The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-28

believe them himself. and was hypno-
tizing himself into the belief that he
was the prince of magicians and a
raiser of the dead-a belief to which
Mr.. Friedrich's own wizzardlike APP
pearance added greatly, in probability.
One night, it seems. a number of
boon companions, including Messrs.
Friedrichs and Zengel, had been hold
ing forth over until the portentous
hour of midnight. AS the goblet pass
ed around the stories partook of a
more and more lurid. not to say sui
phurous, hue. Ghost stories began to
come as a natural consequence of the
spirits so lavishly poured forth.
1t seemed a good opportunity to
launch the graveyard tale, and Mr..
F'riedrichs accordingly launched it,
with embroideries and streamers and
Vari-colOred embellishments. Ordinar-
lily it was received with awed silende,
and no one member of the circle, as
a usual thing, dared look another in
the eye. much less Mr.. Friedrichs.
But Mr.. Zengels blood was good and
hot. He unkindly asserted that if the
Prince of Darkness had appeared to
Mr.. Friedrichs in propria persona. it
was because Mr.. Friedrichs disputed
his reign in one of his peculiar
provinces, and strove guilefully to
share honors with him as the prince
of liars. Mr.. Friedrichs produced in
proof of his story the brass key
wherewith he was wont nightly to
unlock the gates of the graveyard to
hold converse with the spirits, but
Mr. Zengel refused to accept this tok-
en- as proof. Whereat Mr. Friedrichs
took fire, and offered to prove his
claims if the doubter would accompany
him home through the graveyard
which Mr.. Zengel, being flushed with
even more than his usual courage
swore he would do, and placed round
wager with a safe stakeholder that
the pretensions of the would-be wiz
ard would fizzle out under the lime
light of investigation and publicity
So about the witching hour of
a. m. the two Adventures started out
stocked with plenty of portable cour-
age They made their way as
straight as possible to the graveyard
gates. both boasting loudly on the
way and defying each other about the
wager.
They reached the gate. Mr.. Fried
richs unlocked it and they went in.
The day had been a stormy one.
cloudy and full of little spiteful show
ers. The rain had stopped, but there
was strong, cold wind. The moon
was in its full, but was continually
obscured by that condition of the at
mosphere so apply described by the
Picayune poet, when he says:
'Swift-scudding drifts cloud DER the
winter-frosted sky"
The tombstones were all wet and
shiny with the rain, and as the two
men passed. huddled well together
and impeded considerably by Mr.. Zen
sire to crowd as close to his friend
and protector as he could. the grave
stones flashed in the light Of the
moon.
As the moon continually dove be-
hind clouds and suddenly reappeared
1t naturally seemed to the infamed
imagination of Mr.. Zengel that
groups of figures. shrouded in dim.
mysterious light suddenly appeared
and then as suddenly. disappeared
among the graves.
With trembling voice he asked
Mr. Freidrichs what they were. MIR
Friedrichs replied in careless tones
that this was a common manifesto
ton Ia graveyards at night. and that
the ghosts were simply peeping up
10 see who was disturbing their rest
with Keeling footsteps at this hour OF
the night. Al which statement his
companion grew pereeptibiy paler.
but, being a man fun Of pluck. would
not be daunted. and walked INSTEAD
Nv on.
when they had about reached the
middle n the graveyard Mr. Fried
rlcha halted he had been casting
about FOR some way ~ bluning out
mis- companion without losing his
face, and thought this wac about fhe
time and place % 10 it 80. b. deep.
nepulfhrai tones be said Prank.
] don't know whether ! can raise AM