The Globe-republican., 1898-09-08

Barton's fortune II Mark was ct -
the way, but a. my life had ben .
wild one. knew that my uncle Weo11
leave me nothing once Mark should
reach Rio. I did not know that my
cousin was on board till after We had
set sail, and then was 80 filled with
rage and disappointment that began
to drink heavily. 1t was in q at OF
drunken madness that the idea Of put
ting my rival for my uncle's money
out of the way first came to me. The
opportunity soon came. found him
leaning over the rail one dark night,
and. striking him heavy blow,
hurled him into the sea. That is the
story. His ghost has returned to haunt
me. and shall give myself to the au-
thorities when the Vixen returns to
America"
With these words he left me. in
formed the captain of Magby's confess
sion, and, like myself, he was at first
inclined to doubt the mans sanity; but
it was thought best to keep a watch
upon him till the affair could be in
vestigated on our arrival at Rio.
But there was surprise awaiting US.
for when We dropped anchor in Rio
harbor, who should come on board but
Mark Bentley, alive and well, and not
looking the least bit like ghost.
Well, you can imagine the surprise
Of every soul of us when he Stepped
upon the deck. As for Magsby, he
looked like a corpse; but when no
found that it was really Bentley in the
flesh, he was the happiest mortal I
ever set eyes on. ~
Bentley had escaped a watery grave
by almost miracle. He was stunned
when thrown overheard, but the cool
water revived him, and while swim
ming about in the darkness, he came
In contact with one OF the life-pre-
servers I had thrown overheard. He
managed to cling to this till daylight,
when he was picked up by the Penguin,
a steamer bound for Rio, so he ar
rived in port nearly week ahead Of
us.
Magsby-or Green, as his real name
was-was so repentant for what he had
done that Bentley forgave him, and a
few days later he shipped in an Eng
lish vessel for Liverpool. and that was
the last ever saw Of him. AS to the
ghost-well, it was a very simple thing
when We came to understand it. When
the story was told to Bentley, he
seemed puzzled at first, but in a mo-
ment he smiled quietly, and said he
could soon explain the whole affair.
With this he mounted the skylight, and
soon came back with small square
Of glass in his hand. 1t was what he
called dry-plate photograph negative.
and contained his own picture. He
was an amateur photographer, and had
been printing some pictures he had
taken on shore. and had placed them
on the skylight Of one of the cabins,
SO as to be out of the way. An old
negative of himself he had thrown
aside, and it had got caught in =
crevice of the sash and stuck there.
Afterward, when some of the skylights
Adu UCCA UAOhCu III TIC StOl
paulin was placed over them to keep
out the spray from the waves. and
as the spot where the negative lay be-
came uncovered, the moon shining
through it had had something Of the
effect OF magic lantern, and had
caused an enlarged picture of himself
TO be thrown into the cabin below.
When a cloud passed over the moon,
as it undoubtedly did while We were
looking at it that night, the picture
disappeared. 1t was all simple enough
when We understood it; but il Bentley
had never turned up to explain the
affair, would never have been GER
tain did not see ghost that night
aboard the Vixen.-Win Lisenbee in n.
oil