The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-06-13
1t 1rds all q phantdSmdgorto.

1t ards all q phantaSmdgorto.
coming toward me. He was walking
with his hands under his coattails and
singing scrap of some French ditty.
He stopped and gave me n grand sal
utatiOn, and his manner was as blithe
and careless rs if there was never
care Ia the M9rld and never prospect
Of i'll to bother him on an evil memory
to haunt him. Singing as merry as q
bird he was, while l went about my
duties with heart sober and sad and
n mind Ill Mt rest, for the story OF my
masters secret, so light matter to
Sir Gilbert, troubled me more than all
else that had come to me through our
evil days,
"Gillicuddy," said he. "I'm thinking
Of skipping off for month or two Just
for bit Of pleasure, as you may say.
I'm getting down in the dumps for
want Of some blithe company. l have
enjoyed your fellowship with relish.
and Eve got great prolit OF mind from
1t, but you are man of sober mind,
and Glenhau"h grows dull for n rest
less rover like me- SO I'll take q season
for chasing butterflies I'm the sunshine
Of some other field with some ranting
cronies like myself. The matter we
were speaking Of Is at an end, and no
more can be said. We have the laird's
story between us, and l think it is in
safe keeping. The whole matter is
just this: The lady Of Glenhaugh is
dead and gone, my friend Courtray,
alias PicOt, is q headless ghost, and
the laird, your master, is n living dead
man. The secret of the past is known
to three, and with me it's dead Sc
cret, and with you it's the same, and
as for the laird, 1T will go to the grave
with him. Here's n hand, Gillicuddy,
n hand Of fellowship and good faith.
I'll pine for you, and when get back
We'll have a bottle and talk of more
lively matters"
He clapped me on the back heartily,
and off he went to make preparations
for his leayetaking.
In my speech with Sir Gilbert had
told him the essence of many things
touching the laird and his manner Of
Nfc and with these l had told him as
well of the laird's wandering and Of
my own experience in the glen. He
laughed aloud, / well remember, when
related the horrors | had felt, crouch
ing in the darkness surrounded by
wraiths and eldritch creatures that
had set the cold sweat trickling Oh nv
body, and when l had given him an ac-
count OF my getting free from the
haunted glen by crawling on my knees,
with my heart in my mouth he had
slapped his hand on his leg again and
again and just roared and roared so
Justify that he was like to burst
blood vessel with mcrriment.
"Ah, Gillicuddy," cried he, l remem-
Der, 81 think you'll be the death of
me with your tales Of the supernatural!
Man, l wonder you got safely back
again. Aye, but you had n happy de-
Hyerance. I'm pleased at that, but 1
must just have q bit laugh when l
think of such n sober and respectable
Christian man as Adam Gillicuddy
down on all fOurs running race with
score OF his own phantasmagoria."
1t had not been to my liking to have
Sir Gilbert get SO much merriment out
of my plight, SO 1 had just kept silence
on the matter Of my further adyen-
lures that night and told him not a
word Of what had seen Of Tibbie and
Tibbie's double, for L was indeed now
much of his opinion that 1t was all n
phantasmagoria, as he called It, and
but creation Of my disordered and
overwrought mind.
1t was not till the afternoon that Sir
Gilbert got Off from Glenhaugh, and
when l had seen him down the ap-
proach to the Abbeyfont highroad he
said to me. "Gillicuddy. have bidden
farewell to the laird and had q long
crack with him, and, my certie, I'm
not so firm In my belief that he's daft
man, for he's rs wise and rational of
speech MS any man l e'er met"
"4e spoke M o. the troublesT" I
asked, with some anxiety.
Tut, manW said he. Not I. But
this secret Is wearing sorely on him.
He'll need your care, but fear not
for long, for what he is hiding is kill
Ing him."
1 could not keep n tear from falling
MS he spoke, and turned away to
hide 1t.