The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-05-07
DAVEhPORF's STORY
BY L. n. MoptgomeSy.

SCOU SOEt VI tuiuS Ava . A"SS -
ternoop: and 1t Is a much better time
than after night. II you tell ghost
stories after dark they are apt to make
You nervous. whether you own up to
at 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 a 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 faster. But Jack. rs usual.
was dissatisfied. He said our stories
were all secondhand stun. There
wasn't a man In the crowd who had
ever seen or heard q ghost: all our
so-called authentic stories had been
told us by persons who had the story
from other persons who saw the
ghosts.
Zone doesn't get any information from
that" said Jack. Il never expect to
get so far along as to see real ghost
myself. but I 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 ghost story
himself-somethlng that had happened
to his grandmother-Or maybe 1t was
his great aunt: forget which. 1t was
q very good ghost story as ghost
stories 20. and Davenport told 1t well.
Even Jack admitted that. but he 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 II 1 said l
had?" he asked.
mo" said Jack. unbiushingly.
''Then there would be no use in my
saying It."
But you don't mean that you ever
really had. Of course"
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 hrst-hand. Jack.
n that's what you want. 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
b quiet. reserved sort Of fellow--not
ut 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.
lied her. She died 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 was
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 husi.
ness. and while :here took yellow
fever and died. He was hurled there
and Dolly half broke her childish
heart over his death.
Zone day five years later. when Dolly
was seventeen. was writing letters
In my library. That very morning my
wife and Dolly had gone to New York
en- route for Europe. Dolly was going
to school In Paris for year. Business
prevented my accompanying them even
as far as New York. but Gilbert Ches
ter. my wife's brother. was going with
them. They were TO sail on the Ara
gon the next morning.
II had written steadily for about ar
hour. At last, growing tired. I threw
down my pen. and leaning back In
my chair. was on the point Of lighting
q cigar when an unaccountable i'm
pulse made me turn round. I dropped
my cigar and sprang to my feet ir
amazement. There was only one dool
in the room and had all along beer
facing IL. could have sworn nobod,
had entered. yet there. standing be
tween me and the bookcase. was {,
man-apd that man was my brothe
Charles!
There was no mistakinS him: saw
him as plainly as see you. He was :
tall. rather stout man. with curly hal
and u fair. close-clipped beard. H
wore the same light gray suit whicl
he had worn when bidding Us sood-b.
on the morning Of his departure 10
New Orleans. He had no hat on. bu
wore spectacies. and was standing Il
his Old favorite attitude. with hi
hands behind him.
IL want you to understand that a
this precise moment. although wa
surprised beyond measure. was no
In the least frightened. because I di
not for a moment suppose that wha
q saw was-well. a ghost or apparitio
of any sort. The thought that aashe
across my bewildered brain wa
Simply that there had been some at
hurd mistake somewhere. and that N