The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-02-11

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midnight.
But there was somthing else that
Mr.. Jack McKin was to hear shortly.
There was trouble at his mill, and
the trouble was Of a supernatural
sort-the miller and his men had
seen a ghost.
One by one the men had been
frightened away, and the miller was
alone at his post. At last he came
up to the McKin mansion one day
and resigned his millership. He
was reluctant to give his reasons,
but finally did SO. The ghosts
there were two of them-mani-
tested themselves every night. They
were not to be frightened away, and
did mischief to the grain and set fire
to the mill in various places, though
he he'd always found the flames in
time to put them out. Now they
threatened to kill him if he was not
out in three days.
| am amazed to hear such story
from white man of intelligence,
! was Jack Mckin's comment on the
tale. Some one is evidently trying
to trighten you away. Remain, and
on the night they threaten 10 take
your life the sheriff and his men
shall be with you.
Finally the miller returned to the
mill and at dusk on the third day
was seen alive and well by people
who came with grist. When the
sheriff and his men came steadily
throusa the woods an hour later the
mill was pelitc"tly dark. They
lighted their lanterns and went
through it, calling the miller by
name, but receiving no answer,
until they found him in his own
room lying on his face, a pistol in
his hand, an overturned lamp beside
him, dead. He had been shot
though the heart. There was no
living human being in the old mill,
and for long while nobody went
near it. At last people began to say
that the miller had shot himself by
accident and that the negroes had
frightened him. Another miller
applied for the place and remained
three days. In fact, to cut long
story short, the only other miller
who dared to brave warning that the
ghost gave them all was found dead,
as the first one had been.
The mill was soon spoken of as
haunted by every one. No one
would work there, and finally Mr..
McKin closed it, and it was lett to
itself and the ghost.
All this while Nine. McKin re-
manned an alleged invalid, shut in
her room all day watched by her
maid and talked of in whispers by
her servants.
No one believed McKin's mill
would ever run again, but one day a
tall, strong, broad shouldered young
fellow walked up the steps Of the
McKin mansion, asked to see the
master, and begged to be allowed to
take charge of the grist mill.
I've heard the sorry, he said, as
McKin began to explain. don't
believe in ghosts, and they can't
scare me anyway. Pm in hard luck,
and I'm a good miller. Trust me and
your mill shall work better than
ever. You'll do me a service, and
I'll do you one.
In vain Mr.. McKin set before him
the fact that two millers had been
already killed there in the haunted
mill. The young giant declared
that he should not be, and finally
the gentleman engaged him.
The mill was opened and the
miller set to work. He took with
him into the mill Bible, a revolver
and large, sharp ak.
For the first two nights he saw
nothing, but, heard noises like the
falling OF heavy millstones upon the
floor above the feet upon the stairs
He had expected something like thi:
and remained in his room reading
his Bible by the light of a shaded
lamp.
On the third night, having hearc
the same noises and quietly disre
garded them, his door was daShec
open and a hideous form entered
1t was something between a woman
and great bird Of prey. 1t wore
fluttering white robes, and hae
: instead OF hands great black claws
: 1t hoated toward him through tn,
air, behind it came another like untC
it, but smaller.
: The first creature swooped down
! ward and made a clutch at the lamp
| AS It did so he snatched his revolve
=. from his belt and fired, emptying al
the chambers. The strange being
vanished with wild shrek, but in
/ moment they entered again. Thi
r time the largest one made furlou
. clutch at the lamp. AS she did S
r he lifted his ak above his head, ar
S with one blow severedS the hif'
. black claw ,,oE. WY .
S,s rs,s-s,S , -