The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-10-03
An Apparition.


loriginnil
One evening when the United States
forces under General Scott were march.
Ing from Vera Cruz to the City OF Mex
ico. fighting BY the way, several on.
GERS were chatting In front Of tent
Il saw Harding today" said one Of
them, Lieutenant Ian Paul. II hadn't
seen him since we were graduated at
the Point six years ago. l didn't
know he was with this army. sup
posed he was with General Taylor.
We were roommates at the academy
and used to have lots Of talks after
taps. Harding was full of queer ideas.
Before we parted we had made an
agreement common with youngtcr
chums, that whichever Of the two died
first was TO appear II possible to the
other"
81 wonder how a fellow would take
such visitation as that" remarked
one OF the party.
Harding would take II coolly
enough" put in another. HE isn't
afraid of the devil"
so long as he didn't believe It SUI
perhuman. But supposing him to be
convinced that It wasT'
"Paul, you might try him some time.
You'd have fine chance, considering
yoar agreement with him."
'I'd have TO get killed first or he'd
have TO think I'd been killed. added
Paul carelessly, and the subject was
dropped.
At the capture OF the City Of Mexico
Lieutenant Paul was reported Killed.
He had simply got detached during
come hard fighting and was taken pris-
oner, but before he could be sent to
the rear the tide Of battle turned, aud
he was left to his own sweet will.
Being within the Mexican lines, he
needed to watch his chance TO rejoln
the American army. He was success
full and about 0 in the evening appear
ed before some Of his brother officers,
much to their establishment.
This would be a good opportunity
for you to appear in spirit form 70
Harding" suggested one Of them.
s'Ie's sure you're dead"
$50 1t would said Paul. II believe
III try It."
The others, pleased at the prospect
Of some amusement, concealed Lieu
tenant Paul till midnight, when, hav-
ing chalked his face, tangled his hair
and daubed a wound over his heart
with berry juice, he made ready to ap
pear to his friend. Harding had got
up his tent and was occupying it. The
tent flaps were thrown back, the light
If a full moon streaming within the
canvas. TO avoid a mishap one Of the Of
ncers accessory to the experiment had
during the evening gone into the tent
while Harding was not there and re.
moved Harding's pistol, replacing It
with nrother loaded with blank car
tridges.
An hour before midnight Harding
was lying awake thinking Of the
friends he had lost during the day,
especially regretting Paul, cf whom
he was very fond FYe was sinking
into drowsiness when a zephyr slowly
wafted cloud like q puff of SMOKE
before his tent, and In 1t and partly
concealed By 1t was the figure Of his
friend. When the cloud drifted on 1t
left the apparition standing facing the
moonlight. 1t was looking straight
ahead on vacancy, white as DEATH
ewes hollow, hair unkempt and a red
snudge on the left breast. There was
not the slightest movement.
Harding raised lmseif upon his ell
now and looked. HIS had long ago got
over any belief in the return Of
those who have died, If he had ever
had any such belief, but this appear
ance of one he felt reasonably sure
was dead in this CHASTITY fashion stag
cared him. He felt no fear though an
indefinabIe horror began to creep over
him. sort Of paralysis. He would
have been relieved at the slightest
movement. sound anything to break
the spell. 1t was the unexpectedness
Of the manner of his friend keeping
his arDointment, Il indeed such it was.
He had expected Paul to look at him,
~ sneak to him. But here was fig.
IRE turned aside, the face CHASTITY h
the moonlight, as impressive as a
statue.
Harding was simply lost in hor-
r;l,le wonder. He had no desire 70
sneak to the apparitlon or whatever It
was. He would not have known what
to say If he had such desire. Al the
while something like a chill from a
sapnlchcr was creeping over hini. II
any ore afterward had asked him how
Tong the apparition lasted. be would /
have said not less than fifteen or twen-