The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-21

and Tully, the nearest own of any size
began to fall off. The Tully people
said they did not care to come to Car
diff for the ghost might hear about
them, and conclude Tully was a better
place for his operations than Cardiff.
transferring himself accordingly which
contingency the Tully people did not
care in the least to nav occur. In a
little while the lack Of intercourse was
felt, and, when the Tully Councilmen
voted their town shut to, and quaran-
tined against the Cardiff folks, the in
hbitants of the latter place conclued
rightly that it was the last straw.
Why Truem Wright to
a group of indignant Cardiffites at
the Pin Tree, they couldn't treat us
no wuss eff we was a sufferin' from tn
nlague. Suthin's got to be done about
it. thatt all.
Meanwhile the ghost continued to
show itself. Nothing else was i
of in the town. Signs, telling of the
reward, were posted all over and, one
day at noon, Porter AmidoWn, the
constable, tackled one on the fence op-
posite the place where the ghost most
often made its appearance.
Il calculated mebby tn ole sinner
might tax notice ont" remarked Por-
ter, IN SEEM s how h want well
come round here, he might light out"
AAA loI lo SiiOSt - 49,
tried their hand at earning he $50.
True, now and. then, a travelling for
tune hunter, a confidence man or a
J seller of novelties, would offer to tack
lie the job. One look at the spirit from
a safe distance, in the fields on a dark
night, was sufficient. Once a pedl.er,
a bold, staggering enough fellow.
when telling at the bar of the Pine
Tree, how he would lay the ghost,
fled at the first sight of the flaming
figure. He never returned to claim
a choice collection Of jewelry he had
left behind at the hotel.
In all of it's wanderings the ghost
had dom no harm, save to scOrch DR..
Rood's carriage. 1t seemed as if the
spectre was some unhappy wrath
which, unconsumed by the fire that
burned it, was doomed to haunt the
place Various explanations were Civ
en- of the ghost. Some said it was the
spirit Of the original Cardiff Giant:
others that it was the soul of some
Onondaga Indian. who had murdered
his sweetheart, and was wandering
restlessly about theearth to expiate
his crime, until the ruler of the Happy
Hunting Grounds decreed that he
might enter there.
A month had passed, and still the
ghost held forth. The people were be-
ginning to despair of being rid Of it.
One night, about an hour before I'M
set, hen the stage from Syracuse ar
rived at the Cardiff postoffice. a
stranger alighted. He was tall and
thin. of dark complexion, with a small.
black mouStache. He inquired for
Enos Rasher, chairman of the select
men, and when the latter was found
digging potatoes in the garden, the
stranger introduced himself as Pro-
fessor Roger Ascot.
Wall, what kin 1 do fer YEP" asked
Enos.
The professor silently held out a
Syracuse paper and pointed to the ad-
vertisement of a ghost-hunter wanted.
"Oh," said Enos, rather obviously,
offering his hand. Then he added with
more fervor. wall, I'm real glad t.
see We. Are We a real ghost-hunter?"
1T is my sole business answered
the professor, and he extended a card
reading: Professor Roger Ascot, Pub
lie and Private Ghost-Layer. Spirits
of all kinds dispelled with neatness
and dispatch. All kinds of spectres
done away with. Haunted houses a
speciality. Low rates and prompt ser
vice. A trial solicited"
81 guess you're tn teller we're after
commented Enos. after he had read the
card twice. Then he told the profess
sor all about the Cardiff ghost.
At the close Of the tale, to which
the professor listened grave1y and With
attention, he said.
Hum. Can you take me to where
the spirit is seen most?" 2 would like
to get an idea of the topography of
the location by daylight"
TIL tel We how t git thar" replied
Enos impressively, but IS fer IS goin
thar's concerned-'' He paused, and
the professor smiled. From a hill
back of his house, however, Enos
showed the scientific ghost-hunter the
stamping ground of the spirit.
"Have none Of you examined the
science. perhaps the -ah-the phe-
nomenon can easily be accounted for
on natural grounds"
1T may be, it may be-" said Enos.
slowly, but none on us calcal1te on
, goin' nigh huff t. see From al ac-
!, counts tn things bout s unnatural
s any one ever hearn on"
Hum" said the professor. 81 may
as well tell you that I am not after
the $50. for I hunt ghosts as much for
M own pleasure as for any other rea-
son Still I have my expense. so |
usually accept a small fee. That is
why 1 speak of low rates on my cards.
If I was in the business regularly and
for profit, I would have to charge
more than 81, 900 for getting rid Of
this ghost for you. Blazing ghosts are
the most expensive kind there IS. But
as I said I am not after money"
"Fm glad to hear that" answered
Enos, " cause we went down purity
deep in TIL treasury wnen we offered
tn $50. So I wish we good luck with
. this job, n tn money'n be paid over
prompt"
After securing explicit directions
how to reach the haunts Of the spirit
the professor left Enos. and trudged
Off in the gathering twilight.
Had any one watched him thew would
have seen the professor. after reaching
the place, moving about n shifting
the air, as a dog does on the scent OF
game.
Curious, curious" he muttered.
"um!" I wonder if-and yet how can
it be? Still,' he went on. "it is nat
ural, most natural"