The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-18

tits Isl probably being $50 or $40. But
this decision of Mr.. George Garvin, IN
important in itself, was productive Of
lmomentous consequences. Everything
connected with the late William Gar
lvin attracted great interest in the COM
'munIty-his strange case, the fatal
operation, the funeral, etc. A ruInor
Ispread throughout the whole city that
he had been buried with a cluster
diamond ring worth 81, 900. and a gold
watch and chain worth $500 Or 41y,.
Two or three nights after he he'd
|been laid to rest, just after the night
nurse vent on duty in the hospital,
and while three Or four day nurses, of
work, were grouped about midway Ct
the corridor on the second floor. from
the lobby on the first floor. on which
the main entrance opened, a man,
bareheaded, came slowly up the stair
WAY, looking upward with a white face
and a smile OH his lips. AT first he at
Itracted no notice, supposed to be d con-
tvalescent walking about But as he
lneared the landing n Of the nurses
turned toward him, when b started
jback, her face blanched. her eyes dl-
Hated in terror, and she raised her
Hands in speeches. horror. Slowly the
imam passed around the group, each
nurse standing aghast as if Some Cor
lyon horror had turned her into stone
upon the spot and went up the second
stairway, supporting himself with his
Inland on the baluStrade, looking down
Jon them with that white face and set
Ismile, as he said: Il suppose that
may 90 on to my Old room" Then
Shrek after Shrek rent h air, follow
led by screams from above, as the mys-
IteriOus visitor reached that corridor.
One nurse tainted dead away, and an
IOther rushed down to the lobby, n
into the superintendent room, who
twas seated at his desk, where she fell
lon her knees. crying: "Oh, my God,
DIR. Blank, William Garvin, the dead
man, is walking in the corridors. He
spoke to us, he smiled at us, we all
recognized himi"-and she fairly
Jshivered in an ecstacy of fright. DR..
BLANK was at first greatly incensed at
this breach of discipline and senseless
Ihysteria, caused doubtless by a practi-
zeal joke, and was about 20 berate the
poor nurse severely; but her agonizet
face softened him. He raised her from
1.-THE floor, saying: MY girl. compose
yourself; you are needlessly frightea-
ed by some stupid practical joke'-but
she broke away from him, and threw
herself on a lounge, sobbing ~piteously.
The superintendent fastened up to
the second floor, where he found the
head nurse and resident physician,
wondering at the cause Of the excite
ment. Shut the doors of all the pa
%Itients' rooms and quiet those poor
lfOOls,' he said to the head nurse, Il
went on with the resident physician to
the room formerly occupied by Gar
win. The door was open, and the
electric light was ablaze, which was
Unusual, as the room had been vacant
Isince the mans death. The window
was also open, and the curtain was
blowing outward horizontally as il by
the force Of a violent wind, though
there was not even a light breeze at the
time.
OF course there was no one III the
room, and the two stood for a moment
lat a loss. Suddenly the resident ply
stefan exclaimed: See there on the
bed. DR.. Blank On the pillow was
the deep impress of a head, and OH the
HOuter covering of the bed was the plain
Iindcntation of shoulders, elbows, feet,
the complete form of some one who
had there lain The superintendent was
by this time bending over the bed,
when he excitedly called: Look here,
john" Following the impress Of the
head on the pillow, and the outline
of the form on the bed. was a thin,
but ~well-defned streak of mixed clay
land sand, such as would adhere to the
IclotEing of one coming in contact with
THE earth of q newly-made grave.
DR.. Blank stood for q minute Or two
looking down on the floor in DerpleNcd
and troubled thought. as was Shown
Eby the expression of his face. Then he
went down into the clerks Office, and
ltelephoned q request to Mr.. George
iGarvin to come to the hospital at once
ION an important matter. After all,
he so%liloquized, as he lighted a cigar.
land seated himself ia IN arm chair, Il
have only a cock and bull story to tell
him. But this 5 too tangled a skelE
for me to unwind. / take no stock IN
ghosts. out thee is something unac-
IcOuntable here When Mr.. George
iGarvin arrived md the amazing story
was related tC i'm, he was evidently
lgreatly impress !. inc by no means SO
skeptical as o physician himself.
When the bed as shown to him, he
was painfully rcked: his face turned
deadly white, he was much agitat-
ed. 'Mr. Carr y said the superinten-
dent. "your be avement has naturally
kept YOU apart f1r the past day or two
the sayings and doings of the
community. ! is proper to INFORM
YOU that the f. of a ring having been
left on the h ! of your brother has
been magnife ito a rumor that ne
was buried WI iewelry on his body
valued at So or $4,000. GafVlh
started as if had been shot, and
instantly he e. ned: DIT. Blank, Is
your carriage he o A lantelh
and TO the ce' ?, quick!" The other
Iseized his n g at once, IL III
minutes WO men were DelhS
ldriven rapid the cemetery. Inc
grave was d. the cofnn was Dfo-
ken open. tt Y some! MY Gou'
what can thi n? cried GarVln, as