The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-08-30
Was 1t an
Anniversary Ghost9
BY WILLARD BL-AkEMAN

nlHhsel1 tnat ne saw hFlgnt. 10 Desll
nj the top of his head, he wore a
beaver hat with large bell crown and
rim eurled at the sides. His coat
was very high In the collar his neck
tie was yoluminous lace, the buttons
on his clothes were brass, his hreeehes
were what we call knlckerbockers.
Coachy drove 10 the sidewalk, and
the gentleman, without asking permits
sion, opened the door and stepped In
side.
ITO Greenwich" he called as he
closed the door behind him.
up Greenwich street, sir?"
Eyes"
That part OF New York which was
originally Greenwich Village Is several
miles from where the stranger entered
the coach and the cabman would rath-
er have declined TO make fare so
late In the evening. But there was
something about the stranger that was
compelling. When the cab reached
Greenwich and cabby asked for fur
ther instructions the man inside only
said, Drive on" Cabby seemed awed
by the tone In which the words were
spoken and dared not ask another ques-
ton, so he drove on In the direction
he was going, northward, till he reach
ed the river bank. The man inside
stepped from the cab without oalling
on coachy to stop, and when he touch
ed the ground there seemed not to be
the slightest shock. As he walked
away he fixed his eyes on the cabman
with a look that made him forget all |
about the omission TO pay the fare. |
Indeed a cold chill ran down the
mans back, Going to tie margin of
the river, his figure seemed to float I
along, growing more and more indis-
tinct till 1t was lost, as cabby thought, |
In the water. But this could not be,
for there came from where he had dis
appeared sound of oars. The sound
passed up the river. gradually dying
away In the distance.
Now, although the stranger had Civ
en- no orders to the cabman to await
his return, the latter felt no power to
do otherwise, He did not tS;nk that
by going away he would lose the mon
ey he had already earned he remained
fixed where he was by the lock his
fare had given him when he walkea
away with that unearthly tread.
1t was the season when the DAYS are /
long and dawn begins about o'clock. i
Goachy sat for perhaps an hour, per
haps two-he could never recall how
long it was-waiting there on the river
bank, with no human being near. for !
he says that he was not conscious of :
the surrounding traffic of the present /
lay. He saw about him only the i
green bank of the river, behind him O
he village, in which all were wrapped o
n slumber. But he Is not sure that a
re was awake, not sure but that he G
was dreaming. At any rate, he was I
'blivious to the strangers return, for o
he first he knew of it he heard voice {
him to drive home Rousing
himself and looking down from the y
'ox. he saw his fares face thrust :,
Without the window, looking up at :,
lin. The cabman will never forget 7
hat face. 1t was singularly hand o
ONE, though so pale as TO be rather r,
Il the dead than Of the living. The t.
was that of one who had p
ommitted some dreadful crime, one Ia
Who had killed some one. But in it II
here was no remorse. 1t was rather q
riumph. 81
Home" said the stranger
The cabman did not know and did
OF dare ask where home was. He
new that he had taken up his fare on IN
Vail street, and for that location he u
eaded. q
In the twilight the city seemed y
hanged. All the landmarks of a me- -
opolis were missing
Turning out of Broadway at Wall m
rect, he drove down till he reached k.
le point where Broad joins it, This re
as where he had taken up his fare. !
ere, too, was not the Office of the Ia
eat banking house which is there, SO
1t a small brick dwelling. The st'
ranger called on him to stop, and he -
owe up to the curb. M
Coachy says that when this singular ~ ~
ing alighted he cast his eve at in,
Yelling on the opposite side of Wall Al
rect short distance down toward al,
e East river and looked for a mo- -
ent at it with malignant triumph:
en-, turning. without mentioning the r
oney he owed for his ride, he mount j
the steps of dwelling before him |
d seemed to pass through the door
thout opening 1t.
1oachy was found that morning in n
lpor on his box and about to fall.
. was removed to hospital whence
did not emerge for several weeks. ~
hen he did so he narrated the adven- VI
e of that memorable night to a
ntleman who happened to be a
lolar All the information he re-
we'd was this: .
The house the strange man entered
S once occupied by Aaron Burr.
exander Hamilton lived on the oppo-
? side of Wall street a little way
Their down toward the East river
e night OF the adventure was the
ldredth anniversary Of the duel pa
ght between Hamilton and Burr. III
which Hamilton was killed. i
erhaps the vision came tn the cab -
n as he was entering severe i'll On
S rather than being the cause Of It. Ike
. SfuuuIar fpaftra Ia that ~ should