Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1908-12-04
TALE OF a
GHOST
How IL Returned His Friends
Booh.

J ""'ffH fffA'N III AflLtuitN tAI ne At
! theniicated BY a number OF weil.know
people, says the San Francisco Can.
Col Srubs Is not a believer In ghost
or psychic phenomenon Of any dnscril
don, and has no theory of mis- own [
account for the incident which he r,
lated 10 the writer one night when IN
conversation bad drifted into IN
supernatural.
had two bachelor friends" h
said with whom used to hunt
great deal in The bird season. Gu; o
season We would get together when
ever We could and talk over our favor
ne books and other topics OF Kindred
interest Everybody who knows me
knows to whom refer. and as one
Of the parties met a tragic death the
hgures OF thia story will be pretty well
recognized at once
My bachelor friends got closer TO.
getber when married. and 10 speak to
one was also 10 say som sthlng Ia the
other They took II IN turns spending
the evenings with each other, Charlie
going 10 Dicks apartments every night
for week. and vice versa
Each had special chair for the
other on either side OF the open Are
In winter and side by side on the bal.
cony In summer They were as par.
ticular as a couple OF old maids in
this respect and some others, one OF
which was not 20 exceed a certain
number OF drinks an evening, except
on very special occasions
The work was In three volumes.
Two treating OF southern songsters and
one OF Virginia birds exclusively.
They started In on the latter and read
with delight OF their old scquaintances
81 the forests and Jeems river
Dick valued this volume very high /
~ so highly In fact, that he didn't Z
quite Ike the idea OF Charlie taking
Il ont with him one afternoon to read
In fayorite haunt. near the old reser.
sOir
That night. the first In years
Charlie Was absent from his accus.
omed seat near Dick. The latter WAS
% disturbed that the next morning he
vent around to his friends home, only
o find that they supposed Charlie TO
laye spent the evening with him, as
ie often did
During the day there was no news
4 him The next day Il was decided
o drag the reservoir, and the body
I his lifelong friend was found.
e was a sad blow TO Dick, who
ound himself completely at a loss
'ithou; Charlie, Every ing reminded
i'm Of the dead man--his pipes. his
ooks. the empty chair. the empty ,
lasses that he turned down every ,
light as he poured his own drink and /
uiped Il down IN sorrow. ,
III was long before he thought of
he missing book on Virginia birds, :
~ book which Charlie had taken with 4
I'M on that fateful walk What could :
ave become of IL? II was probably a
Ing AZ the bottom OF the old reser- r
Dir. where his friend had persisted. Il
The fire was bright. aud opposite
N WAS Charles empty chair. On n
little table at his side were the de- e
inter- and two empty glasses. He n
led his own and tried to forget. but I,
could not II
"The following night he again sat n,
the fire staring az the vacant chair W
the other side OF the hearth and bi
mixing how empty his life was with.
{ his old cham. Again the thought "(
the missing book returned TO his ar
nd and would not be dismissed Sc
The fire died down. and he got up WI
put on a fresh log When he sat or
IN Il was in Charles chair AS he ev
SO Charlie strobe into the room TN
his old fashion" ar,
II this moment the colonel inter th'
ted his narrative lone enough 70 fnl
. And this Is the story just as thu
X told IL to me- He did not feel
prised. at least not any more so AM
IA al the sudden appearance OF the
nd who had been long absent. SUI
re was nothing uncanny about the 3
earauee OF Charlie He looked just ON
he did the afternoon he came TO ne'
'ow the volume on Virginia birds pat
Why. Charlie. hang II. said Dick,
ought you were dead ".
So ! am. replied Charlie: I was iley
Sned' the.
Prepostefous. mani Here you are. "no
iataral as ever. Come. take a a.
You don't know how | have 'l,u
ed YOU INTO
am dead. old man. said Charlie. aue
could not resi- until | got that ~
on my mind. l knew how much
thought OF Il and how much you N
4 worry over il. None OF the -,
u ! have done OF left undone have .a sn
led me. II was the book. the .n
the book all the the time. car.
Il along the read. but loitered on =
say. and Il was almost dark when
Ne to Rides blacksmith shop. II Sh
too hate 10 read. and / left the tbers
there. intending 70 return FOR II. Com
I'D boy ! did not set chance light
art back but the book is at fayol
is Iona
larlie Was gone him
ok found himself starting from sure
hair aud saving; But for Gods and
Charlie don't Won NUN ont uke ty-fv
: III,
4 there was no sign OF his friend taius