Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-06
HIS WIFE'S GHOST.

One of the most regular frcqucntors of
the Mandovillo club is Mr.. Gideon Wild.
He is man of close on 80 years of age.
He comes into the carG7Oom every night
at o'clock, pausing at tine be-: 90 say:
"Stcward, send mo in u two OF gin and
two packs of cards"
With the same pUNCtUality, as soon rs
ever the clock strikes 10, he rises to go,
saying:
"Gontlemen, must be going. My old
lady is waiting up for me, and mustn't
be late in
Or, rather l should say, this was his in
variable custom until little more than n
year ago when Gideon WiId's "old LADY,
died, and with Ler Death the necessity for
his early return home ceased to exist.
After that the old man began to keep
bad hours, and with late hours he drank
more than was good for HIN and gambled
at the card table reokiessly.
And yet it was uotner grief for his loss
nor increasing years which We're breaking
up old Gideon Wild. 1t wds simply the
late hours and the larger quantity ce gin
which he now consumed
And this it was which would have killed
him off very soon had it not zen for the
ghostly apparition which broke in upon
the club one night and mysteriously took
him away from the place of temptation.
1t was on Christmas eve, or rather mt
O'Clock on the morning Of Christmas day.
Gideon Wild, little Daily and two Others
were the only members remaining in the
cardroom of the club. They had finished
playing cards, but were still seated around
the table
Old Mr.. Wild spoke of his dead wife,
and opening his watch he showed "a small
photograph of hcr-a comely old lady in
pokebonnet, brown Paisley shawl and
with large goloshes on her feet. When lit
tie Daily saw the photograph, he smiled
and said:
"Its splendid likeness. 1 remember
the old lady coming to fetch you home one
night She was dressed exactly like this.
We heard her wet goloshes snggng along
the passage outside, and then she came
and stood within the doorway yonder and
bcckoncd you out"
AS little Daily spoke Gideon Wild raised
his hand for silence, and us he did so we
were startled by the sound as of wet india
rubber shod feet coming along the pas
sageway.
lutN SuBBtSNtN w nm bllttu lllN NNttN
wife was coming along the passage in her
wet goloshes to beckon him home, rs she
had been wont to do before her death.
The same idea communicated itself to
Daily and the others. Therefore they
were not surprised when a cloaked and
bonneted old lady did indeed appear at the
farther doorway and beckon for Gideon
Wild to go.
1t was the figure of his dead wife. As in
the photograph, she wore pokcbonnst, II
brown Paisley shawl, and upon her feet
.goloshes
No sooner was the ghostly signal given
than Gideon Wild rose to his feet and said:
Eyes, my dear, I'm coming"
Then, with u return of his old manner,
he turned to his companions and said:
"Gentlemen, must be going My old
lady is wanting me at home, and must
not keep her waiting"
Daily and his companions looked at ono
another i'll silence, and then one of them
said:
"Who do you think it was?"
"His wife's ghost, Of COURSE" said Dali
by. There's no doubt about it. I've
seen her many IA time before she died, and
I'll take my oath that's the same woman
come back from the dead. Old Wild him
self recognized her at once. And SO did l.
So did we all"
1t was week before Gideon Wild re-
sumed his visits to the club And when
he did so it was noticed that he always
went away, as of Old at 10 o'clock.
No one cared to question him as to the
apparition of his dead wife. Little Daily,
however, could not rest with such Il mys-
terry unsolyed.
One night, as the clock struck 10, old
Wild arose from his seat and said: "Well,
gentlemen, must be going. My old lady
is sitting up for me at home, and l must
not keep her waiting"
At this little Daily interrupted him:
"Why, Mr.. Wild, you haven't got any
old lady at home. You told us she died
year ago."
AT this the old man paused and STAN
mercd:
"Oh, didn't tell you about it9 Didn't
tell you l was married again week be-
fore Christmas l married my housekeep-
en-"
"And was that the lady who fetched
you home ON Christmas eve?'
Eyes, Of course it was. She's took to
all my late wife's wardrobe-undercloth
ing and all-and it fits her to nicely.
Queer thing that should marry two wom-
en- SO much alike in height and figure,
isn't it?"-London Telegraph.