The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-06-06
The Usual Ghost.
By HALE HowAnD RroaAapsou.

- - - - y, - - - 49,
We were talking about ghosts and
psychical phenomena in general when
Lithgow volunteered a story.
Il don't repudiate the ghost BUSH
ness. boys, but this is my nearest ap-
proach to an apparition. 1t was down
in Rio"
Then it was lizards" interrupted
Gammons, disgustedly.
Some one fetched him with a chunk
and Lithgow proceeded
1T was down in Rio just after the
rebellion. when the navy boplbarded
the city. / was there surveying on a
projected railroad, and had hired a
house on the outskirts of the town.
All / needed was a room, but the price
asked was so low, and the little gar
den with one or two orange and pa
paw trees looked so inviting, that |
took it, The house was in bad repair,
only one of the rooms down stairs be-
ing habitable by my standard. The
other room was only fOored in part,
but would do excellently for my pony.
What was upstairs | didn't know,
as the steps Of the rude stairway had
been removed and the opening above
boarded over. The neighborhood
seemed respectable, and there was a
small barraca opposite with several
companies Of soldiers.
THE first night, strange to say, I
slept undisturbed, but may be | was
used up from an unusually hard bit of
work | was dimly conscious in the
morning of remembering that my
horse had been restless during the
night, and of having accounted for it
by flies. The next day was pretty
warm even for May, and the night
failed to acquire it's accustomed cool
ness. 1 kept awake a long while.
Then / noticed an increased restless
ness in the pony, and while wondering
what l could do for her comfort, some
one began stalking in a deliberate
fashion across the partly boarded
floor. l expected to hear voice, but
my unknown visitor held his tongue,
but maintained a mark-time sort of
pacing to and fro.
Il jumped up without much attempt
at silence, ran to the door and flung it
open. The moonlight was sufficient to
show an empty room, save for the
quaking mare. The street door was
securely barred, end l closed the win
dow shutters, although it seemed i'm
possible that any one could make
speedy exit by them Then l went to
bed again, specializing on the where
fore Of the intrusion, but soon fell
asleep
However, on the following night
the same monotonous and slightly ha-
RAISING pit-pat was resumed. The
ghost did not keep schedule time, that
is the conventional midnight, but had
a great faculty Of perceiving the mo-
ment of my falling asleep. arose
cautiously, pistol in hand, and stood
listening by the door. Stamp, stump
"a somewhat irregular light and ire
gular step was certainly sounding from
the other side l could hear the mare
dribbling out her breath as she trem-
bled. When the footsteps seemed just
opposite the door l burst in.
But the pony was all alone The
moonlight streamed in the windows,
for it had been too sitting to close
the shutters Daisy kept her head
turned with frightened eyes toward a
corner of the room, but there was moth
ing there. Somehow l felt 10th to lin
ger. and after soothing the trembling
pony. went back to my room and shut
the door carefully. Then lit the lamp
and read and thought and dozed till
steep overcame me altogether.
"Feliciano, the lieutenant opposite
said with shrug of his delicate Shout
.ders that no one stayed IL that, casa
very long. He wouldn't stay five min
utes-after dark So I invited one o
the boys to the theatre and to STAY
with me all night We had hardl!
blown out the light before the walking
began. Donovan started up.
WHO'S your restless neighbor, Lith
.gow?'
81 don't know Maybe two of II
can find out. / answered in a whisper
you pull open the door and I'll jun
in.
But Donovan wanted the honor @
humping in, and l readily consented
we listened UH Donovan Whispered
New let me at hia!' and in he spranl
"Ey Georgel / heard him rigf
thsro. Lithgow you're got harm