The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-24

l did. Then father too, laughed AT u.s.
! You have been reading too many Ialiy
/ tales. he saId the daughters OF "A sOid-
/ Ter should be more brave.
But IL was not long before others saw
our graveyard ghost. and the whole toW/
began TO believe I'm IL. The ghost was al
ways white and silent, but except for that
40 two stories about il agreed. Gastoe
-Four. the miller saw an Old man with a
+ long white beard leaning against the
stone wall and looking over as b" passed
one night. and he was sure that IL looked
exactly like old Pierre Eabay, who nae
fallen from the church scanold ana
broken his neck. Ola GahncNe. on!
laurdress. saw the object very plainly
too. and she was equally certain that il
was a woman i'm a white shrOud with two
nlumcs i'm her head. in Gabrielle Opln-
ION the ghost was that OF am OLD dame
who ha1 lived near the edge Of the forest
D. close by and who had been called WitcI-
Others did not agree with either castor
or Gabrielle. but had a separate theory
/ Of their own.
whoever or whatever the ghost was
| II did not seem inclined 10 leave the
graveyard and so when Susanne ana
/ wanted very much 10 visit the village we
Venturod TO repeat our evening ull'9.
But always. when We came near '"'
/ burial ground. We threw orr aprons over
/ our heads and ran as fast as we 'on'u
/ tnl We were well past. And in the eyes
+ of our girl friends We were very brave 10
mss the ghost. even i'm that way.
/ "Of an who did not believe in the RhoSt
/ or nretondod not 10 believe in 10. NOBODY
scoffod so loudly at our fears as IIeII'
Moulin. 4 should like 20 meet Your
/ ghost said Pierre bOistcrously. i Woulu
/ say to him. Hold. my fine teHoW' mere
YOUR health" and offer him drink from
lao 10 q
/ Pierre would dare 20 do this If ne actual
/ ~ met tho ghost. but we thought Doc must
! no terribly brave TO dare 10 think OF suce
a thing. Certain IL was that fear OF an"
/ ghost did not keep him from making ms
! nightly visit to the inn 20 drink glass;
| Of brandy and FIN his flask. but We learn
cd afterwards that with all OF ms ho'.'-
! ing Pierre was really more AFRAID OF me
/ lonely occupant Of the churchvard than
] 49,, ,rcro for ne did not pass along the
/ road but made wide detour through
Tho folds tin he got beyond the burial
,,round oddly enough. though, d Wa
,broueN Pierre Moulin that we finally
learned lust who and what the ghost real
lv was
"r WAS Christmas eve and Pierre had
. STAYED longer than usual AZ the village
inn. lie had many glass OF wine ana
10 was almost midnight when ne many
rose TO go. As he took MS mask iion
fine inn-keeper's hand he said i'm a half
tipsv voice. This is Christmas eve. when
all should be of good cheer. Tonight II
1 meet the ghost of Bois-le-Duc he shall
have a sip from my iagon, ] promise
vou.' The wine had made Pierre bold
and decided that he was not afraid OF
any ghost. As ne came opposite the
graveyard he stopped and looked about
I An was silent aud still I'm the cold moon
! light: there was 40 moving thing IN 'ish'.
. Pierre drew the flask from his pocket and
! held il up In one hand. Monsieur Ghost
/ cried he. will YOU not sip good cheer with
| me on Christmas eveY Even as he spoke
| a white figure seemed to rise from Tee
| reath one of the laurel trees that stood
among the mounds. and came Slowly To-
! ward the place where Pierre stood. l>Nl-
IDENTIFY the ghost was going TO accept
his invitation. For an instant Pierre
stood still. frozen with terror, but his
! fright. like "a dash of cold water sober
| ed him. lie forgot his boast at the inn.
! his flask fell TO the ground wifn crash,
and Pierre himself dashed down the road
like one pursued. for as he looked back
over his shoulders he saw the white thing
enter the road through an opening no the
| stone wall and come running along behind
him. Pierre was no longer young. and
I run rs he could. the white thing Kept get
/ ting nearer and nearer. In story books
ghosts make no noise as they travel but
Pierre could hear that one gathering along
the hard road, and the sound kept him go
ing. even after he was ready TO drop for
want of breath.
"'The thing was close behind as Pierre
turned into the little gateway to the cot
! tagc. 4 light was shining through the
window. and Pierre knew that his wife
was sitting up for him. but NE did not
wait for her TO undo the door. There
was not time for that. The white object
was almost upon him. and Pierre even
fanoied that he could feel its cold breath
as he ran. lie made straight for the
lighted window and with q last effort
hurled himself through II. falling glass.
sash and all. IN heap ON the floor.
Pierre's wife was as frightened ass she
could possibly have been and her shrieks
reached the ears of my father who sat
leaning in his study with the window open
to let the cool night air in. Father rushed
down 20 the brown cottage. What is H.
Madame Moulin ne cried. what is to
matter? Pierre still lay ON the floor
, gasping for breath and rolling his eyes as
though in a it, THE ghost he managed
TO stammcr 1T was almost upon me. II
is there. pointing toward the window.
Father throw open the window and
looked out. The white object was stano-
ing calmly n rierrc's front yard. Father
strobe up 10 10 and dragged il to where
the lampight shone full upon IT, Their
he went inside and gave Pierre a kch
that brought him TO his feet Get up
YOU here. he cried. and look upon your
ghost. II is "a sections goat lonely ion
company. though why ne should desire
tho companionship Of a. fool | know not
And father marched back TO his study q.
though very angry, though really he VA:
laughing TO himself all the time"
There was a sigh OF relief from III,
smallest girl and a cry Of disappointment
from the others. Mamma smiled
80 that was the end of the ghost OF
Fois-leDuc." she said. "thc only one
ever knew. The sections goat still crop
ped the grass and leaves among IN,
graves. but after that we never put oul
aprons over our heads in passing by. A.
for Pierre. whenever his friends at III,
inn wished 10 stop his boastng. the,
would ask him 10 tell how he drank witt
the graveyard ghost on Christmas eve
Exchange.