Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-01-23

at MS surroundings. And quite
picturesque little place it is, too
'Ah! yes sir. picturesque. that ia
what they all call it, and there's
not one that can remem Der of ever
seeing the place who did not like it.
Always something to entertain one
here. To tell you the truth. sir.
there, ale some ghost stories con
nected with the place. and il seems
that people have = strange liking
for such things
Ghost stories. They have fas-
cination for me also, ana as YOU do
not seem to be in hurry, and my
time is my own. suppose you tell
me some of them. Does the ghost
really appear, and frighten the ma
tives!'
They say, sir, the old bridge out
yonder is haunted Every evening
just at dusk a white figure glides
by, and standing on the edge show
ers flowers into the water, all the
time singing some weird song. l
have stood here many an evening
and watched for her, for | knew it
was no phantom, but a living wo-
man who sang that song
SO you have found out who the
ghost is, and her intrigue has been
lost on you?'
Yes sir, but | am sure she does
not mean to frighten anyone. /
don't believe she has ever seen one
of the many who run from her.
They cry out, the ghost is coming
but | know that it is no more than
beautiful, heart broken woman,
who will never see things through a
clear vision again. have inquired
around and found out little of her
history, for she has one. and as you
seem interested, | will repeat it to
you.'
Look yoIder sir, you see that
house towing above the hill-tops.
just there under that bit of rising
moon. Well, that is where she
lives, there in that beautiful palace.
but she never feels ia grandeur.
1t was not her home always. Only
once or twice during her childhood.
she had come to visit her grand
father, but her home was some love-
ly mansion far away from here,
where she grew up as fair and
beautiful as lily, and as proud as
she was beautiful. Well sir. they
say she was engaged to some one
Once-l never heard his name. She
must have loved him very dearly.
but somehow they quarreled and he
went away. The ship he sailed in
meyer came back again. for there
was terrible storm one night. and
he with many others went to the
bottom
She knows it, They told her all. .
and from that day she has never
been the same.
She grew i'll and those who loved
her best prayed that she might die.
but God did not will it so, and she
has been living her death ever since.
'Ah, sir, | see you are interested
in my story, but there is little more
to tell. They say her longing was
for the ocean, so they brought her
here, but sometimes it is hard to
tell whether they did right or wrong.
Here the murmur of the sea is al
ways in her ears. and when a storm
RACES high she screams and means
in way that is pitiful to hear. and
il it were not for strong arms, locks
and bolts she would flee from the
house and 60 ont to the waves.
But when the evenings are calm
she leaves her home when the last
bit of daylight has faded and the
stars are coming out one by one.
Quick and noiselessly she glides
down the hill, across the vale. A
white, ghostly vision. for she never
appears in anything but white.
Her hands are always full of flowers,
and as she scatters them in the
water she sings the same song. al
ways the same. | tried to remem-
Der the words, but never could
catch more than two or three at q
time, something about withered
blossoms, and the last lines come
back to me because she repeated
them.
"Only a man adrift for life,
All for a wom4n's-
Sir. are You ill:'
NO, no; go on, go on quickly.