Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-03-04
CHANGE In GHOST Stories.

He had been dead for matter of II.
years, so naturally the place looliet
strange to him.
What he now saw had never been
part of his physical existence, and u,
wondered II 1t were not best for him Il
go back to the graveyard and have ,
conference with some fresh corpses wht
would know all about those things
which has thus early filed him with
doubts and misgivings. From the new
ly dead one he could obtain information
which might keep him out Of trouble
But, as he calculated upon it, sucl
action, it seemed to him, would MAXI
him a laughing stock for all the foo
ghosts In the neighborhood, They
would deride him as jay ghost WIKI
did not know enough about the haunt
ing business to set at II wthouta guide
book or time card or q letter of ad.
vice and credit. They would gather
around and boot and jeer ind shame
him half to life, for they couldn'tshamc
him hnlf to death, he having been dead
for good 1l2 years.
VI WISH" he said to himself. that
had exerted myself little to keep
abreast Of the times Here find myself
with my entire death wasted. Just
laying around in a comfortable grave
in the daytime and spending the night
time in disputing with lot Of old fos-
sillzed sixteenth century ghosts con.
earning things of no interest whatever,
| have allowed opportunities to pass
and q lot of juniors who weren't even
born, much less dead, when | died, have
pushed me aside and am just n piece
Of old furniture. II were thousand
years old or something like that II would
be better, for ] could lie and swear and
slash around retailing stale yarns, like
King Arthur or Caesar or Ahab or one OF
that lot, and be interesting. But don't
know anything about the remote past
or the adjacent present. ! have fooled
away my chances, but am gong to
remedy conditions. l am going to go
haunting around this town and get up
q reputation and 90 back TO them and
assume my proper position in spiritual
society. Why, just think Of It'll Dead
112 years and have never scared any
one yet! Never screeched at school
boy in o lonesome wood or groaned
around In deserted house, or any,
thing"
You could see that he was ashamed
OF himself and that he was determined
to rectify his errors of omission. To be
sure, he was a bit nervous and dubious
about it-although, perhaps it isn't cor
rect TO use that first I'D jective in descrip-
ton Of a ghost, inasmuch as bis nervous
system Is generally supposed to be com
pressed air or fog or something OF that
kind. lie felt that 1t was a pretty serious
undertaking for strange and passe
ghost TO drift into strange town with
the avowed purpose Of haunting II into
a state Of terror, but he was an insistent
old spook, and buckled down to bust
ness with determination.
"As | have always understood it" he
remarked to himself, "thc thing ought
TO begin with a demonstration In the
matter Of blowing out lights. lrenlem-
Der when ! was alive that they used to
talk Of ghosts sneaking up behind one
and blowing out the lamp, and II al
ways filled me with horror. It's u good
trick. wonder who invented It? l.
liellol II here isn't chance just ready
for me, I'm a tombstonel"
The city was dark, II being after mid
night, and all was very still. Suddenly,
however, as he turned a corner he
slammed square up against a window,
tut through which a faint light
streakcd its way. At a desk sat man,
loziDg over a book. 1t was a beautiful
chance. The ghost quietly slipped in
tide.
"There Is going to be festival Of
'ear right here in about four seconds"
he murmured softly to himself.
"0h, | guess not, "he thought. "Just
imagine how he will feel, how bis hair
gill raise, how his flesh will crawl when
lean over his shoulder and blow that
light outl Why, 1t almost scares me
myself"
lie leaned over and blew.
The light continued to burn steadily.
The ghost had Strengthened up ready
q give vent to a wild, demoniac laugh,
Is Is the custom, he believed, for such
ases made and provided, but he did not
augh. There was nothing to laugh at.
The man continued to read on undis-
urbed In his doing fashion.
THAT'S funny" the visitor said to
limseli. Haven't | got any lungs any
more or any strength OF breath? Well