The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1908-08-14
An Apparition.
(Orfginai.l

Gers were cnatllng IN front OF tent.
II 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. ILdidn't
know he was with this army. 1 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 youngster
chums, that whichever Of the two died
nrst was to appear IL possible to the
other"
Il wonder how a fellow would take
such q visitation as that" remarked
one Of the party.
Harding would take 1t coolly
enough" put in another. HE isn't
afraid Of the devil"
80 long AZ he didn't believe 1t su-
perhuman. But supposing him to be
convinced that It WASP"
i paul, you might try him some time.
7. You'd have a fine chance. considering
your AGREEMENT Win Qlm.
ira 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
some hard fighting and was taken pris-
| hint hofrro he ho ~
the rear the tide of battle turned, and
he was left to his own sweet viii.
Being within the Mexican lines, he
needed to watch his chance to rejoin
the American army. He was success
full and about 8 in the evening appear
ed before some Of his brother officers,
much to their establishment.
"This would be good opportunity
for you to appear in spirit form to
Harding" suggested one Of them.
Hes sure you're dead"
80 1t would" said Paul. II believe
I'll 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 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 1t. The
tent flaps were thrown back, the light
Of full moon streaming within the
canvas. To avoid mishap one Of the Of
| ficers accessory to the experiment had
/ during the evening gone into the tent
while Harding was not there and re-
moved Harding's pistol. replacing 1t
with another loaded with blank car
tridses.
An hour before midnight Harding
was lying awake thinking Of the
friends he had lost during the day,
especially regretting Paul, Of whom
he was very fond. He was sinking
into drowsiness when zephyr slowly
waited cloud like a pun 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.
eyes hollow, hair unkempt and a red
, smudge on the left breast. There was
not the slightest movement.
Harding raised himself upon his ell
bow and looked. He had long ago got
over any belief In the return OF
those who have died, II he had ever
had any such belief, but this appear
ance Of one he felt reasonably sure
was dead In this ghastly fashion stag
gered him. He felt NO fear. though an
indefnable horror began to creep over
him. 4 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 appointment, II indeed such It was.
He had expected Paul to look at him,
to speak to him. But here was a fiR-
ure turned aside, the face CHASTITY in
the moonlight. as impassive as a
statue.
Harding was simply lost in a hor-
rible wonder. He had no desire to
speak to the apparition or whatever it
was. He would not have known what
to say II he had such desire. All the
while something like a chill from a
sepulcher was creeping over him. II
any one afterward had asked him how
long the apparition lasted, he would
have said not less than fifteen or twen-
ty minutes by the watch. Yet up to
this point not more than ninety Sec
onds had been licked.
Then came the only change In the
figure that was made during its stay.
The dawn Of smile appeared on the
face. Imperceptibly It broadened till
q CHASTITY grin extended from ear to
ear.
Paul heard a moan from within the
tent and Immediately strobe away to
some Of his comrades who were wait
Ing and told them to 60 ut once to
Harding. They found him cold as
death and insensible. One sprinkled
his face, another chafed him, while a
third poured brandy down his throat.
Presently he revived. Paul did not 70
near him till he had got the chalk OF
his face and Harding had been in
formed that he was alive and the
whole thing had been intended for a
nr0etical foko