Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-24
WHAT TWO SAW.

could be more than nothing in it. Yet for days and days and night after night it never left my thoughts, nor can I drive it from me. And now, after lapse of ten years, l have but to close my eyes and it is all just as real to me as though it had happened yes terday.
 Twas glorious starlit night in May, and my friend and were stretched out on rugs in the garden of the old rectory, smoking our after dinner cigar, when he suggested that go into the church and play for him. We went in through the choirroom door, of which had a key, and going to the organ l began to play, while my friend stood on the bench beside me looking out over the church, which was lighted solely by the moonbeams that stole in through the stain. ed glass windows. I was playing little wisps of melody and scraps of old familiar tunes, when my friend said quietly:
 ''I see shadows moving about in one pew and out at another, and then disappearing in darkened corners I wonderif they can be the shades of past parishioners who have come back to visit the place where they have so often hoped and prayedf"
 smiled at his conceit andi went on play ing, when suddenly placihgohis hand on my shoulder he said. agitasedly:
 Look Is that a mani" stasa
 
 ing, and saw, or thought Isaw, what seem. ed to be man. dressed in an old blouse and trousers of some light colored material, half standing and half kneeling in the center of the church. There was nimbus of light above his head and he was looking straight at me with eyes protruding from their sock cts.
 Great Godp' exclaimed. what can it beP"
 
 Not taking my eyes from the apparition, I reached to the side of the organ and pressed the button that turned on all the lights in the church. AS did so the figure disappeared. We then decided to search the church, so my friend went down one aisle while I went down the other, looking in all the pews, but there was no one in the church but our two selves. =
 Feeling rather strange, we left the church and walked out into the country. Coming back, we passed by the walls of Woodland cemetery. We had passed by the main en- trance, which was closed for the night, when my friend, looking through the bars, said:
 'There is something have often heard of and always been anxious to see. Look the ignis fatuus."
 I followed his gaze and saw what ap peared to be pale, yellowish ball of fire suspended directly over large granite tomb, that had for it's vista a small clump of trees.
 -tLet us go in," he said, ''I would like to see it closer"
 So, going on to little gate that was fas- tened by a chain and hook, we unfastened the grating and entered
 We walked up the path until we came to side path that led us back to where we had seen the light. As we turned into the side path large white dog came toward us, making no sound on the loose gravel of the path. He came toward us wagging his tail, and stopped within few feet and looked up into our faces. I called:
 Here, doggie here, old fellow."
 When he turned and-vanished-we both paused and looked at each other, and need not own to cowardice when say that began to feel cold and creepy. Finally said, Do you still want to see the liRht2" .' ''Yes,o oaanswered my friend, '''lets go i on." So we went on toward where we had seen the light. and suddenly said, There it is" And there it was, not 20 feet away, shining with a dull, unearthly glow. ..s-. T must go nearer" said my friend, and he started toward the light. As he got to it it went out.
 ''Do you see it nows" he called.
 "No" answered. Come, let's get out of this" And we hastened from the spot nor did we stop until we had chained and hooked the grating on the outside.
 What do you suppose it wasp l asked. ''It would be poetic to say that it was the light of some tired soul gone out to the vast unknown" he answered, but, what ever it was, let's get home"
 The next day had a strange feeling that something-I knew not what-was going to happen, but l accounted for it by the events of the night before and told my story to no one. AS I was coming out of town in the afternoon bought an evening paper and the first thing that met my eye was the headline:
 Suicide in Woodland cemetery"
 Eagerly scanned the column, and even now I recall the exact wording:
 ''At an early hour this morning as two men were going through Woodland ceme tery to work at Gray's Ferry, they came across the body of a man suspended from tree, wbich is one of group of trees situ- ated between the two gates, the only group of trees in this part of the cemetery. The body was cut down and taken to the morgue.s The coroner's physician is of the opinion that the man died between Il and 12 o'clock last night" e I immediately left the car, took cross town car and went up to the morgue
 Gan see the man who hanged himself in Woodland cemetery last nightS" asked the keeper.
 "Yes," he answered. and led the way to the corner of room, and going to a slab on which was a form covered by sheet threw down the covering and said, s'There he is"
 And there, with eyeballs protruding from their sockets was the body of the man whom my friend and had seen in the church the night before-St Paul Globe
 His Scheme.