The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1897-02-26

hero she goes again And once more
he leaned down and "whoofed" It the
light. It did not shiyu.
The ghost stepped back into the mid
die of the room, put his hands into his
! pockets and stored at the light. SWELL
I'm blamed!'. he said 70 himself. Now,
what do you think Of that2 blew
enough wind at that thing to exiting uish
a bonfire. and It doesn't even flicker"
Az he stood intently regarding the
light the man at the desk rose drowsily,
and with yawn stepped out into the
hallway. Strange as u may seem. this
rather relieved the ghost, for he wanted
to investigate without the presence Of
inquiring and embarrassing witnesses.
He had now forgotten that his purpose
was to alright. He drew gingeriy near
the mysterious lamp. and pulling in a
long breath prepared tomake the effort
of his life-or death. asst were
Suddenly, while he was still in the
net of inhaling atmosphere. the light
went out. The ghosts hair rose.
He trembled from head 10 foot.
"wha-wha- what d-d-did that?" he trem-
ulously asked himself. Then as a
thought came to him: ut was ono OF
those fool new ghosts. I'll bet. Say,
you!" addressing space, in the hope that
some fellow spccter would answer. I'm
haunting this place. Go on away and
attend to your own business. Who are
you, anyway"
It'll
"Aw, say" pleadingly insisted the
ghost. talk up and tell afellow. What's
the use of acting that way? How did
YOU blow it out? like tobu'sted trying
it. and couldn't" He thought that bit
of fiattery would temptthe rival spirit
to respond. but it didn't. Then the full
horror of it appeared to him. There
was no other ghost there. He realized
It. He was alone. Utterly, hopelessly
alone. oh, for the cheer Of some other
spectral presence!
His teeth chartered in n noiseless
foggy manner. His fingers trembled
and his legs shook beneath him. and II
he had known how or had had the ma.
terial to break out into a sweat he would
have broken out into one OF exceeding
GOODNESS. He thought OF che man who
had sat at the desk and wondered II
lie would never return. lie seemed sc
long gone. oh, for q glimpse of him
sitting there doing Mt his book!
The light flashed up.
The room was filled withits radiance
and yet nobody had come in with
flame to relight it. This was more ter
rifying than its extinguishment, for
while fellow-ghost mighthave blown
the thing out, it was palpabe thatevei
fellow-ghost could not have relit il
without some preliminary performance
which would have indicated what was
going to happen. He knew all about
those phGsph~rescent lights which
ghosts carry around with them wher
they are haunting sloppy country roads
where some robber has been hanged
and he knew that none such had beer
present. He was speeches with fear
oh, would that man never return? u
for but n moment he could see him ant
feel that there was something human
like he used to be-in the room, his
mind would be easier. Hewould never
again go haunting respectable people
he swore to himself. 1t didn't pay.
The door opened and the man came
in. The ghost would have rushed tc
him and embraced him, but he was
afraid to make himself too conspicuous
for fear the man would drive him out
into the night. as he had a perfect righ'
TO do, of course. Allhewanted now was
TO sit right down in dark corner ant
SILVER and wait for daylight And he
sat there and watched that man hun
grily, slavishly. worshipfully. fearing
every moment he would go away again
Throughout that night strange thing,
happened. Weird whistles sounded
frigbtful alarms and voices came from
what looked like the ends OF ropes. blu
which were speaking tubes. Bells rang
and that valorous. fearless man talked
to the wooden box, and talked as though
he knew the box understood, Strangt
Instruments of brass clicked and ratified
when nobody was near them, and at odt
times mysterious thing shotouta Ions
line OF white paper, ana allnouen !"
every periodic whirr and whizz of thu
contrivance the ghost grew more eS
cited and fearfully crouched lower
the man wasn't the least bit worried
Probably no ghost ever spent such
night.
At last the morning broke, and Will
the first CLEAN of daylight that triet
spook. who had courageously set on
haunting. made rush for the doc
and went galloping down the street.
and towards the suburbs, beyond which
the graveyard lay.
A little later the day shift came OF
duty at the police alarm office. Tn
night man told his relief he wished HI
would have the incandescent LAM
mended.-Chicago Record.