The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-10-13
A GHOST STORY.

never a mem Der OF any church lin fact,
his spresence at meeting was infrequent
His reverence, however, for religious sub
jects, or perhaps more marked was it for
religious people, and his respect for their
opinions, got for him the sobriquet of
sparson-' My affection for him was very
sincere, as is my regard for his memory.
The one thing that 1 never could reconcile
to his views was his absolute belief that
there had been cases, and were even then.
when the dead came back upon earth and
manifested their presence to those whom
they loved. Ife was a devotee to Shake
speare and had respect for the playwright's
ghosts and witches Well, the parson-I
speak Of him In this way reverently and
espectfully-sOme years before the war
moved away from here into the north
western part of the state He was fairly
well to do. owned number Of blacks,
treated them like the Virginia gentleman
he was and had their warm affection He
owned some fine horses and prided himself
upon them, his nice wagons and his ex-
cellent gravel roads My friend began to
decline in health after he went away.
visited him often and attended to Consid-
cradle business for him, and at the differ
ent times / was with him 1 noticed anent
his failing health.
He knew it was failing, and that rap
idly, and ono evening he said TO me sud
denly, without any reference to his condi-
ton Joe, If / die before you. and j can
mind you, if / CAM Will come back from
the shadoWy bourne and reveal to you my
presence On earth Ten days after that he
was laid away ia a little graveyard in the
village near where be had lived. That was
in the month Of March, two years before
the war.
I'm the following September I had bust
ness in that part of the state and stopped
at the house Of my old friend to pass the
night, having advised the family of my
intention to do So I arrived about 8
O'clock in the evening and mot for rwn
second during my journey--and was two
days making it, going on horseback-could
get out of my mind my old friends dec.
laration that if he could he would after
death make known to me his presence On
earth It did not exactly make me uncom-
Portable, but 1 renem bered it, that was
all When I arrived, 1 was met 10y old
Parker, one Of the servants, who was glad
to see me and took charge Of my horse
He seemed uneasy and said he wanted TO
talk to me, so after I had greeted the fam
lily and taken supper I went out and found
the old fellow waiting near the stable.
The first thing be said was, Mars Joe
does you believe in shadders?'
= What do you mean by shadows, Par
ker?' said l.
8 Chooses he pumped out and the
word gave me a cold thrill, for it brought
back all the thoughts of what the parson
had said and that had encompassed me on
my journey.
Il ridiculed Parker, even though he had
made me feel uncomfortable. / told him
not to be a fool, and that he was old
enough to know there never was a ghost
But Parker was not to be convinced. He
had never seen one himself, but nearly eve
cry other darky on the place bad imag
ined that he had seen the spirit of the par
son at midnight wandering among his
wagons about the barn. After my inter
view with Parker I returned to the house.
There was company there taking up the
spare rooms, and I, not being a stranger,
was to rest for the night a lounge ia
the sitting room. It was nearly midnight
when / was hidden good night and laid
myself down. ! had hardly become com
posed when l heard the faint tinkle of a
clock chime -. 1t seemed the saddest
striking Of a clock ever listened TO-
kept perfectly quiet and was getting
sleepy when / heard strange sound. It'd
was like the turning Of d wheel on the
even gravel paths that the parson always
had kept in such good order. Tt stopped
and turned again and then began revolv-
ing very rapidly I Jumped up, and the
noise stopped instantly.
-Ihad eaten q hearty supper and thought
must have fallen asleep and had the
nightmare, so 1 lay down again. had
just quieted my nerves when that wheel
turned around again. / could henr the
wagon coming along like lightning on tho
gravel road, and / Thought it must have
been just in front of the house so rapidly
did it seem to run / at once jumped to
the window Before could open tho SHUT
ter the sound ceased, and the place was
again quiet a tomb. In cold pcrspi-
ration / pushed open the window shutter
I expected to see my dead friend driving
one Of his wagons over, though ] felt he
would not harm me. 1 needed no light, for
the luster Of the September harvest moon
rivaled in its brightness the MONDAY SUM-
] went out to the barn There were the
wagons standing on the gravel walk as
had seen them early in the evening, and
the scene was one grand picture Of peace
and quietness, an apctheosis OF calmness.
/ didn't know but what I was losing my
senses, but I went back to rest, 80 i coulds
and, to my horror, again, just as I became
quiet, came that sound Of wheels crunch
ing on the gravel This was moro than
mortal could bear, and ! got up and lit
the lamp sat it on the table and listen
ed, but there was no noise then. and be-
came thoroughly frightened i raised the
lamp and looked around.
On the wall back of my lounge hung
one of those squirrel cages with a tin
cage was a uimid but very lively squirrel,
who came out every time the place was
quiet and took Pymnastic exercise in the
cylinder You have probably all seen such
a performance and can understand how
like to the turning Of wheels upon gravel
path it could be conjured into seeming.
Every time 1 rose and made noise the
squirrel retreated into the house But,
oh, how relieved I was when I solved the
mystery t''-Washington star.
1t was on the points Of supreme excel
To-. H. Roll frttr