The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-02

there had been cases, and were even then,
when the dead came back upon eartn and
manifested :Seir presence TO those whom
they loved. He was devotee to Shake
/ Epeare and had respect for the playwrights
ghosts and witches. Well, the parson-I
speak of him in this way reverently and
respectfully--some years before the war
moved away from here into the north
western part of the state. He was fairly
we'll to do, owned number of blacks,
treated them like the Virginia gentleman
he was and had their warm affection. He
.wned some fine horses and prided himself
upon them, his nice wagons and bis ex-
,ellent gravel roads. My friend began TO
decline in health after he went away. I
visited him often and attended TO consid-
cradle business for him, and at the differ
ent times i was with him / noticed anent
his failing health.
He knew it was failing, and that rap
idly, and one evening he said TO me sud.
denly, without any reference 10 his coDdi-
ton, Joe, if die before you, and l can
mind you, il CAM will come back from
the shadowy bourne and reveal TO you my
presence on earth. Ten days after that he
was laid away in a little graveyard in the
village near where he had lived That was
in the month Jf March, two years before
the war.
''In the following September l had bust
ness in that part OF the state and stopped
at the house OF nv old friend 10 PASS the
night. having advised the family of my
intention to do so. / arrived about .
O'Clock in the evening. and not for ono
second during my journcy-and was two
days making II, going on horseback-could
/ get out Of my mind my old friends dec
laration that il he could he would after
death make known TO me his presence on
earth. IL did rot exactly make me uncom-
Portable, bat / remembered IL, that was
all. When i arrived, / was met by old
Parker, one or the servants, who was glad
tn see me and took charge Of my horse.
He seemed uneasy and said he wanted to
talk 20 me. SO after had greeted the fam
ily and taken supper went cut and found
the old fellow waiting near the stable.
The first thing he said was, Mars Joe,
does you believe in sbaddersP
What do you mean By shadows, Par
kerr said /.
g. 'Gbos 'es, he pumped cut, and the
word gave me cold thrill, for IL brought
back all the thoughts of what the parson
had said and that had encompsssed me on
my journey.
II ridicuied Parker, even though he bad
made me feel uncomfortable. / told him
not to be fool, and that he was old
enough to know there never was a ghost |
But Parker was not to he convinced. he
had never seen one himself, but nearly ev-
cry other darky ON the place had 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 60 the house. |
There was company there taking up the /
spare rooms, and !, hot being a stranger, /
was to rest for the night on a lounge in 1
the sitting RON. IL was nearly midnigh; 4
when l was hidden good night and laid
Tnyse down. had hardly become CON-
pOsed when / heard the faint tinkle OF a
clock chime u. II seemed the ssddest
sI!kh & OF a clock ever listened TO- j
kept perfectly quiet and was getting
slecp! when I heard strange soond- IL
was like the turning q a wheel on the
eTen gravel paths that the pzrson always
had kept in such good or6er. IL stopped
and turned again and then began reTolv-
Ing very rapidly l jumped UP, aRd the
noise stopped Instantly.
''Ibad eaten a hearty super and thought
i must have talon asleep and lad the
nightmare, 80 l lay down again. had
jus; quieied mr. nerves when shat whssl
TUNED aro1nd szs.s. I could hear the
wagon coming aicnE Ike lightning OF the
gravel rad, and Thought II zsas: have
been Just in front Of the house, 20 rapidly
did IL s-eED 70 run- az 0rcs JuFnfsd %
TIE window. Before I could open the shut
ter the sJund erased. ard the place vac
again a. quiet az a tomb. In a co.d r-rsqi
ration pushed open tie viEcoW shutter
4 expected 70 SO rny dead friend driving
one CT bis wagons over. though j teit he
would not harm me reedsfi nc light. %:
TIE iuster u the -ep.eTnber ksrses, mon
rivaled IN ifs brightness tle monday -un
went cot 70 the hs-n- Tss7e vsrs tbs
SazDEs standing &C tise srax1 walk - J