Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-05-28
His Fathefs
Ghost
BY EDITH V. ROSS

two chums eighteen years old. made
an agreement that whichever died first
would appear to the other. Later they
separated.
Twenty years passed. Tweed. who
was a steady chap, remained in the
place where he was born. Ashurst
went to Australia. From there he
wrote several letters to his friend. aft
err which the correspondence ceased.
From that time forward Tweed heard
nothing Of his friend. He did not be-
lieve that Ashurst was dead, for If 50
he would have appeared to him. for
Tweed was full Of the idea that the
dead may come back to us. This be-
lief was owing to his disposition,
which was easily Influenced by tales of
such wonders.
When Tweed was forty three years
old he had a wife and three children.
the oldest a girl of nineteen. Her ia
Their had told her of this agreement of
his youth. and she was at an age to be
interested in it. Now and again she
would ask her father if he had seen
the ghost of his friend.
One spring he was called away from
home. When he returned. though it
was no later than April, the weather
was very warm, as sometimes hap
pens in that month. He was fond of
sleeping out Of doors and considered
it exceedingly healthy. His house
stood in the center of large yard. and
his front porch made excellent sleep
ing quarters. Bringing some blankets.
he placed them on hanging bed and
turned in.
In the middle Of the night be was
awakened by sound. There was moth
ing to obstruct his view Of the lawn
before the house, and, the moon being
at the full and on the meridian. he
could see all about him as plain as
day. The figure Of a man was coming
up the walk, but with tread that was
absolutely silent. One thing he noticed
immediately-that the walk Of this
approaching person was that of his
friend Ashurst The figure came on up
to the steps and looked up to the heav
ems. This threw the light Of the, moon
full on his face. and Tweed recognized
Ashurst just as he had seen his friend
last, quarter Of century before. II
he had grown older there was not suf-
ficient change to be noticeable. The
only difference in his appearance from
that remembered by Tweed was that
his face was lvid.
Having gaZed q few moments at the
heavens. the figure came up the steps
with the same silent tread and, on
reaching the porch turned toWard
Tweed and had taken one step when
he seemed to the latter to be suddenly
enveloped in glare of white light.
Tweed. who was sitting up watching
the apparition. gave moan and fell
back unconscious
That moan made a sudden change
in the situation Ethel Tweed ran out
of the house and. throwing her arms
about her father. endeavored to bring
him back to consciousness. Father"
she cried. ut isn't ghost at all. Do
speak to me!'
The ghost advanced to assist her.
but she motioned him away. and he
went into the house. Tweed opened
his eyes and. seeing his daughter. gave
shudder. closed his eyes. opened
them again and gasped:
"Harry's dead. He's been herer'
"No. father: he hasn't. It's mis-
take"
An electric light in the roof Of the
porch was cleaning in the fathers
eyes He asked who turned it on.
IL 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 note
Of Introduction. Young Ashurst and
Ethel had talked of their fathers
friendship and Of the agreement that
had been made years before Being
young and thoughtless. Ethel proposed
that they should play prank upon her
father. The young man. who was a
few years her senior objected. but
finally consented Taking advantage of
Tweed's sleeping on the porch. he had
chalked his face. walked across the
lawn In the moonlight. then up the
steps. AS soon as he stood on the
porch Ethel, from within, turned on the
electric light directly above him.
Tweed had by this time become so con-
WINGED that he saw his friends ghost
that he failed to notice that the figure
was illumined by the lamp
The next day young Ashurst called
upon his fathers friend. who had not
his own daughter been implicated in
the prank played. might not have re-
eeived him as kindly as he did The
young man presented a sealed letter
from his father Tweed read 1t. but
made no comment He invited Ashurst
to make him a visit. which was pro.
longed indefinitely. He said that his
father had married in Australia. but
had gone from there to England and
after short stay had taken his family
to South America. where he had be.
| come coffee planter In the interior of
Brazil. When his son concluded to go
north to study profession he had
urged the boy to see his old friend.
In time young Ashurst asked Tweed
for his daughter. saying that he hoped
for his own fathers consent to the
match.
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