The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-05-08
DAVENPORF'S STORY
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gOOu sort OF tnlug IOf rainy al
ternoon; and it Is a much better time
than after night. If you tell ghost
stories after dark they are apt to make
you nervous, whether you own up to
ii or not, and you sneak home and
dodge upstairs in mortal terror, and
undress with your back to the wall,
so that you can't fancy there is any
thing behind you.
We had each told a story, and had
had the usual assortment of myster-
ious noises and death warnings and
sheeted spectres and SO on, down
through the whole catalogue of hor-
rors-enough to satisfy any reason
able ghost faster. But Jack. as usual,
was dissatisfied. He said our stories
were all secondhand stuff There
wasn't a man in the crowd who had
ever seen or heard a ghost; all our
so-called authentic stories had been
told us by persons who had the story
from other persons who saw the
ghosts.
"One doesn't get any information from
that" said Jack. II never expect to
myself. but l would like to see and
talk to one who had"
Some persons appear to have the
knack of getting their wishes granted.
Jack Is one of that ilk Just as he
made the remark Davenport sauntered
In, and, finding out what was going
on, volunteered to tell CHEST story
himself-something that had happened
to his grandmother-or maybe IT was
his great aunt; forget which. 1t was
a very good ghost story as ghost
stories go, and Davenport told it we'll
Even Jack admitted that. but he said:
Its only secondhand. too. Did
you ever have ghostly experience
yourself, old MANI"
Davenport put his finger tips critic
ally together
Would you believe me if said
had?" he asked.
mo" said Jack unblushingly.
'4Then there would be no use in my
saying IT,"
But you don't mean that you ever
really had, of courses"
az don't know. Something queer
happened once. I've never been able
to explain it-from a practical point
of view, that is. Want to hear about
it?"
OF course we did. This was excit-
ing. Nobody would ever have sus.
pected Davenport of seeing ghosts,
ITS conventional enough" he be-
gan. "Ghosts don't seem TO have much
originality. But it's frst-hand. Jack,
II that's what you want. don't sup
pose any of you have ever heard me
speak of my brother. Charles. He
was my senior by two years. and was
quiet, reserved sort of fellow-not
at all demonstrative. but with very
strong and deep affections.
"When he left college he became en-
gagged to Dorothy Chester. She was
very beautiful and my brother idol
lied her. She died a short time before
the date set for their marriage. and
Charles never recovered from the
blow.
II married Dorothy's sister. Virginia.
Virginia did not in the least resemble
her sister, but our eldest daughter was
strlkingly like her dead aunt We
called her Dorothy and Charles was
devoted to her Dolly, as we called
her, was always Uncle Charley
girl
when Dolly was twelve years old
Charles went to New Orleans on bust
ness, and while there took yellow
fever aad died. He was buried there
and Dolly half broke her chldisl
heart over his death.
"One day five years later, when DOLLY
was seventeen, | was writing letter.
In my library. That very morning my
wife and Dolly had gone to New York
en- route for Europe. Dolly was goin2
to school in Paris for n year. Business
prevented my accompanying them even
as far as New York, but Gilbert Ches
ter, my wife's brother, was going will
them. They were to sail on the Ara
gon the next morning.
81 had written steadily for about al
hour. At last. growing tired. | threw
down my pen. and. leaning back il
my chair. was on the point Of lightiny
cigar when an unaceountable i'm
pulse made me turn round. | droppe,
my cigar and sprang to my feet il
amazement There was only one doc
in the room and had all along beei
facing 1t. could have sworn nobod
had entered, yet there, standing be
tween me and the bookcase, was
man-aDd that man was my brothe
Charlesl
"There was no mistaking him; | say
him as plainly as ! see you. He was
tall. rather stout man. with curly haI
and a fair close-clipped beard II
wore the same light gray suit whic
he had worn when bidding us good-b
on the mornlng Of his departure fc
New Orleans. He had no hat on, bt
wore spectacles, and was standing
his old favorite attitude, with h
hands behind him.
II want you to understand tIiht I
this precise moment, although | wa
surprised beyond measure, was u,
In the least frightened, because | d
not for moment suppose that whit
saw was-well, a ghost or apparitic
Of any sort The thought that fiasht
across my bewlldered brain WI
~.lu fIof tI.o..r h.I l..... .-... :.