The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-13
They Wanted a Ghost Story.

Speaking OF ghost Stories" said ono of 9
party at dinner In the studio home OF one Of
tho best known artists In New York few even
ings ago. according to the Herald, II know a
perfectly horrid one, out''-with a stified pred
Of conscience-"it's trfie grewsome for an
after dinner story"
20, do tell it," chimed in a chorus Of dense
heads striving against submersion in sea of
after dinner drowsiness.
The dinner had been 8 swell affair and we had
sat long at the table slipping wine to the tune OF
witty toasts. growing moro solemn aud intense
with the black coffee and cognAc. Il was past
10 O'Clock and the studio proper TO which we
had adjourned was a fitting background for our
overweight fancies, with its broken archways
brazen armors, tiger rugs and general artistic
disorder, dscked by the light OF waxen candles
aud pungent with the scent of some foreign
subtle incense burning In braZter swinging in
an alcove.
well, since you insist upon It, resumed the
prospective blood curdler, finding room IN an
imaginary angle OF the sofa for one more
cushion "Once upon a time there was a GER
tain young girl, a writer, In a boarding house of
this CITY who made IL her boast that abe never
had been and never could be frightened.
Her fellow boRrders accused her Of bluff and
agreed-with her consent-that they would
brighten her If they could.
Among these were two young medical stu
dents. who, a few days later, brought home
from the hospital dissecting room mans arm,
perfect from the shoulder joint, and with the
aoettance of some young ladies in the house
concealed it in the victims bed.
Al The usual time the young lady bade them
good night and retired to her room.
They heard the key turn In the door and
then followed on tiptoe to await developments.
After waiting q reasonable length of time they
began to grow nervous Finally the suspense
grew intolerable. They raped on her door but
received no answer. Again and again they
raped, but the silence within was absolute and
ominous
Then they grew desperat, They caled and
threatened to break the door in.
'Sience still.
Then they went to the landlady explained
the situation and asked for a latchkey to her
room. This, however, they could not use on
account Of the other key in the door
They became frantic.
Then they broke the door, and what do you
suppose they foundi The girl was in her night
dress. the gas turned out, and in the dim light
OF low CRATE fire fitting eldnly on the walls
she sat on the side of her bed gazing at that
arm and muttering horrible Gibberish. She was
stark. staring madw
The narrator looked up from the rug upon
which his eyes had been bent, when he spoke.
Eleven pale faces, twenty-five bloodless parted
lips, twenty-five horror stricken. glaring eyes
CONFRONTED him. The tapers burned low, and
cold drauRhts cams through Invisible crevices,
tracing our splues with icy finger tips. Each
one waited for some one else to say something
conventional 1t was very awkward for the
host, but he was equal to the occasion.
John" he remarked to the servant lust
psss around the bottle" 10 short space of
time the exigencies OF quarter limit" game
had driven the grewsone story from our minds