The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-23
MAGGIE'S GHOST.

sol of the Southern Pacific, could hard
~ DO called n dabbler in tho occult or Il
believer in things supernatural, and yet.
as his intimate friends will remember.
he did believe implicitly that he had
seen one ghost,
Tho story-for there was O romance,
and n tragic one, connected with this
ghost-was not one that the LAWYER
cared to tell, except to those who en-
joyed his personal confidence He did
not like to DO charged with superstitious
fancies, nor did no appreciate attempts
to ridicule him out of his faith in the
evidence of his own keen eyes. To his
death no maintained firmly that it had
been his fortune to meet face to face
the spirit Of one who had passed from
life.
1t was early i'll the fiftios when Hay
mond, then a stranger in California,
becamo nh express rider. Ho used to
make regular trips into the mountains,
visiting the camps at stated intervals,
carrying In his big saddlebags letters.
papers and such small articles ms could
be transported III this way.
On ono of his first trips away UP in
tho Sierra he came to an almost deserted
camp, where rich strike had been
made and tho pocket quickly exhausted
Only ono family had remained-that of
n man named ROdden. In u small, COM
Portable house close against tho wall Of
rock which rose behind tho camp Il
light was burning as Raymond rode
into tho deserted place. A knock Mt the
door brought forth the occupant To
md Z for lnA
man growled u surly response and re-
luctantly let him III.
The express rider was surprised to SOC
sitting beside the little table, OH which
stood the lamp, young and pretty
woman. He was surprised to recognize
i'll hor schoolmatc whom he hal sup
posed to be still safe III hor eastern
home After their greetings had bcci!
said Raymond explained to the ungr;,-
cious husband how he haG known Nirs.
Rodden back east. Rodden gruntcd
some response, but Raymond and the
woman We're too busy asking and an
swering questions to heed his manner.
The man seemed relieved by Raymond
departure the next day. He told the ex-
press rider to call whenever he was
passing over the trail, and the womb!
urged him to come again and stop for
the night, that they might talk about
people and things mt home
1t was more than a month before he
again came to tho deserted camp, and
this time, reaching it mt an earlier hour,
he found the woman alone, her husband
having not yet returned from his work
Raymond learned from her that sho had
married Roddcn against the wishes OF
her family and had como to the mines
with him without letting her parents
know where she had gone. She said
little about her life iii tho mountains,
but that little showed that it had not
been happy one. They had como To
the camp with Il number of others, but
some quarrel had arisen between her
husband and the rest of the miners, so
when they moved on he had remained
behind, and by hard work was making
fairly good pay i'll the deserted diggngs.
She dreaded the loneliness of the place:
but, with Il patient sigh said She hoped
before another winter her husband
might be willing to move Oh to some
camp where they would have company.
Raymond made two trips more, call
ing each time at the cabin where his
schoolmate lived. When leaving the
second time, he told them that one trip
moro would be all he could make before
the snow blocked the trail. Two or three
times Raymond had suggested to Rod
den that he take his wife to some settle
ment before winter shut them III, but
had received no answer. He did not feel
at liberty to say moro, so with the prom
n IN rot,
weeks ho mounted his horse and rode
down the narrow trail
\ few steps took him out of sight of
the cabin. He heard faint call, and
looking back saw Mrs Rodden running
down the trail after him. She waved
her hand for him to return, and no rode
back
"Will you do an crrand for me while
you are i'll the city, he said.
OF course he consented, and she gave
him her commission, and with IL few
parting words she ran up the trail
while he turned his horse again to de-
scend. He looked back after his friend
and, to his surprise, saw Roddcn rise
from behind n bush near the trail He
thought the man had been hidden
| Watching his wife, but u reflection made
the idea seem absurd-probably it was
a mere coincidence. Even if Rodden
had heard every word of the converse
ton it could only have spoiled Mrs
Roddcn's little plot, which was nothing
worse than Christmas surprise for her
husband.
Raymond was detained & week longer
than he had expected, ard when he