The Portland daily press., 1893-11-22

unimpeded by matter, has not the sense to
see the CRYING folly of STOPPING to crease
trowsers in a moment like this? It is not
that l do not know better now. That is
where my punishment comes in. recog-
nize the stupidity of mortality without the
present power to change it. Every night
go just SO far. The difference is that now
I am conscious of the policy on the bureau,
but must go on pitching out typewriter and
creasing trowsers, only to fall in q volume
of flame and smoke on the threshold as the
clock strikes IL
Richard" said I, ''your argument is
quite remarkable, but I am still puzzled
If you are incorporeal, and l perceive on
closer inspection that you are, how can you
talk? Where are your vocal chords, your
krachea, your muscles of expiration? How
can you hear me? l examine you closely,
and note the absence of the usual auditory
apparatus"
You are wrong" replied the ghost.
"You deceive yourself. I do not talk; do
not hear. communicate with you and you
with me by sympathetic expression. AS 1
told you, you have rare mediumistic quail
ties, but your spirituality is SO insuficiently
developed that you cannot distinguish be-
tween spiritual communion and mortal in
terchange of thought. beg your pardon.
am charmed to have met you"-here the
ghost suddenly picked up his gripsack-
"but have just timete get to that door.
don't wish to alarm you, but am sure
smell something burning"
And SO did I. There was no doubt Of it.
saw the ghost look laughingly at the pa
per on the bureau and run swiftly across
the room. And I'll swear that saw him
throw open the door and fall in the volume
of fame that poured into the chamber.
And all the time there was a tremendous
smuggling in my ears, with the sound of the
banging of doors and the shouting of men.
And I heard avoice:
''Mr. Nelson! Mr.. Nelson! Get up quickl
Come down the back wayl It's on fire, the
houser'
N
I, John Nelson, am a lawyer and man
of unimpeachablev eracity. 1t is true that
was the guest of the Phoenix hotel in
Greenville, Sept. 10, the night it burned to
the ground. 1t is true that the porter
called me at precisely 1 o'clock in the
morning, and that escaped in very scant
attire, securing my watch, pocketbook and
legal papers. 1t is also true that an acct
dent policy which had taken out before
leaving the city was forgotten and burned
in the flames. All these are facts hereto
fore unrevealed, as have dreaded the no.
toriety attending the revelation of sensa-
tional press. disclose them now, not in
the interest of spiritualists and the fanatic
al element of the promoters of psychical
research, but merely to dispel very popu-
lar delusion concerning ghosts and to calm
the fears of the superimaginative and the
superstitious.
For myself let me say that if have never
seen ghost since that night of adventure
it is because I have not desired it,
have sought out country graveyards
on tempestuous nights and sat alone
on marble slab as the clock tolled 10.
Over a table in my study hangs a grinning
skull, and many time between the hours
of.12 and 1 have turned down the light and
stood before the hideous emblem of NOR
tality and called on Azrael or Barnaid, as
the humor might suggest. But all in vain.
No ghost rises at my bidding. Alone 1 can
accomplish nothing with the supernatural.
think shall marry.-Exchange