Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-06-28
WAS 1T
A GHOST?
BY F. A. Mitchell

ANY DOy VINO mas studied United
States history knows the story Of Ben
edict Arnold's treachery In his inten-
tion to surrender West Point to the
British, how Major Andre of the Brit
ish army was captured at Tarrytown
with the papers in the case in his boots,
the horror of General Washington and
the execution of Andre as a spy.
Andre was executed on the banks of
the Hudson not far from where he was
captured. The place where the execu-
tion occurred is of no Importance ex-
cept as to its connection with this his
tOrical event.
Mind you, I'm not going to vouch for
this story. 1t came to me from differ
ent sources, and there are certain dis
crepancies. What I'm going to tell is
what 1 surmised from the whole with
out Juggling in any proofs pro or con.
A certain Mrs. Meriweather of New
York city, prominent in the D. A. r.,
had daughter, Abigail, the name be-
ing handed down through half dozen
generations from a Revolutionary an
cestress, who was an incorrigible
coquette. The mother endeavored vain.
ly to persuade her daughter to marry
some one Of her many suitors, to set
tie down and behave herself. George
Van West was the only one of them
whom Abigail fancied. Him she really
loved, but owing to one Of those incon-
sistencies of women for which no man
QnnaJJnt fh0 ho ~
the worse she treated him. Indeed, d
certain Ambrose Constable, whom she
did not like and her mother detested,
was to all appearances her favorite.
One spring when Abigail was receiv
ing marked attention from Constable
her mother took her to a farmhouse
In the country, hoping that by separat-
ing her from Constable the affair would
blow over. Abigail was much panied
at leaving Van Vert, but that contrary
trait In her character prevented her
from telling the truth as to her prefer
ence, and she accompanied her mother
to the farmhouse unwillingly.
Independence day that year was
beautiful one. The air was cool, the
sky cloudless. Abigail sat on the porch
of the farmhouse watching the country
people dressed in holiday costumes 60
ing to church where exercises appro-
pirate to the day We're to be held
Presently a young man came along
whose appearance at once arrested Alb
igails attention. He was handsome,
but very pale. Seeing the girl on the
porch-she seemed unable to keep her
eyes off him-he bowed in a very court
ly manner, taking off his hat at the
same time with something Of the -four
ish of gentleman of the old school
MAY 1 ASK" he said to Abigail
whittier all these country pumpkins
are going?"
ITO the church where the Deciara.
ton of Independence is to be read'
"Why today?"
This is the anniversary Of the day
it was adopted"
"By the rebels?"
Abigail was so puzzled by this refer
ence to the signers Of the Declaration
as rebels that she made no reply, con-
tinuing to gaze on the man with sort
Of fascinated wonder. Meanwhile he
began looking about him like one who
was visiting a place with which he
had once been familiar. His gaze
lighting on building farther down the
road, he shuddered. Then, seeming to
grow faint. he caught at the fence In
closing the farmhouse for support.
Abigail arose, hurried toward him
and was about to put out her arms to
support him when he turned and
smiled at her. She afterward described
that smile as the most beautiful she
had ever beheld. 1t seemed to be the
smile of martyr who had suffered
his martyrdOm and had passed to his
reward
From this point the information l
gathered about Abigail's meeting with
this stranger is contradictory. Some
say that he spent only the day with
her on the farmhouse porch, some that
he fingered in the neighborhood all
summer. The testimony for the former
statement predominated, but I am at
loss to understand how he could
hAN Y PAOo0NCO tuC Ahul ClOuS GncNG AC
did on Abigail in single day. AS to
how or where they spent that day ac-
counts vary.
OF one thing I received positive tes-
timony, that from that Independence
day Abigail was greatly changed.
While before it she had been the gay
est Of the gay, after it no one ever saw
her smile. George Van Vert tried to
bring back the smile to her lips, but
signally failed. Indeed. the sight Of
him seemed to fill her with sort Of
horror. AS for Constable, she no
longer cared to conceal her real feel
ings toward him.
Mrs. Meriweather did everything she
could think of to break the spell that
had been cast over her daughter. She
endeavored to make Abigail forget the
stranger in a social whirl She took
her on travels, all to no purpose. The