The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-05-07

WE'LL l thought would see no more
of him that night, SO just curled my
self up on the big seat in the window.
and soon was fast asleep.
Och! murder! you should have seen
the folks when walked through the
village of Ballykillin the next morning
If I'd have been ghost myself, they
couldn't have looked more scared, and
it was some time before they would
come near me or touch me. But Biddy
came running out and threw her arms
around me in the street before all the
people.
'Och! Tim darlin, "she says, "and have
you come back and left none of your
wits behind you? Och, praise be to
the saints for this mercy! But don't
go near the bad place again; don't,
Tim darlin'."
Then she went on to ask If / had
seen the ghost, and so did ali the
neighbors and the colonel himself.
But niver a word would l tell them of
what / had seen. l kept my mouth
shut till the next night, and after that,
too, and just an hour before midnight,
started off for the castle again.
made myself snug once more in that
room with the sound window, and
waited for the ghost 1t struck mid
night at last, and I listened for the
groanings and the creakings, but nivcr
q sound could hear.
We'll, l says to myself, 1.-The ghosts
getting into bad habits. I shall have
to tell MIN to keep better time"
One o'clock came, and still there
wasn't the ghost of ghost.
Whats up now, / wonder?" says /.
Sure he hasn't cleared out of this al
ready. Perhaps he's gone to get some
other ghost to come and help turn me
out, and can't find one at liberty Well,
I'll give him to sunrise, anyhow"
But the sun rose, and never u token
of the ghost could / see or hear. So
just rolled myself up again on the win
dow seat and went to sleep.
1t was the same again the third
; night, and, faith I began to get un-
easy.
Whats to become of him, / won
der?" thinks l. Then, when had con-
sidered bit over the matter, says to
myself, Sure, he's hiding away some
where. / must go and see what he's
after, at all.
So takes up my candle, and walks
along the passage, and across the great
hall till got to the east wing of the
castle. There l stood and listened a
bit Sure enough, heard groan, but
long way off.
So shouted: Halo! ghost; where
are you, ata ll?'
1t was at the end of the long gallery
in the east wing that found my gentle
man at last. There he was, looking
out through the window, as though
he was adiniring the pretty country un-
der the moonlight. But he didn't seem
enjoying himself, poor creature, and
kept on grooming worse than ever.
What chap you are for groaningr'
says |, ''as though that could do any
good. If you're sorry for what you
used TO do when You were alive, why
can't you think it over and keep quiet?''
As soon as the ghost heard me, he
turned about and, if you'll believe me,
he looked fairly startled.
why do you trouble me- man?" he
says. ''I'cgonc and leave me in peace -
'Ochr' thinks /, sis that your tune?
It's very different sort of note from
what you sang the other night" So /
says:
Sure, am waiting for some of those
terrible things you threatened to do to
me. When are you going to begin?"
Base slave"' says the ghost, clapping
his hand on the ghost of sword
"Wirrasthrew!' says /, sits no use
your doing that, anyway. Your sword
can't do more harm than this pipe OF
mine; not so much: and you know it"
You should have seen the look of the
ghosts face as ! said these words He
seemed just bursting with passion his
eyes opened wide, but they couldn't
flash, as all the fire had gone out OF
them long ago. Sure, no one ever saw
Il ghost in such a rage before.
Then hc threw q look of contempt
on me, and turned on his heel and made
off. He didn't run exactly, for that
would not be gcntcel in ghost, but lie
slipped away pretty quick, and had q
bit of trouble to keep up with him,
with my game leg. Butt followed him
pretty close through one gallery after
another, and at last he stopped short.
Soldier" says he, more quiet and
civil than ever he had been before, 81
beg that you will leave me in peace.
My doom is terrible, condemned as !
am to walk the earth by night in cxpi.
alton of my crimes. Why add to my
awful punishmcnt?"
"Why?" says l. Sure, don't want
to get You out of this place, where, as
said lefore, you've got no bust
ness 10 bc, and which belongs to
my old colonel? If You must haunt
something, e,> and haunt some ruins
that nobody lives in, and not Il decent