Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-03-01
Raising a Ghost.

evening the coffee room was full, and
in those days people did not sit apart,
but fraterniZed with each other, drink
ing, smoking and telling stories. One
man, il is true, sat ut a table by / M
self and would have nothing to do with
any one else. He was a man with
red shocky head and snaggle teeth. No
one regretted his unsociability on ac-
count of his disagreeable appearance.
At one of the tables half dozen OF Us
were discussing the subject of super
natural appearances on earth, and
young peddler brought his fist down on
the table and said:
1.-The man who says the dead come
back to us lies"
The redheaded man turned his head
slowly and fixed pair of greenish eyes
on the speaker.
~ say that the dead come back
"'Then you lie"
THE peddler started up, but one held
him back.
"'Young man. said the green eyed
man. If L chose l could convince you
of the truth of my words
"'If you will do so, will give you
all the money l have with me. See
here; it is $40
The other turned away with ges-
ture of contempt. Raise the dead for
S1OI What a sacrilege" Then, sudden
~ changing his mind, he said, III lay
you a wager of 500 to $50 that can
call up one OF the dead who Will make
you howl with terror
But l have only S10.'
well. then. if You cannot make
good your words, hold your peace
by this time we were all interested
in making the green eyed man prove
that he could raise the dead. To do
so il was necessary To get so 10 put
with the peddler's SO. There were by
this time eight OF us, and we each lent
the peddler -.
"'vho shall be stakeholder he
asked
You said the green eyed man.
Keep your fifty and take my hundred.
Go up to your room. 1t is now II
o'clock At midnight I shall show you
your friend Einathan Harmcn'-
'Elnathan Harmon. How did you
know lac was my friend?
Never mind that Go to your
ROOM
1.-THE peddler went up stairs, the
green eyed man took up 4 newspaper.
and the rest OF us discussed in low
tones the probability OF the peddlcr
winning the money. We feared that
the ghost raiser would play him some
trick. for he was villainous looking
creature. while the peddler was 4 hap
by 20 lucky individual who might be
easily swindled But when we con-
sidered that he himself held the stakes
we could not see how fraud could be
possible.
I'VE sat thus. watching the clock in
the corner. drinking, smoking. chat
ting, stealthily keeping an eye on the
ghost raiser. He paid no attention TO
us whatever. keeping his eyes on his
newspaper. As the hands Of the clock
neared the hour of Il we expected to
see him get up and go out. What we
most feared was that he would go up
stairs, brighten the peddler and claim
the stakes. A few minutes before mid
night / said to him:
care you going to raise ghost sit
ting there reading that newspaper?
HE turned his green eyes slowly to-
ward me. L do not raise ghosts. Il
have only the power TO communicate
with the dead, which 1 do mentally. l
sent n mental message to Elnathan
Harmon to meet his friend up stairs at
midnight. 1 have nothing more to do
with the matter. The spirit of Elnar
than Harmon will be there
'As he spoke the hammer of the big
clock began to strike the hour of -.
AT the first stroke we heard n sudden
jar in the room above. BY the sixth
stroke something fell heavily on the
floor Every stroke after that was ac
.companied by n piercing shrek. each
growing more frightful than the previ-
Gus one. At last there was a cry of
Help followed by gutteral sounds, as
if some one were strangling.
Every one of our party sprang to
his feet and, rushing up stairs, attempt
ed TO enter the peddler's room. 1t was
locked. We listened, but heard no
sound.
Hes done for" cried one.
Break open the door, cried an
other
"'Give me lift said 1. III look
through the transom.'
81 was lifted to the proper level, but |
as the room was dark L could see moth
ing.
"Then we tried to break open the |
door. 1t was not only locked, but Sc
curely bolted on the inside by one of
the enormous bolts used in those days. |
Finally the strongest as well as the
heaviest of the party drew back and. |
rushing forward, drove his heel against |
the door. 1t flew open, and we ali /
rushed into the chamber.
ut was empty. \ window was open.
and a shed few feet below formed
stepping stone to the