Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-08-14

wound l used to see him hanging abeut
the village with the other loafers. / paid
NO attention to him, but on that dreadful
night recognized him as he stood over
me with that shining blade drawn. l
cried out for mercy, but he would not
near me. He struck the fatal blow. I
leit the Keen edge of the knife, and then
felt my lifeblood flowing out, and nv
strength was going.
Everything appeared In mist to me.
ana pretty soon all had faded and was
dead. But | was in another world.
could hold communion with thousand
other wronged beings who had been trans
formed from life into the ghost world.
Ihey told me merry stories Of how they
at all hours haunted those persons who
mad wronged them in this world. But in
.hat respect | am peculiar ghost. l
have my regular haunting hour. / re-
member, as my murderer stood over me.
the clock in an adjoining room chimed
the hour of / o'clock, and every night
just at / o'clock ! pay my victim-he's
my victim nova visit. And l must be
going"
He moved toward the door, and we fol-
lowed.
DO you young men want to follow
ghost upon his cheerful mission 2" he
asked
by all means, If you will let u.s." said
Dalrymple.
II have no objection. A ghost desires
no company, but you may CO."
We followed him out through the dark
ness to the road that led past the house.
He moved quickly along the road, and
we followed, filed with sensation which
cannot explain. With a ghost on his
nightly rounds This was something
strange-passing strange
Over the hills we followed his ghost
ship until the village had been completely
left behind. The fields, waving with
their harvests of corn, were on either
side.
Where was he going? Who was the
murderer? These thoughts fitted through
my mind thousand times. Presently ha
stopped before large farmhouse.
''This is the place." said he
Great heavens. Was it possible?
/ knew the place well. 1t was the resi-
dence of Captain James Stamford, one
Of the most prominent men in our whole
vicinity.
'This cannot be true" said Dalrymple.
But the ghost gave us no time for
words or thoughts.
'Follow me-" he said, and he entered
the house. Bolts and bars have no re-
straining power against a ghost. for he
pushed the door lightly aside and stepped
into the hallway. Evidently he knew the
place well. A look of delight, l fancied.
came ever his face as he beckoned us to
follow him up the stairway.
tho fon nf tho CT lire ha ctoppa5 h.
fore a door.
This is his room." he said.
He turned the knob and went in.
The room was dark, but through an
open shutter faint streak of light en-
tered.
On bed a sleeper was tossing restless
ly about. 1t was Standiford.
He moaned, restlessly turned over and
then, with frightened start, sat up in
bed.
His eyes fell upon the CHASTITY ghost
figure standing at the foot of his bed,
looking a thousand times more horrible
than when we had first seen him.
I With a loud cry of terror he sprang
from the bed and ran to the farther side
of the room. Slowly the ghost went after
him.
Take it away! Take it away" he
shrieked. ITS his face! Take it away!
Oh. Godi Take it away"
Standiford's face was so terribly drawn
and contorted by his terrors that one Of
his most intimate acquaintance would
not have known him.
The ghost went slowly toward him,
and, with a maniacal terrified look, he
ran about the room, getting as far from
the ghost as the room would allow,
shrieking and moaning piteously all the
while.
Shrinking in q corner like cur at bay,
with his bloodshot eyes almost ready to
burst from their sockets. Stamford held
up his hands toward the ghost and cried
out piteously:
go away now! Please go away! ] am
sorry. so sorry, and this is enough. My
God. it's enough."
But the avenging spirit did not hear
his pleas for mercy. Wherever Standi-
ford went the horrible thing followed
him.
For almost an hour it went on thus.
when at last Standiford. becoming utter
ly exhausted, threw himself on the bed
and covered his face with his pillow, try
ing to shut out the hideous sight and cry
ing out in the most penitent manner.
For moment the ghost lowered over
him and was gone.
Dalrymple and myself stood rooted to
the spot for few moments and then, re-
alizng our position. went back down the
stairway and out of the house.
This is a horrible experience" said
Dalrymple, land a horrible revelation"
We walked back home in silence, busy
with our own thoughts concerning the
novel experience of the night.
The next day | met Stamford on the
streets. He spoke to me in his usual
happy manner, but l noticed dark lines
under his eyes. while he wore sleepy
and detected look.
He was murderer, and no one but
myself and Dalrymple knew and would
ever know.
Would it do to proclaim him to the
world as such with no proof but the
ghosts testimony and to have the ghost
summoned to court? / think not.
sCanton's Water Clock.
The famous clepsydra, or water clock,