Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-09-11
MAGGIE'S GHOST.

ly be called dabblcr in the occult or q believer in things supernatural, and yet, as his intimate friends will remember, he did believe implicitly that he had seen one ghost.
 The stOry-fOr there was a romance, and a tragic one, connected with this ghOst-waS not one that the lawyer cared to tell, except to those who en- juycd his personal confidence. He did not like to be charged with superstitious fanciCs. nor did he appreciate attempts to ridiculc him out of his faith in the evidence of his own keen eyes. To his death he maintained firmly that it had been his fortune to meet face to face the spirit of ole who had passed from lifc.
 II was early ill the fiftics when Hay mUnd. then q stranger i'll California, became an express rider. He used to make regular trips into the mountains, visiting the camps at stated intervals, carrying ill his big saddlcbags letters, papers and such small articles as could b. transported i'll this way.
 On one of his first trips away up in the Sierra he came to an almost deserted camp where rich strike had been made and the pocket quickly exhausted Only one family had remained-thatO of q man named Rodden- In small, com fortabIe house close against the wall of rock which ruSe behind the camp a light was burning as Raymond rode into the deserted place. A knock at the door brought forth the occupant. To HaymOnd's request for lodgings the man GrOwlCd q surly response and re- luCtantly let him in.
 The express rider was surprised to see sitting beside the little table, on which Stood the lamp. a young and pretty woman. He was surprised to recognize i'll her a Schooimate whom he hal sup pu-,d tO Ic still safe i'll her eastern home. -Af;Cr their greetings hal been said UIvmUnd explained to the ungra- CiUuS husband how he had known Mrs. ROddCn back cast. ROdden grunted some rc>puu>,. but Raymond and the woman wyrc torO busy asking and an Swcrinc questions to heed his manner. The man seemed relieved by Haymond' $ dCulrtur, the next day. He told the ex- IrC<S rider to call whenever he was passing over the trail, and the woman urged him tO come again and stop for the night. that they might talk about people and things at home.
 IL WAS moro than month before he again came to the deserted camp, and this time. reaching it at an earlier hour. he fuuud t!ir wuInan alone, her husband having u0t vet r,.turnCd from his work. HIyIHond learned from her that she had married Rud,icn against the wishes oi her family and had come to the mines with him without letting her parents know where she had gone She said little about her life i'll the mountains, but that litt!c showed that it had not been haVTv uuc. They had come tC the cIlIp with a munI'cr of others, but sOuIr UU.rr,I il:sd arisen between hcl husband and the r,St uf the miners. SU when t.l,y moved uu hC hLd remained Is-hiud. .ii,! ly h.ird work was making fairly -,s,t Y,tv in tI,' deserted di -,gingS. sSllr dreaded the loneliness uf the place ] but, with a patient sigh, slid she hoped | before another winter her husband might br willing tO move on to somC l camp whcrr they would have company.
 HaymO:d ma,!c two trips more, call l ing each time at the cabin whCro hi.
 
 Scl,pud time, he told them that one triI u.r,' would l,c all he could make befor, ! the SHOW blocked the trail Two or thrC, l times Raymond had suggested to Rod | den that he take his wife to some settle uIcut before winter shut them in, bu 1 had rcc,.iyCd no answer. He did not fee ] at liNvrtv to S.ly more. SO with the prom | i>c tu vi>i; them ou his return in few we,-k< he mounted his horse and rod, down the narrow trail
 \ few steps tu0k him out of sight q the cabin. Hr heard faint call. an, looking back saw Mrs. Rodden runnin: down thr trail after him. She wave, her hand for him to return, and he rod, hack
 Will yuu do an errand for me whil ! yuu :,r,. i'll the city," he said.
 of course liv consented. and she gay him her commission, and with a fcv parting words she ran up the trail while he turned his horse again to de >crud H., looked back after his friend and, to his surprise, saw Roddcn ri> from behind bush near the trail H thought the man had been hidden watchin, his wife, but a reflection mad the idea >,, I'll atsurd-prohably it Wa q mere. coincidence. Even if Rodde had heard every word of the converSa tioI 1t could only have spoiled Mrs ROddvu'S little plot. which was nothin wOrS, than a Christmas surprise for he husband
 Raymond was detained a week longC than he had expected, and when h started for the mountains again hi friends told him he would never gC through, but he persisted, and finally after long battle with the snowdrift. he reached the last camp on his rout, having lost q week on the way. ! IL Was almost night and snow an F wind were in riOtous possession of tn l mountains when he found himself rii 7 ing down the trail q mile or two aboy : the camp where he was to pass the nigl with the Rudtlens.
 DuSi came while he was still mol than mile from the cabin. He presse on a~ fast as Inc dared, when suddenl his horse stopped short with a snort an stoOl QuiyVriu- Raymond could s, |, nothing. and soothing tho animal wit | hand aud voice urged him on. Thel was still light sufficient to see arOuu . clearly enough to distinguish objec
 near the trail Raymond thought as l
 started again that he saw somethiI
 move across the trail q little way aheal
 The horse went slowly forward, bI ;. with great reluctance, and when tn,
 reached an open sp"t where the lig
 was sufficient to show objects for son
 distance he again stopped, trcmblin
 and Raymond for moment could II
 persuade him to start. At last the hor
 started forward with a bound, and