Warren sheaf., 1897-02-04

LEAN over his shoulder and blow that
light out! Why, it almost scares me
myself" q 81 u @%.G#
He leaned over and blew. NJ
The light continued to burn steadily.
The ghost had Strengthened up ready
to give vent to a wild, demoniac laugh,
as is the custom, he believed, for such
cases made and provided, but he did not
laugh. There was nothing to laugh at.
The man continued to read on undis-
turbed in his doing fashion. s'
That's funny" the visitor said to
himself. Haven't got any lungs any
more or any strength of breath? Well,
here she goes again." And once more
he leaned down and "whoofed" ut the
light. 1t did not shiver.
The ghost stepped back into the mid
die of the room, put his hands into his
pockets and stared at the light. "Well,
I'm blamed!" he said to himself. "Now,
what do you think of that? l blew
enough wind at that thing to extinguish
n bonfire, and it doesn't even flicker"
AS he stood intently regarding the
light the man at the desk rose drowslly,
and with a yawn stepped out into the
hallway. Strange as it 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 gingerly near
the mysterious lamp, and pulling in a
long breath prepared to make the effort
of his life-or death, as it were.
Suddenly, while he was still in the
act of inhaling atmosphere, the light
went out. The ghosts hair rose.
He trembled from head to foot.
"Wha-wha-what dddid that ?" he trem-
ulously asked himself. Then as a
thought came to him: 1T was one of
those fool new ghosts, I'll bet. Say,
you!" addressing space, in the hope that
some fellow specter would answer. I'm
haunting this place. 60 on away and
attend to your own business. Who are
you, any yway?"
There was 90 answer.
"Aw, say" pleadingly insisted the
ghost, "talk up and tell fellow. What's
the use of acting that way? How did
you blow it out? like to bu'sted trying
it, and couldn't" He; thought that bit
of flattery would tempt the 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 a noiseless
foggy manner. His fingers trembled.
and his legs shook beneath him. and il
he had known how or had had the ma.
terial to break out into sweat he would
have broken out into one Of exceeding
GOODNESS. He thought of the man who
had sat ,at. the desk and wondered il
be would never return. He seemed sc
long gone, Oh, for glimpse of him
sitting there doing at his book!
The light flashed up.
The room was filled with it's radiance,
and yet nobody had come in with a
flame to relight it. This was more ter.
rifying than it's extinguishment, for
while fellow-ghost might have blown
the thing out, it was palpable that even
fellow-ghost could not have relit it
without some preliminary performance
which would have indicated what was
going to happen. He knew all about
those phosphorescent lights which
ghosts carry around with them when
they are haunting sloppy country roads
where some robber has been hanged,
and he knew that none such had been
present. He was speechless with fear
oh, would that man never return? If
for but a moment he could see him and
feel that there was something human
like he used to be---in the room, his
mind would be easier He would never
again go haunting respecta bic. people,
he swore to- himself. It didn't pay. =
The door opened and the man came
in. The ghost would have rushed to
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 right
to do, of course. All he wanted.how was
TO sit right down in "a dark corner and
shiver. 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 nig ght strange things
happened. Weird whistles sounded
frightful alarms and voices came from
what looked like the ends of ropes, but
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 Strange
instruments of brass clicked and ratified
when nobody was near them, and at odd
times mysterious thing shot out long
line OF white paper, and although at