Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-04-12
The Usual Ghost.
BY HALE HOWARD RIcHARI SON.


We were talking about ghosts and
psychical phenomena in general when
Lithgow volunteered a story.
Il don't repudiate the ghost bust
ness, boys, but this is my nearest ap-
proach to an apparition. 1t was down
"Then 1t was lizards" interrupted
Gammons, disgustedly.
Some one fetched him with chunk
and Lithgow proceeded
ut was down in Rio just after the
rebellion, when the navy bombarded
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 floored in part,
ouS Wouiu Wv ChtNiiCll'iy iol my pohy
"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.
1.-THE first night. strange to say, l
slept undisturbed but may be l was
used up from an unusually hard bit of
work. l 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 its accustomed cool
ness. kept awake a long while.
ness in the pony, and while wondering
what | could do for her comfort. some
one began stalking in a deliberate
fashion across the partly boarded
floor. l expected to hear a voice, but
my unknown visitor held his tongue,
but maintained mark-time sort of
pacing to and fro.
81 jumped up without much attempt
at silence, ran to the door and flung 1t
open. The moonlight was sufficient to
quaking mare. The street door was
securely barred, and l closed the WIN
dow shutters, although it seemed i'm
possible that any one could make a
speedy exit by them. Then | 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
q great faculty of perceiving the mo-
ment Of my falling asleep. l 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 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
sleep overcame me altogether.
"Felicano, the lieutenant opposite
said with shrug of his delicate shout
ders that no one stayed in that casa
very long. He wouldn't stay FIVE min
utes-after dark. So invited one OF
the boys to the theatre and to stay
with me all night. We had hardly
blown out the light before the walking
began. Donovan started up.
"'Who's your restless neighbor, Lith.
gow?'
"T don't know. Maybe two of us
can find out answered in a whisper
You pull open the door and III JUMP
in
But Donovan wanted the honor Of
jumping in, and | readily consented
We listened till Donovan whispered
Now let me at him. and in he sprang
"By George! l heard him right
there. Lithgow, you're got harnt
There's been bloody murther! Let me
out!'
I'VE didn't sleep much the rest Of
the night, because Donovan insisted or
relating hair-raising ghost stories.
chaffed him into coming again. We
made ourselves comfortable in the
room with the horse. A game of eu
chre passed the time until II o'clock
and perhaps we took several swigs o.
Dutch courage. We blew out the ligh
and lay down. l know felt consider
able suspense, reclining there right OF