The suburban citizen., 1902-05-10
.lAVEKPORF'S STORY
BY L. NJ. Montgomery.
'ccoocooccoccccooocccoo

had been passing the time by tell
ing ghost stories. That is a very
good sort of thing for a rainy af-
than after night. If you tell ghost
stories after dark they are apt to make
you nervous, whether you own up to
it 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 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 taster But Jack as usual,
was dissatisfied. He said our stories
We're 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, Il never expect to
get so far along as to see a real ghost
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 a ghost story
himself-sOmething that had happened
to his grandmother--or maybe it was
his great aunt; forget which. II was
very good ghost story as ghost
stories go, and Davenport told it well.
Even Jack admitted that but be said:
It's only secondhand, too. Did
you ever have a ghostly experience
yourself, old man?"
Davenport put his finger tips critic
ally together
Would you believe me if l said I
had?" he asked.
NO" said Jack unblushingiy.
Then there would be no use in my
saying it,"
But you don't mean that you ever
really had, of cOurseT
II 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,
if that's what you want. l 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.
ized her. She died n short time before
the date set for their marriage and
Charles never recovered from the
| blow.
Il married Dorothy's sister, Virginia
| Virginia did not in the least resemble
her sister, but our eldest daughter was
| strikingly like her dead aunt. We
called her Dorothy and Charles wa,
, devoted TO her. Dolly. as we called
her, was always Uncle Charley's
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 childish
heart over his death.
"One day five years later. when Dolly
was seventeen. l was writing letters
in my library. That very morning my
wife and Dolly had gone to New Yorl
en- route for Europe. Dolly was goinl
TO school in Paris for year. Business
prevented my accompanying them evel
as far rs New York, but Gilbert Ches
ter, my wife's brother, was going will
| AhNA@s ~ NNlf ~ NhAA DAA AhN ara
gon the next morning.
Il had written steadily for about al
hour At last, growing tired, ! threw
down my pen, and, leaning back in
my chair was on the point Of lighting
a cigar when an unaccountable i'm
pulse made me turn round. dropped
my cigar and sprang to my feet in
amazement. There was only one dool
in the room and l had all along been
facing it. could have sworn nobody
had entered, yet there, standing be
tween me ana the bookcase, was O
man-apd that man was my brother
| Charles!
There was no mistaking him; saw
him as plainly as | see you. lie was a
tall. rather stout man. with curly hail
and q fair close-cllpped beard. He
! wore the same light gray sui5 which
he had worn when bidding US gOod-b