clock in the morning, and, as far
as he could ascertain, one was stirring.
AS he was slrolling toward the library,
however. to see ii there were any traces
left of the blood stain, suddenly there
leaped out on him from a dark corner two
figures. who waved their arms wildly