The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-11-19
ISSIPPI. FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 10, 1897.

removing his travelling cap, 'is the
scare you gave me-"
"An' here's the max Of yO' bay0-
1e:,' said the engineer, wiggling his
thumb.
The two men shook hands. The
tourist returned tn his sleeper, but
;ame back again presently with half
iozcd friends. The Yankee produced
well.hlled cigar case, planted himself
1t the side OF the engineer, and asked
him to tell how his hair happened to
be white.
"Wcll, sali," said the engine man,
'it's that damn silly that l have ncveh
Told it,"
'But you must-you could not re-
fuse an old comradc." said the Yank.
&c laughing heartily.
"Aftcr the scrap" said the Virgin.
ian, whose accent must now be inag
incd, l went home to rest until my
hand could heal. Our place was u
long way from the railroad, and when
left the train l hired a saddle horse
and started out to the plantation. 1t
was Il dark, rainy night. The result
Df the battle Of Gettysburg had sad
tencd nc, but now tho thought Of
seeing the folks aud friends at home
gave me pleasure that could not be
marrcd even by he sad news Of the
death Of one Of our neighbOrs.
"This man-this dead man-and l
had been playmatcs and fast friends
in boyhood days: but, as We grew old
cr, we fell or rather grew in love with
the tsame girl. ! can't say that l
blamed him for tllat-any man with
eyes would do it--but when ! went
away tn war and saw him standing by
her side upon the station platform,
it didn't seem quite an even break.
lie was to stay there and listen tU the
music Of her voice, while l heard the
roar OF cannon. lie would sit by her
side in the summer twilight, while l
slept out in the rain and helped make
aud the thought Of it put Il
hardness in my heart that had soften
cd only at the news OF his death. 1t
was pleasant. however, to reflect that
| had faced the cnemy-had walked in
the shadow of the shell, aud lived to
come home to her, while he, poor devil,
had been kicked by mule and died.
"Tnmorrow he would be planted,
and ! should be there to sec how she
took it and console her, as she had
done when | answered my country's
call. 1t must have been nearly mid
night when l entered q lonely lane
that led past the principal burying
ground in the neighborhm'd. Looking
over the high fence, saw Il new grave.
and doubted not that 1t was for MY
neighbOr.
"The rain had ceased. The moon
>llOne dimly behind the clouds. Sud.
denly my horse stopped with his head
high. gazing over the graveyard. ]
spurred him and lie started forward,
but stopped again, raised his head and
snOrted.
"Ilistcncd, but heard nothing; look
cd and saw nothing, but the white
slabs cleaning gllost-likc In the night.
spurrcd and whipped my horse, but
with another wild snort he whirled
round and headed the other way
Putting him about. ] looked over thu
low wall. The scared horse trcmbled
under me, but urged him On to where
he had stopped first. Now the white
object rose again. My God! II WA
from the open kravc--his grave, tO,
l made no doubt. For the first timt
In my life my blmd ran cold. l sal
like ono one paral, zcd In the saddle
aud saw the white thing rise and fall
Again l urged my frightened horse
but as often as l brought him up tt
the scratch, lie whirlcd. snortcd, ant
dashed away down the muddy lane.
could not go round, and l,e would ao'
20 p;lst the frightful objects In Thu
way We worked forward and back
churning the mud. but getting NJ
nearer llome. At last, Discouraged
and disguised, l determined to pull
down the high fence on my right ant
pass through the field.
"As l reincd my horse toward tn
fence, he refused to 80, or to take III
eyes from the grave. With u wild
uncartllly cry, such as Il had neve
heard from Il horse, the poor ANNA
sank trembling to the earth. l Gu
him with my riding whip, brOugh
hin, tn his feet, and swung into tn
saddle again. Looking over the wal
I saw this thing come right up out q
the grave. There could he no mistak
now, for the moon was shining almOf
full. l saw it put out its hands upo
either side, as though IL were trying I
lit itself up. The white arms SCENE
to bcckon to me IN the nrWnlight arl
then 1t sank back into the grave agaiI
IL was never supcrstltious. la
never seen, up to this time, thing q
earth that ! would not approach. Bl
this was too much for me. 1t was NJ
Of this earth-it WIS unearthly, and
was sick ut heart. Now began
wonder how this story would souu
when l should 10 home and tell II.
II, who had faced death upon u
battlefield, day and night, for wcel
and months, say that had seen
uht,st In 4 graveyard. The very tl,ulIQl