The daily Alaskan., 1913-05-15
His Father $
 Ghost
By EDITH W ROSS

Twenty years passed Tweed, who was a steady chap remained in the place where be was born. Ashur5t went to Australia. From there loo wrote several letters to bis friend aft. er which thc correspondence ceased. From that time forward Tweed heard notbug of bis friend He did not be, IIeye thoJ Ashurst was dead, for if % be would have appeared to hlm, for Tweed was fun of the idea that the deud may come back to us. This be. Hgg was owing to bis disposition, which was easily Influenced by tales of such wonders
 When Tweed was fory.three years old be bad a wife and three children. Jhc oldest a girl Of nineteen. Der fu, thur bud told her Of this agreement of his youth and she wus at an age Co bo interested iu It Now and again ghe wOuld ask her father if he had seen tbe ghost Of hls friend
 One spring he was called away from home When hc returned, though lt was no Inter than April, the weather was very warm. 0s sometimes bap' pens In that month. He was fond of sleeping out Of doors and considered st exceedingly healthy. Ills house stood In the center Of % large yard and his front porch made excellent sleep ing quarters Bringing some blankets, he placed them on a hanging bed aud turned in
 In che middle of tbe night be was awakened by sound There was n0th. Ing to ubstruct his view of the lawn before Che house. and. the moon being 8t the fuIl and on the meridian, De couId see all about hIm as p'al1 l duy. The figure Of a man was c1minE up Che walk. but with a tread that Waa absolutely silent one thing be noticed immcdi0tely-that the walk of tbis approaching person was that of his friend Ashurst The Ggure came on up Go the steps and looked up Co the heav' ems This threw the light Of the moon fuIl on hIs face, and Tweed recognized Aahurst just as he had seen bis friend last. a quarter Of a century before 1T he had grown older there was not suf- dcIcut change Go be noticeable The only difference In his appearance from tnnt remembered by Tweed was that hIs face was Iivid
 Having g0zod a few moments al the heavens. thc figure came uP the steps with Che same silent tread and on rcarhing Che porch turned toward Tweed and had taken one step when he seemed to Che latter to be suddenly cuvcIoppd In g'0rc of white IlGht. Tweed who was sitting up watching Che apD0riuon, gave a moan and fell hack unconscious
 That moan made a sudden change In che situation Ethel Tweed ran out 0f Che house and. throwing her arms about her father. cndcavorPd Co bring him hack Co consciousness Father" she cried. "It Isn't a ghost Nt all' Do speak Co moT
 The ghost advanced to assist her, but she motIoncd hIm away, and he went Into the house Tweed opened bis eyes and. seeing bis daughter gave a shuddcr. closed bis eyes. opened them again and gasped:
 "U0rry's deadl He's been here|
 "No father. he hasn't Its a mls- take"
 An electric light in the roof Of the porch was glcaming Iu the father'8 eyes He asked who turned It on
 "I did" said his daughter and sitting beside him on the swinging bed. she told him that while he was away his friends son had appeared with a note Of introduction Young Ashurst and Ethc. bad talked of their fathers friendship and of the agreement that had been made years before Being young and thoughuess. Ethel proposed chat they should play a prank upon her father The young man, who was a few years her senior objected, but finally consented Taking advantage of Twccd's sleeping on the porch. ho had chaIkcd hIg f0cc. walked across tho lawn Iu the moonlight, then up tho steps As soon as he stood on th9 porch Ethel, from within, turned on tho electric light directly above him. Tweed had by thIs time become SO con. viuced that he saw his friends ghost that be failed to notice that the 1guro was IIIumIncd by the lamp
 The next day young Ashurst called upon his fathers friend who, had not bis own daughter been implicated in thc prank played. might not have re- ceIvcd hlm as kindly as he did. The young man presented a sealed letter from his father Tweed read lt, but made no comment He Invited Ashunt to make him a visit, which was pro. longcd indefinitely. He said that his father hud married ln Australia but had gone from there to England and after a short stay had taken bis family to South America, where he had be- come a coffee planter fin the interior of Brazil When his son concluded to go north to study a profession he bad urged the boy to see his old friend.
 In time young Ashurst asked Tweed for his daughter, saying chat he hoped for bis own fathers consent to the match
 .,N-, r.rr of froft rarIIa8 Tygoed