Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-10-22
SPIRIT FOOTPRINTS.
MARKS LEFT ON THE WET SAND BY
AN INVISIBLE CHILD.

His Deathbed-One Mans Reason For
Believing In Ghosts.
"You may talk about ghosts being only
the result of an overheated imagination or
If being produced by fear, but l am here
10 say that 1t is no such thing, and that
they do exist" Thus spoke one of a group
of gentlemen yesterday while waiting at
the depot for train, and ON the rest clam
oring for the story the speaker went on:
1T was in the early seventies that was
summcring at quiet little place on the
Mississippi coast in an endeavor to regain
thy health after spell of typhoid fever,
and in the house with me was fellow
from New York, who was sick too. This
sort of drew us together, and we would
take our constitutionals in company.
never could quite make out what Asberry's
complaint was, and he did not seem to
know himself, but would often get blue
about himself and say he was being killed
by inches And he looked awfully bad,
too, with big, dreary looking eyes that
seemed as if they did not know what sleep
was and checks so hollow that they showed
his teeth through them. He was well off,
even rich, but he appeared to get as little
good out Of his money as any one l ever
saw and had way Of speaking as If it
was rather q curse than not. We have all
met rich people that affected to feel that
way, but in this case 1t was genuine. l
had only few more days to pass at the
seaside when l learned what was the mat
ter with Asberry and got a shock that
nearly upset me.
I'VE were walking along the shore one
day just after the tide had gone out, leav
ing the sand moist, and as we went along
l amused myself punching holes in it.
when all at once l noticed that side by
side with Asberry's tracks ran those of
little bare foot. There they were as plain
as our own. l started back with cry, for
the foot that made those tracks was not to
be seen, and yet they went on falling by
the side of Asberry's as if the person that
mado them was walking close beside him.
Asberry turned at my exclamation, and,
CHANGING down at the tracks, smiled In
slow, bitter way, but showed no astonish-
mcnt
$50 you see them, tooS' he said. We'll,
what do you think of my having seen
those marks running side by side with
mine for over five ycars"
Good Cod 1 exclaimed, man, You
do not mean to say that this thing has
happened before|
"'Yes, do, said he. 1t happens every
day of my life. It's that that's killing
mo-
"'But it is the most extraordinary
thing l ever came across, / persisted.
| Is there no natural explanation of tho
thingT
"'Wcll, ask yourself the question.
What explanation could there be? No, l
am fully aware what it is that walks with
mo-
at seems easy enough to tell all this,
but there was something horrible and, as
| tho Scotch say, 'uncanny, in watching
| those falling footmarks dropping down on
tho sand from an invisible walker beside
us, and at last could stand it no longer,
but proposed our going back to the hotel.
| When we reached the place, Asberry held
out his hand 'Goodby,' he said, smiling
| that bitter smilo of his.
| "'Why, are you leaving" asked, feel
ing relieved at the idea.
"'No' he said, but this Is the end OF
our companionship. 1--we seen friend
after friend fall away from me after seeing
what you have this morning Iprotested
awhile but was conscious of a decided
shrinking from him as ono accurscd, still
pitying the fellow. / hated to hurt his
feelings
Tho next day and tho next, however, 1
could not bring myself to ask him to join
me in my daily walk on the beach, for
felt that to SEQ those silent, mysterious
steps beside mino again would be the death
of me- On tho night of tho third day
noticed that Asberry did not come to the
table and did not SEQ him on the beach,
and later on heard that he was very low.
| Still shrinking from him, and, with the
selfish nervousness of n semi-invalid, did
not go to inquire after him that day. but
during tho night was awakened by knock
at my door, and, opening 1t, saw the bell
boy, whom poor Asberry had sent to ask
me to come to him, as no was dying. At
this summons could not help but go,
and, hustling on my clothes, was beside
him in few minutes. found him lying
| half unconscious at times, rambling at
others, and at first he did not know me.
When he did, he said, smiling as before:
"'Do you know that, slight as has been
our acquaintance, you are tho nearest ap-
proach to a friend have on earthF as
surcd him that anything l could do for
him would gladly, but he only asked of
mo to stay by him.
| IL am afraid to stay alone with Ben
ME, he said. and thought him wander
ing again, but his eyes met mine with
perfectly rational look, and he said: That
is my nephew l speak OF. His father was
my only brother, and dying, left me his
son to watch over. And l killed him.
After this Asberry lay silent for nearly an
hour, when the stiffness of the room was
broken by muflled sob. This sounded SO
near that l thought it uttered by Asberry,
but he, too had started at the sound; so,
CHANGING about me, l looked for tho person
that had made it.
What in Gods name is that?' whis-
pcred, leaning over him, and without I'M
| covering his face he answered, That is
sound that have heard night and day for
the last five years Then, raising himself
| IN bed, he said to some one beside him
whom could not see: Will you not let
me die in pcacef I have given you my life
| IN turn for yours, and is not that worth
| the purchase of an hours rest in which to
dief'
LAS he talked l saw the room grow
darker, tho lamps Pickering As If cold
wind swept the apartment, and as the
gloom gathered about the bed l SAVIOR
was it only my imagination2-the figure of
a child standing beside the couch. Asberry
l., a knlJ IA