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Mapa, plataa, charts, ate., may be filmed et differem reduction ratioa. Thoea too large to be entirely included In one expoeure ere filmed beginning in the upper left hand comer, left to right and top to Nmom, aa many framee aa required. This following diagrame illuatrata the method: I. pianchae. tabiaeux. etc., peuvent Atre fllmde i dee taux do rMuctlon dlffirents. Loraque le doeument est trop grsnd pour 4tre reproduit en un soul cllch4, 11 est film* k pertir da Tangle supdrieur gauche, do gauche i droite, et do heut en bee. en prenent le nombre dlmegee ndceeseire. Lae diegrammae suivants illuatrem la mdthoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Ghost of a Dog, A CHRISTMAS STORY, tn Four Acts ; with a Prologue and Epilogue^ fV5i wBY— J: A. PHILLIPS, \^i At7TH6R OF " From Bad to Worse^' " Hard to Beat,'' " ThompsonH turkey^' " The Chrisimas Anthem,'' etc., etc. <1 -V «\i»t»<, O^AWAi ki S. WooDBUBN, Printer, 86 Elgin Strbih'^ 1886^ HHMMMaiHBI .4 ^ Bn'krbd according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-five, by J. A. Phillips, in the Oflace of the Minister of Agriculture and Statistics at Ottawa. t ^ i > ^ ^-4 4^'. L Prologue. — How the storj came to be told . Act 1.— How Kawson bought a plantation. Between the Acts. — Some remarks about chills and fevers. Aar 2. — How Rawson obtained his dog. Between the Acts. — How the story was received. Act 3. — How Lucy saved her master's life. Between the Acts. — Some remarks about the intelligence of dogs. Act 4. — How Lucy's ghost appeared to Rawson. Epilogue. — After the story was told . How I Was Afesmerised* ^ .^wMMiafWHMI SI CLUB HOUSE" Remodelled, Newly Furnished, and Equipped with all Modern Improvements. Great Theatrical Resort ! SPECIAL RATES TO PROFESSIONALS. THE BAR IS WELL STOCKED WITH THE CHOICEST BRANDS ^^OF — IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC Liquors and Cigars- CLUB HOUSE, 20 to 24 George St., OTTAWA. T. P. O'COWJTOR, Prop. E" lipped THE GHOST OF A DOG. )rt! LS. H DS rs- fTAWA. PROIiOG-UE. HOW THE STORY CAME TO BE TOLD. ii ^i/3ERE,Bow-wow! Sit up like a gentleman, and (p||/ show what a clever do^ you are. Shake '^O hands — no, not the left paw, gentlemen do not offer the left hand to be shaken. Thai's right. Now the other paw ! Yery good. Now play dead dog. Lie down, eyes shut, legs out — keep that tail quiet, dead dogs don't wag their tails. Steady! Keep that eye shut— dead dogs don't peep out of one eye. That's better ; there, that will do. Now then, be a live dog !" The little dog which had been gravely performing these simple tricks for his master, jumped up with a short, sharp bark of pleasure at the last order, and bounding into his master's lap curled himself up into a comfortable little ball and went to sleep. 2 6 ' THE GHOST OF A DOG. He was not a particularly Itandsoine dog. Indeed, a dog-fancier would undoubtedly have classed him as an ugly mongrel ; but he had a remarkably intelligent face, and from long association with men and but slight acquaintance with other dogs, he had grown to have many human and but fev/ canine traits about him, and appeared to understand the language of men quite as well as that of dogs. It was in the back parlor of a quiet little public house in Lower Town one Christmas Eve a few years ago, that a small but jovial party was assembled ; and during a pause in the conversation the dog's master had been making him display his accomplishments. " You make a perfect fool of that dog, Tom," SHid Will Archer addressing the owner of the dog, " and talk to him just as if he was a human being. Do you think he understands what you say to him ?" " Of course he does, every word of it, don't you, old man ?" speaking to the dog, which looked up in his face, wagged his tail, and gravely winked one eye as if he perfectly comprehended what was said to bim. ** I tell you, boys, Bow-wow knows a great deal more than most of you fellows ; and he shows greater wisdom for he does not run about gabbling all he thinks he knows, and thereby displaying his ignorance." '* He knows how to eat a bone, and how to get you r m^ f \ A I: y i^ :; THE GHOST OF A DOG. 1 to make a fool of him, and that is about all he does know," said Ned Langton, replenishing his pipe ; " a more seltish little brute I never saw. Just look at him curling himself up there, he is made more of than if he was a baby." " So he is. He is my baby," responded Tom. " lie's better to me than a dozen babies, ain't you, old man ! Foa're my whole family, and I find you quite enough to look after." *'I likes dorgs," said the landlady, who sat at the liead of the table and dispensed various steaming and fragrant compounds ; " but I likes them in ther places ; and how Mr. Thorton can a maul an' a mess with that dorg, an' hug it, an' let it sleep in the same bed with him is more'n I ken understan.' Not that Bow-wow ain't a clean dorg, an' fewer fleas I never seed ; but the bare thort of a dorg in the bed makes me that crawly as I can't a'most a bear myself," and she shook her fat sides as if exetnplifying the presence of strange parasites, and finished off a tumbler of hot punch with an abstracted air, as if too much occupied with thoughts of canine delinquencies to notice what she was doing. " You didn't mean to say. Missus," said Langton to the landlandy, who was familiarly known to her customers as '* the Missus," " that Tom lets that little brute sleepVith him !" 8 THE GHOST OF A DOO. " Of course I do," responded Thorton, " and a capital foot-warmer bo makes on cold nights, T can tell j> you " Well, * everyone to his liking,' as the old woman said when she kissed her cow," rejoined Langton ; '* but no dog sleeping in bed for me. What do you say, Rawson ?" The person addressed had been sitting quietly by Thorton amusing himself by playing with the dog's ears ; and he now looked up and gazed before him for an instant, as if to collect his thoughts before replying. " Yes, yes," he said with an abstracted air, and as if answering another question, " I do believe that dogs are the best friends men can e^er have. They are more faithful than men. They don't lie ; they won't steal, if they are properly feed ; they don't despise a man because he wears a shabby coat, and they never forget a kindness or fail to be faithful — even unto death, or after it." He paused and sighed, and a curiously intent look stole over his face, as if he was gazing at something at a great distance. " Faithful ! Yes, I believe vou," said Thorton gaily ; " and as for not caring for what sort of a coat you wear, why the only time Bow-wow ever turned his back on me was last summer, when I came out in a new rig, light suit, white hat, &c. He would scarcely y \ 4m I. J r \ 4m d . \ I J TEE QHOST OF A DOG, 9 recoginize me, and it took him a whole week to get reconciled to that hat." " I never could abear them white 'ats," said the landlady, suddenly recovering from a brief doze, *' expeshally wlien they has a black ban' roun' them ; they allers remines me of them costermongers at 'ome ; an' them that imperent there was no abearin' of 'em." " Well, I am glad," said Thorton, '' to find that there is one man in the party sensible enough to acknowledge and admire the good qualities of a dog. But if you are so fond of dogs, Rawson, how comes it that I have never seen one with you ?" " Never seen it !" exclaimed Rawson with a start, and then, suddenly checking himself, he continued, " No— that is, certainly — I mean, you do not see me with a dog now, but I have one — that is, I had one, which was very dear to me, and saved my life twice and since I lost Lucy I have never had another dog." **Saved yonr life twice !" exclaimed Langton,"now that's what I call a useful sort of dog, not a good for nothing thing like that little brute thero. which is no good but to sleep with Thorton and fill his bed with fleas." "But Lucy used to sleep with me," rejoined Rawson, " and it was through her sleeping with me that she saved my life." 10 THE GHOST OF A DOG. *' You don't say so !" said Archer. " Tell us about it, old fellow. This is just the uight for a good story, especially a ghost story, if you have such a thing handy. So let us hear how it was that Lucy saved your life." *' I do not like to talk about it," replied Rawson slowly, " for I do not suppose anybody will believe it ; but I do. I know it to be true, and I would not like anyone to throw any doubt on it. Perhaps I would not believe it if anyone else told the story, for it is hard to make anyone believe in the ghost of a dog ; but the events happened to myself, and I know there can be no mistake about tliem." *' The ghost of a dog ! Come, now, old fellow, you don't mean to say it wasn't a dog at all, but only the ghost of a dog that saved your life ?" " I do," replied Ravvson gravely. " 1 believe, as firmly as 1 believe that I sit here at this moment, that my life was saved by Lucy after she was dead. After she had lost her life in saving mine." "Well, that beats anything I ever heard," said Langton. "A good tough old ghost story about a man or a woman 1 can swallow, especially on Christmas Eve, if the punch is plentiful ; but a dead dog coming to life again and saving peoples lives is something out of the common. By all means, old man, let us have the story." y \ tfw I i y m s.. THE GHOST OF A DOG. 11 " I do not like to talk about it as a general thing," replied Rawson, ** for it relates to that period of my \ life with which my most bitter memories are connected ; but, somehow, to night I feel as if it would be a relief to me to think back to the old times again ; and if you boys do not mind a somewhat long and, perhaps, prosy story, I don't mind telling it. I scarcely expect you to believe that part of what I am about to relate really happened ; but it is true, and occurred to myself. I cannot account for the circumstances any more than I suppose you will be able to ; but that they actually occurred I will stake my life." " All right, old fellow," said Thorton, " you will have one auditor who will believe that a faithful dog could return to life and serve his master at a pinch, just as much as any other dog could ; and ii these fellows are sceptical Bow-wow shall come back and haunt them after he has become a dead dog in reality. Here Missus, be kind enough to replenish ' the flowing bowl,' and we will be all attention for the ghost of Rawson's dog." A fresh bowl was brought, pipes relighted, and '^ Rawson commenced his story as follows : V i WILLIAM HcEAY & SON, Sip, Ornamental and Fresco Painters, DESIGNERS, ETC. 17^ iPAEE 9 OTTAWA. Estimates freely giuen. 1 y .\- m I X ^^ ^^jL^ i X ACT L HOW RAWSON BOUGHT A PLANTATION. kURING the late civil war in the United States 1 was a sutler in the Northern army, attached to the 377th Rhode Island Cavalry, and in that capacity accompanied Sherman in his celebrated " March to the sea." I do not intend to weary you with an account of that memorable march, nor to tell any wonderful stories of hair-breadth escapes or terrible dangers through which I passed. That sort of thing was sufficiently overdone by the "special cor- respondents" of the various newspapers at the time, and has been written to death by sensation novelists since. To tell the truth, I have no wonderful escapes or thrilling adventures to relate ; for, as a Canadian, I cared but little which side won, and always strictly maintained my position as a non-combatant ; my only desire being to make enough money while the war lasted to provide a moderate competence for my old age. It was not a very difficult matter for the sutler to a good regiment to make money in those days, when tobacco was often worth a dollar a plug, and he could ^^jL^ 14 THE GHOST OF A DOG. sell the vilest sort of whisky as fast as ho could get it at twenty-five cents a glass. I had had no cause to complaiij of ray success. I had been with one regiment or another almost from the commencement of the war, and always made money ; so that when I started with Sherman I knew that if we ever got "down to the sea," I should have realized quite a large fortune and more than enough to kaep me comfortably all the rest of my days. It was not so nmch for the sake of making money as for another purpose that I accompanied Sherman on his march. I saw that the South was hopelessly beaten; that "the cradle and the grave" had been robbed in vain to stay the ever increasing numbers of Grant's and Sherman's armies; that the South had thoroughly exhausted itself in the struggle, and that when the end came — and I could see that the end was near — there would be many excellent opportunities for the investment of capital. I had, therefore, deter- mined to look about me and select a favorable locality in which to invest the money I had made by ministering to the hunger and thirst — especially the thirst — of Uncle Sam's " Boy's in Blue." My search was not unrewarded, for on all sides I found deserted homes and unworked fields; and I was not long in selecting three or four places where I T i. v 4^ J i- T ^ i T THE GHOST OF A DOG. 15^ thought that I could make investments which in a few- years would repay me far more than I could expect to- ,y^ V realize by any f armingoperations in the North or West* ^ ^ The dream of my life had been to settle down on a ^^ well-cultivated farm of some kind, and live quietly, away from the noise and bustle of the great cities in which I had spent nearly all my days ; and I cared little whether it was a sugar, rice or cotton plantation instead of a grain or stock farm, so long as I could i enjoy country life quietly and get a good return for my investment. About |i year after the close of the war, when things had " settled down" a little, and the North was- busy with its " re-construction " of the South, I, having^ closed up my business affairs and realized a large sum in ready cash, travelled over the same route I had marched with Sherman to the sea, and took a mor& leisurly survey of the places I had noted at that time* A short distance from Macon, Ga., 1 found a cotton plantation of about live hundred acres, which * suited me better than any of the other places I had ^Mf noted, and I made some enquiries about it with a view to its purchase. The property had belonged to ex- Judge Armstrong, and before the war had been very valuable; but, like hundreds of other plantations in the South at the close of the conflict, it was fast goin^ 4. > i ^F ■He JEWELLERY !** JEWELLERY ! JEWELLERY ! -:o:- Xmas, Holiday — AND — OTHER BARGAINS. :o:- OOLD and SUiVER WATCHES, Ladies* and Gents' 'Watohes, Lookets, MonogranLS, Neoklaoes, Ladies* Brooches, Clocks, Silver Cmet Stands, Silver Batter Coolers, and every description of JEWELLERY. C. CAMPBELL, Manufacturing Jeweller, 212 SPARKS STREET, ^^Q> ^*i£i 19 _^Importerife=- STAPLE iFANCY GOODS 49 AND 51 RiDEAU Street, OTa?^A."W'-A., H;fiJ^ KING youb foT past favoTs I solicit yoiMT geneTOZCs pout- Tonage in tTie fiLtiA/re. X ALL ORDERS PROMPTLY ATTENDED TO, THK GHOST OF A DOO. 28 y ^ X will ever forgive the tramping upon onr rights, the spoliation of our freedom ? No, by Heaven I There will be no forgetting or forgiving as long as there is a true Southern man left to fire a shot when the time comes again ; or a true Southern woman to bear children and bring them up to hate the cursed Yankees who have freed our slaves to enslave their masters, and laugh at and scorn their boasted Flag of Freedom. And what in thunder do you want ? Do you want to be forgotten or forgiven, which ? " " Neither," I replied, still keeping mj temper. " I have come to buy a plantation ; and as soon as you are prepared to talk sense we will proceed to business." " Buy a plantation," he said with a sneer. " Hear the fellow talk ! Why, ^vq years ago I doubt whether he had money enough to purchase a rope to suspend his miserable carcJise by, and now he comes with his blood money and talks about being respectable and buying plantations as coolly as if he was a gentleman. And which plantation might it be that it has pleased your High and Mightiness to desire to buy ? " " Mount Houghton," 1 replied. He changed color a little when I mentioned the name, for he had been too angry to notice what I said when I entered ; and he spoke slowly and sadly as he said: "EXCELSIOR" COPYING HDU8E. C. B. TA6GART & Co., ARTISTS, 2i8 Sparks St., Ottawa. nil DnnTDiiTn Crayon, Water Color and Ink Pictures. uiL luiiiiimiu Made any Size from Small Pictures and Guaranteed to GIVE ENTIRE SATISFACTION. I a EXCELSIOR" IS OUR MOTTO. Office, 218 Sparks Street, Ottawa. To sketch the human face divine Or etch the life-like portrait fine, Ami stan)p the leatures as displayed In every tint of light and shade, This is our art, and well we can Thus represent the perfect man, The peerless beauty, aged dame Or lovely maiden, all the same, And cliildren's gesture, look or air, So like that life itself is there. Our pictures all admit hrst-dass ; No artist can our work surpass : We're sure to please you, never fear. So give us an order while we're here / TfP i L 0-AGENTS WANTED.-B* 4e^ / i THE GHOST OF A DOG. 25 " Mount Honghton, my God what a desecration I Poor Armstrong — died of a broken heart, poor fellow — four sons murdered and the other as good as dead — the place gone to rack and ruin, and now to be sold to a Canadian bounty-jumper. My God it is hard — hard ! " and the strong, violent man bent his proud white head on the desk before him, and I could see his whole frame quiver with emotion. It was but a second, however, before he raised his head and looked at me as proudly and scornfully as ever as he continued, in somewhat more moderate tones, ** Well, sir, it is for sale. Pretty nearly everything we have left in the South is for sale— except the virtue of our women and the honor of our men. Yes. Mount Houghton plan- tation is for sale ; but not the dwelling. No cursed Yankee or Canadian shall ever sleep under that roof while one of the old stock is left. The bare fields and such ruins of the works as were left by your soldiers are for sale ; what will you give for them ? " I was disappointed to hear that the dwelling house was not to be sold, for it was one of the finest residences within a twenty-mile circuit of Macon, and it was that had attracted me more than the land. How- ever, I concealed my disappointment, and offered the ridiculously low price of twenty dollars per acre — it had been worth ten times that before the war — think- Tent & Awning Co. Tents, Ainings, Gamp Fornitore, Horse Wear, Waterproof Covers, Window Shades. Curtain Poles, Picture Rods, Snoeshoes, Moccasins, Tuques, Sashes. Mitts, Blankets, White and Colored, Ilc. i^" Agents for the Celebbatkd " STAR " Toboggans, Catalogues on application to A. G. FORGIE, Manager International Tent &- Awtiing Co, ■i X *Ml V- ►T* s.. 4> I 1 ■y' X X 4^ THE GHOST OF A DOG. 27 ing that it would be refused, and I would then be ^at liberty to look elsewhere. To my surprise he did not at once indignantly decline my offer, as I had expected he would, but hesitated and mused for a few seconds. "Twenty dollars an acre," he said as if to himself in a sad^ pained voice. " Ten thousand dollars, and the Judge refused a hundred and twenty for it in '60. It is robbing ths widow and orphans, but it cannot be helped, the money must be had and at once too or it will be too late." Then turning to me suddenly with all his old fierceness he asked, " Have you got the money, can you pay cash for it at once ? We have had more than enough Canadian sympathy, and find it is not current coin. All our transactions henceforth must be for hard cash." " I am quite prepared to pay cash," I said, " as soon as I have inspected my proposed purchase and approved of it." " Oh," he said, with a sigh of relief, " You've got the money have you, and don't want any of the purchase money left on mortgage. I am glad to hear it. Well, if you have the money I suppose you must have the place, we are in too great need of the money to stop to haggle ; but, remember, you offered to buy the place. I did not offer it to you nor try to persuade 28 TEE GEOSl OF A DOG. ■ *! ! ii m you, so you cannot say hereafter that I used any trick to get you to purchase. When will you be ready to sign the papers and pay over the money ? " I reminded liim that I had not yet inspected the property : but added that as soon as I had done so, and the title deeds had been examined by my lawyer, I was prepared to complete the bargain as I had the money with me. " Who is your lawyer?" he asked shortly. '* 1 have no lawyer," 1 replied ; " but the Presi- dent of the Bank from whom I brought my letter of introduction to you, and who knows the purpose for which I liave visited Macon, advised me to engage the services of either Mr. Scratchpen or Mr. Cranchett, if I should require any legal advice. '' Then you had better take Scratchpen," said the Colonel, " for Cranchett is our lawyer, and the title deeds of the estate are with him. The two lawyers can arrange matters between them, prepare the deed, and the arrangement can be completed at ten o'clock to-morrow morning." '' Not quite so soon, I said, " for I must ride over the plantation and see what condition it is in, before closing my bargain." " What the mischief do you want to look at the land for ? " he said testily. '' You know the place is I X s.1. 4» THE GHOST OF A DOG. 29 W0k i worth five times wliat you are offering for it, what is the use of wasting a day to ride out to the place when you have doubtless, seen it already and know all about it. You don't suppose we have poisoned the land, or mined it to blow you up, do you ? " I replied that I never purchased anything which I had not thoroughly inspected ; and that if he had any objection to going over - the place with me, the negotiations might as well be broken off, and I could easily find another place. " Of course you can, of course you can," he said hotly. " The whole South is for sale and you lordly gentlemen who walk about with tens of thousands of dollars in your pockets have only to pick and choose. I suppose you must see the place if you insist upon it, and, perhaps, we can arrange it so that no time need be lost ; for I will tell you candidly that time is a great object, and it is only because we want the money at once that I consent to take such a beggarly pittance for the place. If we could afford to wait a year you could not buy it for three times the money. I will see Cranchett and Scratch pen at once, get them to prepare the deeds to-night, take them to Mount Houghton in the morning, and we can complete the transaction there after you have ridden over the plantation. We will start at twelve ; it will talce an hour to ride there, two •f^ 30 THE GHOST OF A DOG. hours ought to be enough for you to see all that you want to see, and we can sign the papers at three." I agreed to the arrangement, and proposed that as we should have to start at mid-day, he should breakfast with rae at my hotel at ten o'clock. "J^o sir, I thank you," he said shortly, and turning on his heel he strode out of the office. 4. i ^f^^^^w ,3^ ^ 4m ^1 4. X I w T ( J. BETWEEN THE ACTS. SOME REMARKS ABOUT CHILLS AND FEVERS. AWSON paused in his story for a minute, and the sudden cessation of his voice caused the landlady who had dozed off before he had got to the sea with Sherman, to wake -^ with a sudden start and look about her with that affectation of being extremely wide awoke which some people always will assume when caught napping at times when they ought to have kept their eyes open. " An' did you have 'em bad, sir ? " she said turning to Rawson and speaking in a sympathetic tone. " Have what ? " asked Eawson quite astonished at the question. "The chills an' fevers, sir, *'she replied quite seriously. " ^ou was a sayin' you was at the Chiggei- hominy an' I'm told its a dreadful place for chills an' ^ fevers. You remember poor Ned Masher, Mr. ^ Thorton, him as jined the Sonars* them sogers as wears bags for briches ? Well Ned he went to the Chiggerhominy, an' we never heered of him until one blazin' hot night the nex summer when I was a lyin * Zouaves. u MIRACULOUS CURES OF PILES. IIANNUM'S BENATINE" A Painless and Effective Reotedy, and the Most Simple Ever Offered to the Public. Follow the directions and it will not fail to cure. Read these testimonials : — T(»m)NTo, Oct.. 17, 188f.. J M. T llannum it Co., Ottdwu. Ukni'i.kmkn, — 1 Hufferotl from pilos fur tivt until I found your rciiiody, " Uoiiatiiu'." In two wooks I W!i» ontiivly rart'd luid liavr not IxM'ii tnmhlt'd sini-f. Yours truly, K. I'HKNIX, AdvtMtisinj: Ag»>nt Toronto Mail. Ottawa, Nov. 4, 1885. J. M. T. Hannum £ Co., Ottawa. OENTI.KMKN,— I cheerfully add my tostiniony to the value of "Benatine." During four or tive years I was ailing with outward piles for weeks ut a time. In May last one c^ipsule restored nie to health. Yours, &(>., Madame L. Gbatton, Boltou 8t. We can produce any number on application. Should your drugijjist not have it, write and we will attend promptly to your order. FRANK M. HANNUM, J. M. T. HANNUM & CO., General Manager. Proprietors. Hkao Office Ottawa, Canada. Branch Offices -New York, Philadelphia, Newark, N. J., Washington, D. C. i i THE GIlOi^T OF A DOG. 33 in bed an' that resless with the tlies aif the inuskuterH, an' the Boss snorin' I couldn't contain myself no how, when towards inornin' I licars sinnrnat a rattlin' the latch of the back doro. An' 1 gives the Boss a dig in the ribs with myelber' an' sez 1, ' Boss,' sez J, 'there's some of the boys from ^lie printin' office a tryin' to get in to get a drink ; an' I've a grate mine,' sez 1, 'to give 'em a drink out of the wash basin,' sez I ' a comin' rousin' respecterbul fokcs up at this tinuj in the mornin' ! ' * Give to 'em,' sez the Boss, an' I nps with the wash-'and basin, which wus full of suds, an, goin' to the winder, which was open, I gcst euipties it a top of 'em. Lawk-a-mercy ! ef you'd a heer'J the skreech as cum up from below, an' the nise of sunimat fallin' down ; an' a voice, which i knows in a iristent wus Ned Masher's, stammers out, ' (i-o-o-d (t-r-a-s-h-u-s' M-i-8-s-u-s,' sez he, ' I'm d-r-o-w-n-d-e-d,' sez he. An' I an' the Boss runs down quick an gets him on tlic; sofer an' gives him sunnnat 'ot to drink, and him a shakin' wus nur ef he had tlie 'lirrium treird)lins • An', sez I, ' Boss, is lie drunks' An' the Boss sez, ' No,' se;; he, 'he ain't drunk, its some kind of an ager he has,' sez the Boss. An' then Ned, when he cum to hisself a bit, tells us that he had beerj taken wid them shakes a soon as he got to the Chiggerhominy, an' the Doctor sez it wuz chills an' fevers, an' for him 34 THE GHOST OF A DOG. to go hum at wonst. An' he cuinmed. An' if you'd a seen him that summer Mr. Thorton, a sittin' out in the sun an' shakin' till you cud hear his bones rattle like them castin' nets. I never seed the likes of it. He never got over them Chiggerhominies but gest shook, an' shook, an' shook hisself away until by the time he died, there warn't hardly enough of him left to bury. An' so, Mr. Rawson, when I beared you say as you'd been there I was afeered you'd got 'em an' was a goin' to shake yourself to pieces like pore Ned did." " No fear of that. Missus, thank goodness ! " laughed Rawson, as soon as the gravity of the com- pany, which had been greatly disturbed by the land- lady's dissertation on fever and ague, had been partially restored. "Rum customer that friend of yours the Colonel," said a dark, heavy looking man who sat in a corner and had not spoken previously ; " I'd have punched his head if he had cheeked me as much as he did you, Kawson." " Ah, the poor Colonel," said Rawson with a sigh, ^* He was not nearly as ill-mannered as he tried to appear to me at that time. He was doing something which he knew was dishonorable, if not actually dis- honest, and I believe he was purposely rude to me to t! I I *i* ^^^^T •- f X •f>« if*. THE GHOST OF A DOG. 35 try and force a quarrel on me. He was halting between two opinions just then. He wanted to sell the plantation ; but he was half afraid to do so." " Still I think it would have been better to have punched his head, the surly beggar," said the dark man in the corner, with an air of deep conviction. * Or, if you didn't like to punch his head, you ought to have pulled his nose. I certainly should had I been in your place." "And have been shot, or run through the body, for your pains, for the Colonel was a thorough tirc-eater, a perfect master of both sword and pistol and totally oblivious to the meaning of the \^ord fear. No thank you ; I am not exactly a coward, but I hope to leave this world with a whole skin." ** Still, his nose ought to have been pulled for speaking disrespectfully of Canadians," persisted the dark man. '* Very well, Sam, if you think it absolutely neces- sary to defend the honor of your countrymen I shall be happy to give you the Colonel's address and a letter of introduction stating your object," laughed Rawson ; " He still lives in Macon, and I am sure would only be too much pleased to accomodate you." " But, look here," cried Langton interrupting, " this is all very pretty and entertaining about the h ' 36 THE a HOST OF A DOG. polite manners of tlie ' Chivalry ' of the South; bnfc what I want to know is where the dog — and especially the ghost of the dog — comes in. I've heen expecting for the last half-hour that he would suddenly appear from no one knows where, seize the old Colonel by the leg, and give him hydrophobia — although he seems mad enough without that. I insist upon his ghostship being trotted out " " I will come to that part of my tale as speedily as possible,'' replied Hawson, " but 1 iind my story grows upon me a little as 1 tell it, and I must ask your indulgence if it spins out a little longer than I anticipated." *'A11 right, old boy, spin along," shouted the dark man in the corner. '' Trot out the Colonel again, and mind you punch his head this time." *' I shall have to disturb the arrangement of your * raven locks,' Sam, if you don't stop your nonsense and let Rawson proceed," said Archer, '' I am just dying for that dog-story." '' Very well, then," said liawson, " 1 will tell you how 1 got the dog," and settling himself back in his chair he continued tlie story. 4 1 V ! J 7 t ACT 11. 1 t 1 7 HOW RAW80N OBTAINED HIS DOG. FTER leaviog the Colonel I called upon Mr. Scratchpen and asked him to examine the title for me, and have the necessary deeds prepared for next day. He assured me that the Judge's title had been perfect, and that there was not a dollar of mortgage on the property. [ thought he seemed a little reserved, and not quite so pleased as lawyers usually are at gaining a new client ; but his manner did not strike me as strange at the time, that only occurred to me afterwards. The Colonel was punctual to his appointment the next morning, and we rode together to Mount Hough- ton plantation, about seven miles from Macon, reaching it shortly before one o'clock. Our ride was almost a silent one. For some reason known only to himself the Colonel appeared determined that if he could not be polite to me he would, at least, be a little less offen- sively abusive of me than he had been on the previous day ; but, as it seemed almost impossible for him to address me in any language which did not contain at least a sneer, he maintained for the most part a con- r wmmm BOOT and SHOE STORE BOOTS, SHOES, SLIPPERS, MOCCASINS, GLOYES, ETC., IN GEEAT YARIETY. GREAT BARGAINS MAY AT ALL TIMES BE EXPECTED. — This is in reality the — " WORLD'S BOOT& SHOE STORE," — Every one says so — ^^^Call and be your own judge. T. Mc WILLIAMS, 128 Sparks Streets. ^-|< #• 1. .. T^-^ THE GHOST OF A DOG. 39 strained silence, and only made monosyllabic replies to the few questions I put to him about the plantations we were passing and who owned them. " They all belonged to gentlemen a short time ago," he said, in answer to my last question, ** but do not be discouraged, you will soon have some charming neighbors. The plantation we have just passed has recently been purchased by a ' very eminent * corn- doctor, a fellow who, five years ago, used to consider it an honor and a profit to be allowed to wash the then proprietor's feet and trim his toe-nails for fifty cents. He is said to have made his fortune during the war by ' accidentally ' cutting off one or more toes, or fingers, of some of your richest cowards m the North, who. were thus unfitted for service and escaped the draft, I am told that although he has only owned the place ton days, and lias not yet actually taken possession, he has already flooded the country with a new circular- embellished with a woodcut of his purchase, and bearing the address, ' B. O. S. Carver, Surgeon-Chiropo- dist, No. 44,799 Broadway, and llallworth Lodge, near Macon, Ga., lately the residence of ex-Senator Ham- mond,' the latter part of the address being in very large type. Charming acquaintance, cultivate him, he may prove useful in the event of another war. The plantation we are now passing has been bought by an w- 40 TBE GHOST OF A DOG, ex-pack-peddler, who made his money by furnishing- shoddy uniforms to your soldiers. It is said that he intends erecting a cotton factory here, and importing a few white girls from New England to instruct their * ebon-hued ' sisters ; and that he will inaugurate hi& great work by a ^rand ball at which every variety of color in human skin will be represented. It will be a fine opportunity for you to be introduced to the new aristocracy of the vicinity en bloc. There are many more equally charming neighbors, so that you will soon feel yourself perfectly at home." He spoke in his usual bitter, sneering manner ; but when he finished speaking he seemed annoyed at himself for having spoken at all, and lapsed into moody silence for the remainder of the ride. I noticed, how- ever, that several times he scanned me very closely, and seemed about to make some remark but checked himself before he had said anything. Now I confess to having been *^ a bit of a dandy '^ in those days, and had taken more than usual pains with my dress that morning, for I knew I would have to meet the ladies of the household, as their signatures were necessary to the deeds ; and being aware that the Southern ladies were most merciless critics of the costume of anyone " from the North," had arrayed myself in what was considered " the correct thing " X T V T J \ r i. V T J THE GHOST OF A DOG. 41 in New York at that time for a morning call — light colored trousers, white vest, black walking coat, a Panama hat and lavender colored gloves ; I had on also a blue '^ butterfly " tie, in the centre of which was a little butterfly, composed chiefly of small diamonds, of which 1 was rather proud. It nettled me a little to notice that the Colonel — who was dressed in a thread- bare black suit of almost antideluvian cut — frequently looked at my costume as if he wished to find fault with it. We were joined at the plantation by a Mr. Dixon, the Overseer, and the threo of us rode over the lands together. They were certainly in a very neglected state, and the works were in utter ruin. Not a piece of machinery was worth more than its weight as old metal, and I saw at a glance that it would require a large outlay to put the place in good running order. Tte land was, undoubtedly, exceedingly well adapted for growing cotton, and it was quite evident that at the ridiculously low price at which 1 could get it, I could easily recoup myself in two or three years for any outlay I may be required to make, provided I could be sure of getting labor. On this head I did not find Mr. Dixon very communicative. He was evidently imbued with some of the spirit of the Colonel, and looked at me as an intruded who was not to be encouraged ; and h; 42 THE GHOST OF A DOG. although he was seemingly as anxious as his master that I should buy, still he did not appear willing to give me any further information than what he con- sidered absolutely necessary. T had heard a great deal about the difficulty of obtaining labor since the emanci- pation of the slaves ; but as I saw a number of stalwart negroes and negresses about, and as I had great confidence in the "Almighty Dollar " as a motive power, and rather prided myself on being " a manager of men," I decided on buying the place, feeling confi- dent that it would prove even more remunerative than I had anticipated. There was one thing which rather annoyed me, and that was with reference to a house for me to live in. The Overseer's house, a pretty comfortable wooden structure, had been partially burnt at the time of Sherman's march and had never been repaired, so that only two rooms in it were at all habitable ; and the place would require to be almost rebuilt before I could live in it. I, therefore, renewed my proposal to the Colonel to purchase the homestead. " It is not for sale," he said curtly. " The Arm- strong family has lived and died in that house for upwards of a hundred years ; and what is left of the family will keep it as long as they are able to keep a roof over their heads at all." ^ 4- L 1 J k?^* THE GHOST OF A DOQ. 43 •e V- V Nothing more could be said, so I determined to select a good site and build a house for myself, and meanwhile to reside in Macon. I, therefore, informed the Colonel that I was satisfied with the place, and ready to sign the deeds and pay over the money. We turned our horses heads towards the dwelling house, and I noticed that the Colonel grew more and more ill at ease as we approached it ; that he looked more and more frequently at me, and was evidently struggling to compose himself to say something to me which he found it difficult to utter. At last, when we were within a hundred yards of the house, he turned suddenly to Mr. Dixon and said sharply, " Dixon, why the mischief don't you ride on and inform Mrs. Armstrong that we will meet her in the library in ten minutes to sign those papers, if it is convenient to her to see us. Go at once, what are you gaping about ? " Dixon turned an angry glance on him for an instant as if about to reply, then touched his horse with his whip and galloped away. The moment he was gone the Colonel laid his hand on my horse's bridle and stopped him, saying, more politely and evidently with a greater effort to keep calm than he had ever used before in addressing me, " Excuse me one moment, Mr. Rawson, I have a 44 THE GHOST OF A DOG. m word to say to you." He hesitated, struggled with himself for a moment, aud then continued, " I do not wish to be offensive to you, Mr. Kawson, but I must say that from what I have ob red of you I should have thought that you were a young man possessed of some little feeling, I won't say delicacy or retinement, but of common decency, and I was not prepared lor this unfeeling display,! really dujoi oxpoct to see it." " I really do not understand you, •'Oclonel Johns- ton," 1 said. " As to your ooinlr'* of me :<.re little about that, I always feel and act as a gc :t'?ui} i v^ud I wish that older men who make greater pretentions to the title cculd say as much ; I am utterly at a loss to understand what you mean by a want of common decency and unfeeling display." ** Not indecent ! Not unfeeling ! " he almost shrieked, raising his riding whip as if to strike me. " Then what do you mean by this, and this ? " he yelled, pointing with his whip to my gloves pnd tie ; " and all the rest of this vulgar trumpery ? " he con- tinued, with a general sweep of his whip, which took in my whole person. " I call it confoundedly indecent and unfeeling to come decked out in this fashion, like a shopman out for a holiday, or a groom going to see his sweetheart ; flashing your trumpery jewellery and vulgar clothes before ladies bowed by sorrow and ^ . > THE GHOST OF A HOG. 45 -^ . suffering, on an occasion like this, which is as solemn as a funeral to them. I call it indecent and unfeeling. Take 6ff those things," he added fiercely, pointing to my gloves, " Nobody wears gloves like those but a dandy or a jackanapes ; and pull that miserable glass thing out of your tie and put it in your pocket." This was too much. I had managed to keep my temper through all his former insults and abuse, be- cause I had made up my mind, before I met him, that I would not let any impertinence of his prevent my purchasing Mount Houghton, if I could get it as cheap as I expected ; but now this attack on my vanity threw me off my guard, and in a moment I was as angry as he was. ** Look here, Colonel Johnston," I said, " 1 have put up with your insults and abuse because I had determined not to let the drivellings of an old fool turn me from my purpose of buying this place ; but now you have gone too far, and unless you instantly apologize for your ungentlemanly behaviour towards me, I shall ride back to Macon, give up all thought of purchasing Mount Houghton, unless the owners get a sane and civil person to act for them, and at once look out for a plantation the agent of which does not think that the best way to obtain a man's money is to abuse the clothes in which he carries it." I turned my horse 46 THE GHOST OF A DOG. as I spoke and rode down the avenue towards the high road leading to Macon. I had not ridden fifty yards before I heard the clatter of horses' hoofs in hot pursuit, and the voice of the Colonel crying, almost in agony, " Stop — stop — for God's sake, stop ! " I reined up, and in a few seconds he reached me, breathless, wild with excitement and scarcely able to articulate, I never have seen so terrible a face as his presented ; rage, hate, fear, mad- ness seemed to chase each other across it, and I drew slightly back expecting him to strike me. He made no effort to raise his arm, however, but struggled for a few seconds to master his passion and recover articula- tion, then he blurted out in disjointed sentences : "Stop — ^you must not go — two lives — two pre- cious human lives — in your breeches pocket — and I — old fool, old fool— going to sacrifice them. Come back— I'm an old man — foolish — hot tempered — say what don't mean — excuse rudeness. Sir, I — I — ," he drew himself up proudly and with a great effort said, " I apologize, Sir, for my rudeness, a gentleman can do no more than that." What did he mean, was he crazy, or drunk, talk- ing about two lives in my breeches pocket ? No, he was quite sane and had rapidly recovered his compo- sure, so that he was now quite calm. i t Jr- V- 1.4 U. hiU THE GHOST OF A DOG. 47 -• .^- T " Excuse me, Colonel Johnston," I said with a& much irony as I could command, " if I say that all your allusions to my wearing apparel are enigmatical to me, and that I utterly fail to see how I can, in any sense, have two human lives in my breeches pocket." " I trust you will excuse ray hasty temper," he said very calmly, " it has almost sacrificed two^ precious human lives, In that house yonder," he went on, pointing to the building, " lies a boy, a noble boy^ dying by inches from a wound inflicted by a Yankee bullet. He is the last male of his race, and his mother'^ life hangs upon his. Two precious lives suspended by a very slender thread. Nothing can save his life, it is only a question of time when he will die ; but change, luxury, care, may lengthen his life for years, and by the prolongation ol his life we hope to save his mother's. This climate is killing him, his physician told me last night he would not live another month if he remained here. The family has no means of raising a dollar except by the sale of this place. We have waited in vain for months for a purchaser, and if you do not complete your bargain the boy may die before we can find another person willing to buy the plantation. Sir, you have the money about you to purchase this place, will you complete your engage- ment, or will you allow the ill-temper of an old fool to 48 THE GHOST OF A DOG, turn you from your purpose, and sacrifice two precious human lives ?" Wliat could I say, what could I do ? I had never thought about the family at all ; and I felt as much ashamed of myself as if I had done something dishonest or dishonorable, although I really could not see that I had anything to blame myself for. As for my clothes — I would have given a thousand dollars at that moment to have had on my old sutler's dress. " Colonel," I said, " there is no necessity for apology. I regret that I did not know the circum- stances of the family better, and believe me I had not the most remote intention of causing pain or annoy- ance. Let us get this business completed as speedily as possible ; the ladies must be tired of waiting for us. » I extended my hand to him as I spoke, but he •either did not see it, or aifected not to, and we turned our horses heads towards the house again. At the foot of the broad flight of stone steps leading up to the entrance door, stood two servants who took our horses, and the Colonel and I walked up side by side. The library was a very spacious appartment, heavily draped in mourning, which had not been dis- turbed since the death of the Judge ; and as I crossed the «*!•>• 1 4- u KM THE GHOST OF A DOG. 49 4. -ir- n* t. 1 tliresliold of the sombre cliaiiiber and noticed that every person in it, myself excepted, was dressed in the deepest mourning, I felt like a butterfly entering a tomb. The room was somewhat dark, but as my sight became accustomed to it I saw a wan face and an emaciated form stretched on a sofa in the corner^ carefully sheltered from draughts ; and a pale, wan, weary-looking woman bending tenderly over the prostrate figure. No need to ])e told they were mother and son. Nature had set an unmistakable seal of similitude uponboth countenances, and Nature's master,. Death was fast placing his fatal imprint on them also^ At the foot of the couch was a kneeling figure, seemingl}'^ that of a girl, and standing further back were two ladies, evidently the two widowed daughters. These persons, the two lawyers and a couple of negro servants completed the occupants of the room. " This," said the Colonel waving his arm towards me, *' is the person who has purchased the plantation. Everything is completed, I believe, the lawyers are agreed as to the papers and there is nothing wanting^ but the signatures. Margaret," he continued turning to the elder lady, '* you sign here." She took the pen and tremblingly traced her name where his finger indicated, and a tear which would not be stayed fell on C. LEVEQUE'S STOVE DEPOT, AND — line! Factory :o:- FINE ASSORTMENT OF FURNITURE .AlT7^6l3^S 030. lEia^xid. :o: ALL WORK GUARANTEED AND DELIVERED FREE, :o:- 358 WELLINGTON STREET, €. LEVICQUE, Manager, T V 1 _J ' .^ TUB GHOST OF A DOG. 51 X- V the paper slightly blotting the name. The Colonel, as one of the Executors to t/ie Judge's will signed next, and his signature was as bold as his words usually werci alboit there was a little tremor in his fingers, and the mighty flourish with which he finished looked slightly draggled and uncertain. Owing to the conditions of the Judge's will, it was necessary that the signatures of all the children should be attached ; and the deed was next taken to the sofa where the pale, thin youth lay. Very slowly, very feebly and irresolutely the long transparent fi-igers trembled across the page, and it seemed to my excited imagination that death would be the swifter of the two, and arrest them ere they had completed tli ir t-nsk. At last he had finished and sank back exhausted, and the two married sisters advanced and rapidly traced their p mes. Then there was a moments pause and the mother's voice pronounced one word, very low, but clearly and distinctly. " Laura ?" Slowly the crouching figure at the foot of the sofa arose and advanced towards the table, shiv^ering slightly as it did so. One moment she glanced towards her mother, then stepped into the strip of sunlight which fell through a partly opened window athwart the table, and for one instant turned her glance full on me. 52 THE GHOST OF A DOG. In that brief space of time, but a fractional part of a second, my fate was sealed for life. I remember that when 1 was quite a boy I had a shock of electricity administered to me, and '**. threw me otf ray feet. It was not the strength of the shock, for the battery was a weak one, but it was its extreme suddenness and complete unexpectedness which had the effect ; and so it was in the short instant in which my eyes met those of Laura Armstrong turned full towards me for the first time. My Laura from thenceforth, evermore. v\ hat did I see in that face ? Beauty ? Yes ; but not beauty alone. There was something more ; a wondrous something which was not fear, and yet seemed like it ; which was not ghame, Jiiid yet had shame's lialf guilty look ; something there was of pleading and something of entreaty ; and yet, over all these, there wa^ a look of truth, of honesty of purpose and of high courage to carry that purpose out. All was so quick that I was scarcely conscious that I had caught her glance, ere she looked down, drew the paper towards her and prepared to append lier signa- ture. ** One moment, if you please. Miss Laura," said my lawyer, Mr. Scratchpen, staying her liand, with a smile, " The will of the late Judge provides that the V _>/ THE GHOST OF A DOG. 53 i V property shall neither be mortgaged, sold or divided until the youngest child — which is yourself — shall have attained tlie age of twenty-one ; I know that young ladies generally have an objection to telling their ages, but I must ask — it is a mere formality — how old are you ? " She had drawn back into the shadow again, and had grown deathly pale for an instant, but flushed up rapidly, and that curious look I had noticed again flashed for a second in her eyes as she answered, almost inaudibly — " Twenty " Was there another sound ? My listening faculties stretched to their utmost tension could catch nothing more. *' Twenty-one," said the voice of Mr. Scratchpen, very merrily. " Quite correct. I'll keep your secret," he continued turning towards her, " and see that it is not betrayed to any of the young gallants in the neighborhood. And when was your birthday — it is only another formality." " The twenty-eight of September," she answered quite distinctly ; and the date became fixed in my memory never to be effaced. " And to-day is the nineteenth of October," re- joined Mr. Scratchpen. " Quite correct again ; you have nearly a month to spare. Allow me to congrat- 6 4- L. J '' THE GHOST OF A POG. 55 -4- ulato you on having attained your majority, Miss Laura. Be kind enough to sign here, please," and his finger was directed to the spot where the vacant seal awaited her signature. flow long she seemed about it ! Would the stiff, bloodless fingers ever drag the light quill pen over the paper ? Yes, it was done ; and with a sigh she drew back and threw herself once more at the foot of the sofa, with her face hidden in the rug which covered tho wasted limbs of the poor sufferer. Was it fancy, or did a slight sigh of relief escape the bosoms of all present, except my lawver and myself ? " Now Mr. Rawson," chirped out the cheery voice of Mr. Scratchpen, '*your signature, and those of the witnesses, and the business is done." • " I will not sign !" Was it I who spoke ? It was not I who screamed, nor I who uttered a half suppressed oath. I must have spoken, yet I could not have sworn to my own voice, nay, could not have asserted whether I spoke, or whether sound came from my lips without my own volition. For the last few seconds, thoughts had been chasing each othei' through my brain with such lightning-like velocity that to form any consecutive chain was an impossibility, yet all suddenly seemed 56 THE GHOST OF A DOG. clear, and advancing to the centre table, I drew from my pocket — the pocket which "held the lives" — a small roll of ten one thousand dollar United States notes, and spread them out before the lawyers. " I will not sign !" I said again quite clear and loud, and I knew it was my own voice, of my own free will and accord this time. " You're an infernal scoundrel, sir," hissed the Colonel in my ear, "and as soon as I get you outside I'll have much pleasure in spitting you." " I will not sign," I said, for the third time. " I absolutely refuse to be made a party to this swindle ; for it is a swindle, a base, false, shameless swindle, and I will not allow it to be perpetrated. One moment, Colonel," I continued, as he tried to interrupt me, "I will attend to you presently. I could not understand, until a few seconds ago, how so valuable a property could be allowed to go for such a song as I offered for it. Of course, it was not my place to offer to enhance the value of the land which I desired to purchase, but everyone in this room knows as well as I do that this place, even in its present condition, is worth more thau double the amount I have offered for it, and that with a comparatively small amount of outlay would be worth five or six times that sum ; but everybody in the room also knew what up to a few seconds ago I 4- V^ Ji >- i THE OHO ST OF A DOG. 57 did not know — that no legal title for either sale or mortgage can be given until the twenty-eighth day of next September, when — and not until then — Miss Laura Armstrong will become of age." Silence, dead silence, now reigned throughout the room, broken only by a few half-etifled, passionate sobs from the foot of the sofa. " I am perfectly well aware," I went on, " that my title would never have been disputed, and that next yei>.r when Miss Laura becomes of age I would be given a good title ; but 1 will not allow this property to be sold for one-third its value merely because there is a pressing necessity for a certain amount of money at once. I have been told to-dav that I had * two lives — two precious human lives' in my breeches pocket. I have taken them out of it, and I do not intend to put them in again. There they are," and I took the roll cf bills and passed them to Mr. Cranchett, the family lawyer. "1 place that sum in your hands, Mr. Cranchett, as the legal adviser of this family, on the condition that it be applied in precisely the same manner that it would have been had I signed that paper which would have made me the nominal owner of Mount Houghton plantation ; and on the twenty- eighth of next September I will claim a mortgage for the amount, unless some other arrangement can be 58 THE GHOST OF A DOG. made in the meanwhile. I have a proposal to make to you, Mr. Oranchett, which I think will be satisfactory to all parties, and I shall be pleased to have an inter- view with you as soon as convenient. For the present, ladies and gentlemen, I wish you good day," and 1 walked out of the library, quite as much surprised at myself as anyone 1 left behind me could be. As I paused for a moment on the verandah before descending to mount my horse, a heavy hand was laid on my shoulder and I felt myself half turned round to meet the Colonel, who stood facing me. " Mr. Rawson," he said very courteously extend- ing his hand, " will you do me the honor of shaking hands with me ? Thank you. You have raised my opinion of human nature, sir, and disabused my mind of a great deal of what was, perhaps, unjust prejudice. I trust we shall learn to know and esteem each other « better in the future." He passed down the steps towards the horses, whither I was about to follow him when 1 felt a pretty strong tug at the bottom of my trousers, and looking down saw a very pretty little black-and-tan terrier pulling away most industriously. A fondness for dogs, especially terriers, has always been one of my weaknesses ; and stooping I lifted the little fellow in my arms and began to fondle it. W. u W-_- .1. 1 ■ L «F THE GHOST OF A DOG. 59 " What a little beauty this is," I called out to the Colonel, who was just mounting ; " I'd give anything to get as well-bred a dog as this." " Would you ?" said a sweet, soft voice, and Laura advanced towards me from the hall door. " Then would you mind accepting Lucy from me ; she is all ray own and I have two more, and I would be so glad if you would take her ; and, Oh, Vv. Kawson," she cried, " I do want so much to thank you for saving me from an awful sin to-day, for indeed, indeed I would have sworn to anything to have got poor Harold and Mamma away ; and it was so good, and kind, and generous of you — " and the tears came into her bright eyes as she held out her hands tojrards me. I seized them both eagerly and by so doing dropped the little terrier to the floor, where she yelped most vigorously. Laura and I stooped simultaneously to pick up the fallen pet. Our heads almost touched, a stray lock blew across my face, and — •* Mr. Rawson, do you intend riding into town with me ?" called out the Colonel, and in another moment I was in the saddle and on my way back to Macon, with Lucy in my pocket. BETWEEN THE ACTS. HOW THE STORY WAS BEOEIVED. 5URRAH ! Hurrah ! " shouted Archer as Rawson paused, and refilled his pipe which he had held empty in his hand while speaking, " we have got the dog at last ! " " Don't be too jubilant," said Langton, reaching for a match, " it's only a puppy, we'll have to wait for it to grow up, and if it is as long coming to ' years of discretion ' as it has been coming into the story it will be next Christmas before it becomes a ghost." *' Well, boys," laughed Rawson good-humordly — for he knew that Langton and Archer were only chaffing, "you've got me in a confidential mood to-night, and 1 must be allowed to tell my story my own way. It would not hang well together if I gave you only the dog part and left out the rest ; but I'll cut it short if you would prefer it." '' Oh no ! by no means," cried Archer, " we were only chaffing , it's much better as you tell it, and I am getting quite interested in your love affairs. It wouldn't be fair, I suppose, to ask if she became Mrs. Rawson, and you lived happily together for ever after as it always 4-- 4 1 .h TBE GHOST OF A DOG. 61 •f 4/ u m 1. 1 happens to the Prince and Princess in fairy tales." Rawson shook his head sadly and answered, " I did not intend to mention Laura's name when 1 commenced, but, somehow, speaking of the South at all naturally led me to think of her, and I may as well tell you my whole experience in the land of * the salt of the earth.' You will hear in good time how my love affair ended." ** I ifever cud abear them gals as made a fuss about tellin' their hages," said the Missus. "I'm sure I never told no lies about 'ow old I wus ; an' I don't care not the valler of a fardin' who knows I'll be fifty-one cum the day afore next Good Friday, if I lives," and she looked around with a satisfied STnile. " The Missus " had been fifty-five according to the census taken five years before, and " the boys " knew it and smiled quietly, but said nothing. " Rawson ! " called out the dark man in the corner, "give my compliments to the Colonel and say I apologize. J3y Jove, sir, I do. The Colonel is a brick and he was quite right to make you take off those gloves. The idea of a man wearing lavender gloves when he was riding — perfectly ridiculous, you know !" " I don't wonder as how you lused yer tempir with that cantankerous ole thing, Mr. Rawson," re- marked the Missus, "Fur thers sum peple that worritsum ther ain't never no gettin' along with ,1 OTTAWA PLATING WORKS. ■:o:- (iOl(l,SilyeriNickelPlatiii IN ALL THEIR BRANCHES. ■:o:- HE Most Competent Workers Procurable are in charge of our Plating Department. ■:o:- Cruet Stands^ Cake Baskets^ Butter Dishes^ Knives, Forks, Spoons, and every description of Silver Plated Ware made equal to new, at trifling cost. ■:o:- EPAIRING of Plated- Ware, Band Instruments, etc., etc., executed. All work will receive Immediate Attention, and on no account will goods be permitted to leave the Works until they can be warranted in every respect. T. A. cook:. Prop. Ottawa Plating Works. OFFICE: 170 SPARKS ST. (Old Stand). 4 W._, Wl t 4 nil ,w_. x W I TRE GHOST OF A DOO. 63 them ; an' bo I tells the Boss when he comes a tearin' an' a swearin' around. ^ Boss,' sez I, * them as puts bad words outer ther mouths shows they aint got no gooid brains in ther 'eds,' sez I, " an' thet old Colonel must ha' been most aggerawatin' with 'is * Yankee counter-jumpers' an' sich like fuliishness. Thers good an' bad of all sorts in the world, thats' what I sez, an' thers good uns in the dry goods stores as well as elsewheres ; tho' I will say as some on 'em is most purvokin' with ther Autimecasser Oil, an' ther per- fume till they smells that yu ken tell 'em a comin' more'n 'alf a block orf." " Colonel's a brick ! " again shouted the dark man in the corner. "A brick, sir by, Jove! Capital idea that about your breeches pocket." " I'm sure Mr. Clem," said the Missus address- ing the dark man, whose name was Clemments, *' I dunno 'ow yu kin say so, fur grater fuliishness then talkin' about havin' peple in yer trouses pokit I never heer'd, eving if they wus ever so big. An' the trum- pery stuff as they puts in the pokits uv them reddy made pants I never seed the like on, an' they don't bear no wate in 'em at all, but jest busts out like so much paper." " I don't want to hurry you, Rawson," said Thor- ton," but if you have finished your pipe you had better 64 THE GHOST OF A DOG. get on, it is nearly eleven o'clock and we want to welcome Christmas with a jug of punch at twelve, you know." " I'm ready," replied Eawson, and resumed his story. J ACT III. j£ 4- HOW LUCY SAVED HER MASTER'S LIFE. ^N tlie following morning 1 had a long interview with Mr. Cranchett and the Colonel, during which I laid my proposal before them, and it was fully discussed in all its bearings and finally agreed to. What I proposed was that instead of purchasing the plantation I should take charge of it as Overseer and run it for ten years on shares, I to furnish all the money necessary for machinery, etc., and to have entire control of the place. For this I was to receive seven per cent on whatever sum I invested, including the $10,000 1 had already advanced, and one-half of the net profits of the estate. At the expiration of the contract all the permanent improvements in which I ^ d invested were to be appraised, and I was either to tie paid for them in cash or by mortgage for ten years it seven per cent. There was one clause which the Gi)lonel insisted on having inserted in our contract which I did not think (ich of at the time, but which I afterwards bitter repented having allowed. It was to the effect 66 THE GHOST OF A DOG. that after the expiration of one year the Execu:;ors should have the right to cancel the contract by giving me three months notice, and refunding all advances with ten per cent additional ; but if the clause was not taken advantage of within eighteen months, then the contract was to hold good for the whole term. " I do not doubt, Mr. Rawson," said the Colonel, " but that you intend to act with perfect fairness and honesty in this matter ; but you see that unless I, as the Executor to the estate reserve some slight discre- tionary power in my hands, I turn over the entire con- trol absolutely to you, almost an entire stranger ; and I would be neglecting my duty to poor Armstrong's children if I did not take every proper precaution to protect their interests. This is not in anyway intended as an expression of want of confidence ; on the con- trary, I have the highest confidence in you, but acting as I am for others, I must be cautious." The Colonel's manner towards me had underffone a great change since the previous day. He had entirely abandoned his offensive style, and, indeed, treated me with almost studied politeness ; but I felt the change more keenly than I had his previous rudeness. We had simply dropped into what he would have called otir '* proper places." He was the Southern gentleman, polite and almost condescending in his manner towards THE GHOST OF A DOG. 67 J. those below him in the social scale ; and I was ''' the Overseer" who had advanced some money to promote his own interest, ana wlio might be trusted and depend- ed upon to a certain extent, but who must, neverthe- less, be watched and made oecasionably to feel that he occupied a lower rung on the social ladder, and must not presume on his toleration. I cannot say that any words of the Colonel's conveyed this idea. On the contrary, he was polite almost to affability ; had actually dined with meat the Hotel on the previous evening, and had not made a single remark which I could construe as personally offensive. Still, I felt that in a few hours a strong and impenetrable wail had grown up between ns, '' the inexorable law of Caste," and that I was as powerless to either break through or leap over as if I was bound hand and foot. However, I was not in love with the Colonel, thank goodness ; and although I desired to be on as friendly and familiar terms as possible with him, I thought that his influence one way or the other would not be of very considerable moment, if I could only succeed in interesting the feelings of the object of my affections. Yes, it had come to that. 1 knew it then just as well as I know it now, that my first, last and only love was given to Laura Armstrong ; and that if I failed to win ^•1 68 THE GHOST OF A DOG. her there was no woman in the world whom I would care to win. But do not think I was at all silly, or sentimental about my love. Because a new and marvellous feeling had suddenly grown up in my heart, it did not follow that a kindred flame should have been kindled in the breast of the object of my love. I knew that it would take time, years perhaps, before I could hope for any return ; still I was content to wait, and bask in the pleasant flrelight of the glow within me, until such time as I should revel in the broad sunshine of reciprocated love. I soon got affairs into working order on tne plan- tation, had new buildings put up, bought a large quantity of new and improved machinery, and put nearly the whole acreage under cultivation. I found that my only difficulty would be with the negroes. They would not work. Lazy and indolent by nature they insisted upon doing nothing now that the restraint of compulsory labor was removed ; and seemed to think that the Government having given them their freedom, was bound to give them enough to eat and drink and support them in idleness. Most of the best hands had left the plantation and " gone North ;" and those that remained would only work or not as they pleased, and a day or two at a time was as about as much as they could be got to do. The J Mi 'J THE GHOST OF A DOG. 69 moment they had enough to keep them for a few days — and it is wonderful how little monev a neorro can live on — they would stop working, and remain idle until necessity again compelled them to labor. Such an aggravating lot of rascals to get along with I never met ; but I think I should have managed them pretty well had there not been some influence at work against me of which I for sometime remained ignorant. The old plantation negroes seemed to regard me in the same light as the old families did ; that is, as an inter- loper who had no business tiiere, and was only to be tolerated as an evil which could not be got rid of, but who must be always made to feel that he had no right there and was not wanted. My money was taken as if it was a favor to me, or a right to be exacted from me, labor in return was given or not as the laborer pleased ; orders were either obeyed or not at the option of the servant, who seemed to think that he conferred quite a favor if he did what he ordered without being told more than three or four tiir.es. Before I had been six months on the plantation I was sick and tired of the constant strain on me in striving to get thete lazy rascals to work ; and had it not been for one set purpose I would have given up the whole thing, gone back to Canada and have bought a farm where I could have been pretty certain of obtaining 6 70 THE GHOST OF A DOG. good labor so long as I was willing and able to pay for it. I had, however, set myself a task to accomplish, and it needed more than the stubborness, laziness and illwill of a lot of negroes to turn me from my purpose. My self-imposed task was to rebuild the fallen fortunes of the Armstrong family ; to place Mount Houghton once more in the position it had formerly occupied as the best paying plantation in the vicinity of Maco)i, and then — well then I hoped to get my reward, not in money, although I should, of course, be financially benefitted on account of my working the place " on shares,*' but in the regard and esteem, and later on in the love, of Laura. The family had gone away the second day after my signing the contract with the Executors. I had only seen them once, when the old lady thanked me heartily and kindly for providing the means of "saving poor Harold's life," as she expressed it ; and hoped that I would be successful in my endeavours to work the plantation profitably, but she had no great hopes of that now that the means of working it — the slaves — had been taken away. She and Harold were to go to Maderia for a year, the doctors having recommended that salubrious climate as the one most likely to im- prove his health ; and the three daughters were to live with a cousin in New Orleans during Mrs. Armstrong's absence. 4 i& THE GHOST OF A DOG, Tl 4 \.-. I I bad a few minutes talk with Laura, and she was very kind and affable ; but I was not foolish enough to flatter myself with the idea that she entertained any kinder feeling towards me than that of gratitude to the man who had done a kindly action to her family. She thanked me very prettily for what I had done, and told me frankly that the whole family and my own lawyer had entered into a conspiracy to get the money which alone could save the mother and son, from the first stranger who was unacquainted with the fact that she was not of age ; and that they had intended to give new title deeds as soon as she could legally sign them. ^* Everybody in the South is ruined," she said ; " We could not get a dollar from the Banks because they knew we could not give them a mortgage, and mother and Harold would die while they were waiting for me to come of age. 1 know it was \Qry wicked to say I was twenty-one when I was not, but I would have done anything — yes, anything, stolen even, I be- lieve — to have got the money to save them. You must not think badly of me, Mr. Rawson, because I told a story, for we never meant to cheat you, and you would of had a good title given you when I came of age; but we couldn^t wait — we couldn't — couldn't — and it seemed as if Providence had sent you here just on purpose." ■p H i'! UNRIVALLED LIST —OF— PIANOS&ORBANS Steinway A Nous. Cbickerlng d^ Sons. Haines Bros. £rnesl G abler. SQUARES, UPRIGHTS GRANDS. EIste3r cfc Oo., Org-efcie :o:- PRICE IIST AND DESGKIPTIVK €4TALO»lie OF TttE ABO¥B MAKERS SENT FREE OX APPLICATION. -:o: We have also a variety of SECOND-HAND PIANOS, Ranging in price from $50.00 upwards, which we offer on the most Liberal Terms. Illustrated Catalogue Sent on A. & S. NORDHEIMER, Toronto and Montreal. Branches: OTTAWA, LONDON, KINGSTO.^, HAMILTON. \*i— THE GHOST OF A DOG, 73 4 i "' Yes," I replied, " I suppose Providence did send me, and 1 feel very greatly obliged to Providence for the favor she has done me. Believe me. Miss Laura, I am extremely happy to think that I have been able to be of some service to your family, and I sincerely trust that the health of your mother and brother may soon be entirely restored. " Oh, no," she said sadly, '* that will never be ! Poor Harold, you may have saved him to us for a year or two, but he will never recover. The doctors said he would not live a month if he remained here, and we were afraid that if he died we should lose mother too. She has been ill ever since father died, and we are afraid that Harold's death would kill her if it occurred while she is as weak as she is now. I trust you will be comfortable here when we are gone," she continued, changing the subject. ^' Cousin Charles," that was the Colonel, "has promised to see to it, and, of course, you will occupy this house while we are away. The Overseer's house, as you see, was burnt by those wretches of Yankees, and we were too poor to re- build it." I could not help wondering what she would have thought had she known that I was not only with those " wretches of Yankees," but that I was actually present at the fire, and that it was at that time I made up my ^ u THE GHOST OF A DOG. mind to purchase the place after the close of the war, if I could get it cheap enough. " That is a little beauty of a dog you were kind enough to give me," I said presently. " She is growing quite fond of me already." " Oh, is she ! Fan had three such lovely little pups, and I am going to take her and the two that are left with me to New Orleans. You must take lots of care of Lucy for she has been spoiled a little bit already > and you must give her some chicken bones, I gave Dan and Tucker, the other pups, a bone each to-day > and it was such fun to see them trying to pick it." I promised that Miss Lucy should be duly supplied with all the chicken bones she required, if it involved the destruction of every chicken in the South to satisfy her appetite ; and after a word or two more she bade me " good-bye," shaking hands heartily, and went to superintend the arrangements for the intended departure. I soon settled down into a quiet, hum-drum life, working hard all day and spending my evenings for the most part alone reading, for I did not care to associate with my new neighbors of the corn-doctor and pack-peddler class, and the old families did not care to associate with me ; so between the two I was left pretty much to myself. The Colonel rode out occa- •t- •M -A M m / 4 t It THE GHOST OF A DOO, 75 sioDally to view the improvements I was making, and generally dined with me ; but although he was quite affable nothing like friendship or intimacy sprung up between us. He kept me in my ** proper place " as he would have termed it, and I resented the implied superiority and did not try to make our relationship towards each other go any further than that of mere business acquaintances. He introduced me to a few of the Squires of " the old stock " — the Colonel never spoke to any of the new comers at all— as, '* Our new Overseer, Mr. Rawson," and I felt that J was put in my " proper place " at once by them, and never tried to cultivate their acquaintance. So more than a year passed. My improvements worked well. The first crop had been excellent, con- sidering the difficulties I had had in getting labor ; and the second crop promised to be more than double the first, so that from a business standpoint everything seemed promising well. In my love affairs I had, of course, made no progress ; but I had heard of Laura frequently — far more frequently than I had at first supposed I would. The Colonel occasionally received a letter from one of his cousins, and never failed to inform me of the event, and that "the ladies were all well," precisely as he conveved the same information to the butler and .1 ■ i ' 76 THE GHOST OF A DOG. the housekeeper ; but 1 had a better source of informa- tion than the Colonel, and I was kept much more intimately acquainted with the movements of " the young ladies " than any one suspected. During the early part of tlie occupation of New Orleans I was sutler to one of the regiments quartered there, and became acquainted with a young lawyer, to whom, it chanced, I was able to extend several little courtesies. We had kept up a desultory sort of corres- pondence since, and as soon, therefore, aa Laura had gone to New Orleans 1 began to be more prompt and regular with my letters to Hari'ison, thinking that as he was a member of an old Southern family he would, probably, meet my Laura, if she went much into society. It happened that Harrison was very well acquainted with the Andovers, with whom Laura and her sisters were staying, and I seldom received a letter from him which did not contain some mention of " the Armstrong girls," as he usually styled them. From him I learned that they seldom went into society, received but few visitors and made no new acquain- tances, so that my mind was partly relieved from the fear of a possible rival. I received two letters from Mrs. Armstrong from Madeira, one on her arrival, and another about a year later, telling me that Harold had recovered wonder- t i^i %» t i- M« A THE GHOST OF A DOG. 77 fully and that they expected to be home in December, and giving some directions about domestic arrange- ments she wished me to have made. The coming liome of the family caused my removal from " the great house," as the darkies call it, to the Overseer's house which I had re-built and furnished comfortably, and into which I moved a couple of weeks before the family returned. I have mentioned that I thought 1 could have got on better with the negroes had it not been for some influence being at work which I did not discover for a long time. I had noticed that some of the negroes — especially those most attached to the family — seemed to have a particular dislike to me, for what reason I could not discover until I found it out by accident one evening shortly after 1 moved into the Overseer's house. The occupancy of this house was shared with nie by Dixon, the former Overseer, whom I had retained as an assistant, finding him a useful fellow, but rather given to making too free with the negroes. Dixon and I had got on very well together, and I was, therefore, very much surprised one evening while smoking a pipe on the verandah to overhear part of a conversation between two negroes, which caused me to suspect that he had been secretly prejudicing the old hands against me by stating some absurd stories to 78 THE GHOST OF A DOG. my discredit. I determined to investigate the matter, and, after a few days' enquiry, was amazed to hear the number and variety of tales which had been circulated amongst the negroes about me, most of which I could trace, directly or indirectly, to Dixon. I found that I was a defaulting Army Paymaster ; that I had three wives in various parts of the Northern States ; that I had been three years in Sing-Sing prison for burglary ; that I had been horsewhipped in Washington for insulting the wife of a Congressman ; that I had been in jail in Richmond for forgery ; that I had been lynched in Texas for horse stealing, and was cut down by my confederates before I was quite dead, and half a dozen other stories quite as ridiculous. The two lies which turned the darkies most against me were that I was the man who had given Harold Armstrong the wound from the effect of which he was dying ; and that I had forced the Judge's widow to sign a paper giving me entire control of the plantation, and that I was robbing the family " right and left " for my own benefit. I was perfectly astonished at what I heard ; and it now recurred to me that the Colonel's manner had grown somewhat colder and stiffer towards me of late, and that on two or three occasions it had appeared to me as if some of my acquaintances in Macon -1- I k.. r ■r I THE GHOST OF A DOG, 79 had been inclined to be less civil to me than formerly. Of course, they had heard some of these absurd stories, and I certainly could not blame any man who had heard half as much about me as I had in the two days I was making enquiries, for evincing a desire to drop my acquaintance. At first I could think of no cause or reason for Dixon's rascally conduct ; but suddenly that clause in the contract, of which he was perfectly well aware, occurred to me, and the whole thing was clear. The condition of the plantation had changed wonderfully during the time I had had control of it. The first crop had been excellent, tjonsidering the small quantity of land I could get under cultivation, on account of the difficulty I had had in getting the negroes to work, and the present crop promised to be nearly three times as great as the first. The buildings and machinery were worth every cent I had expended on them, and the whole place was in such good condition that any Bank in Georgia would willingly advance enough money to repay all I had expended ; and I remembered that Laura was of age now, and a good mortgage could be executed. I saw quite clearly that Dixon's object was to get the Colonel so prejudiced against me that he would claim his reserved right to break the contract, and then 80 THE GHOST OF A DOG. Dixon would be reinstated in his old place as Overseer: and 1 cursed nij folly in ever having consented to the insertion of that clause at a time when I could have * forced the Colonel to do pretty much as I pleased. I determined to have a talk with tlie Colonel on the subject at once ; but thoui^ht that it would be only fair to Dixon that I should speak to him first about the matter, and as I had sent him to Atlanta on business which would detain him a few days I concluded to wait for his return before speaking to the Colonel. Early in December the family returned home. Mrs. Armstrong and Harold had gone to Kew Orleans to join the girls, and they all came home together. Harold had certainly improved wonderfully in health, and, although he would never be strong, appeared as if he might live many years. His mother had entirely recovered^ and seemed to have taken a new lease of life on a long term. What can I say of Laura ? She was more beauti- ful than over, and I felt almost sick with happiness as she shook hands warmly with me, and complimented me on looking so well after all the hard work I must have had. " And that is Lucy, I suppose," she exclaimed seeing my dog, which had followed me. " Oh my, how she has grown ! Why, I should never have known her." THE GHOST OF A DOG. 81 Considering the fact that the dog was only six weeks old when she last saw it, and that it was now nearly sixteen months old, and had been the proud mother of three pups, that was not surprising. This mention of Lucy reminds me that for a dog story there has been remarkably little dog in this one so far ; but do not get impatient, you will have enough of the dog bye and bye. Lucy had been a great comfort to me the past year — yes, a real, genuine comfort, that is tlie word. In the first place, she was Laura's gift, the only one, perhaps, I would ever have from her, and I prized her dearly on that account ; and in the next place she was the most intelligent little dog I ever saw, and, I really believe, understood every word I said. I used to have long conversatio <^ with her, for in my loneliness I was often glad of even a dog to speak to ; and although she could not reply to me in words, her actions frequently convinced me that she understood all that I said to her. Of tricks I had taught her a great many, and she was very fond of performing them ; for, after the manner of her sex, she was vain, and highly appreciated admiration. She was a far greater favorite with the negroes than I was, and they never tired watching her clever tricks, de- claring of her, as they do of monkeys, that she could talk if she wanted to, but would n jt for fear she would P%M% IMPORTER AND DEALER IN — ^fi. 8 eaeket for it i! T -4^ THE GHOST OF A DOG. 85 to repose in, that was the fate 1 mentally determined on for that pretty little toy, as I carefully put it away in my pocket, pressing it against my heart and with difficulty repressing the desire to cover it with kisses. And so she had thought of me while she was away? Not only thought of me, but had deigned to work a precious little gift for me with her own beauti- ful lingers ! The thought was delightful, and I turned it over and over in my mind for days after. Fool that I was. " The young ladies " had made up some little present for every servant in the house. It was a cus- tom in the family, had been for generations, for the younger members when away on a visit to work some trifling thing or other for each of the house servants as a pleasant menr.ento of their coming home. Had not she made a dresi^ for the housekeeper, and 9 comforter for the butler, and a warn, knitted cap for the groom j and as she could not very well present me with a knitted shirt or a pair of socks, she had made a cigar case for the head servant, the Overseer, that was all. But I did not know that then, not until long after, and T lived in my fool's paradise for some weeks, look- ing at and admiring the pretty thing, showing it to Lucy ct?Ml talking to her about it until I am sure the dog must have been sick and tired of hearing the words '' Laura's cigar-case." 86 THE GaOST OF A DOG. About the end of the week Dixon came back and I " had it out with him," ending in giving him notice to quit the plantation at the end of the year. Of course, he denied having circulated the stories about me ; but my evidence on that point was too clear for doubt, and I told him he ought to consider himself lucky that I did not give him a good thrashing to take along with his discharge. He laughed insolently at that and muttered some threat which 1 did not quite catch ; then he said ^hat as I had dismissed him without cause he would not remain another hour on the plantation, so I paid him off at once, and he went to Macon, where he put up at the same hotel I had staid at on my arrival in the town. Time slipped away v ry quickly after Dixon left, for I had his work as well as my own to do and I was kept so busy that it was Christmas Eve before I knew it was so near. It had been one of the " customs " of the family to have a grand gathering of all its members at the old homestead on Christmas Day ; but the war, the death of the Judge, and the absence of many members of the family during the war had interfered with custom, and there had been no gathering for tive years. This ytar, however, the custom was to be revived, and THE GHOST OF A DOG. 87 the house was already filled with aunts, uncles, cousins and other relations, while more were expected the next day. It was a sad evidence of the terrible struggle the South had gone through, to notice that there was scarcely a young man present, only boys and old men, and many of them bore the marks of conflict on their persons. I had promised to spend the evening with the Armstrongs and assist Laura with the decoration of the rooms, and I, therefore, strolled up to the house soon after sundown. There was to be a Christmas tree on which would be hung presents for all the servants, as well as le guests, and " the Overseer" was in great demand for standing on tables to reach high places, for tacking down floor-cloths and tying up wreaths, and for a liundred other little jobs of a like nature. However, although I was only " the Overseer," and was made conscious of it once or twice during the evening, 1 confess that I thoroughly enjoyed myself that nighty and could scarcely believe my watch when I looked at it and found that it was eleven o'clocic and time to go. 1 stood on the verandah for a moment admiring the night, which was beautifully calm, bright and mild ; and Laura came out to remind me about some flowei's I had promised to send into Macon for in the morning ,— ^ 88 THE GHOST OF A DOG. to be used in decorating the church our party was to attend. " I am really very much obliged to you, Mr. Eawson," she said, " for all your help this evening. I am sure I do not know what we should have done without you, for Harold is not strong, and we have no young men left in the South now. Please do not for- get," she added, with a smile, " the wreath of mistletoe you promised to get me to hang in the drawing room. It would never do to be without ' the mistletoe bough ' on Christmas night. Don't you think so ? Good night,'' and with a laugh she ran into the house. What did she mean ! Was it a challenge ! I could scarcely credit my senses ; and yet, she had been very kind and friendly in her manner to me since she came home. Could it be possible that she w^as getting to like me a little, that she was beginning to think of me less as " the Overseer " and more as a young and not ill-looking gentleman ? The thought almost set me wild with hope, and I scarcely touched the earth as I walked home. I did not walk. I floated home in a gigantic cigar case made of bark, silk and beads, drawn by a host of turtle doves, and I was only awakened from my ecstacy by a sharp bark from Lucy, who had run a little ahead of me as we went home together. She had jumped on t ■• THE GHOST OF A DOG. 89 J the verandah and was nearly opposite the window opening out of my bedroom when she barked, and ahnost at the same moment I saw a dark figure start across the piece of yard which lay between my house and the outbuildings. " Who are you ! Stop or I'll fire," I shouted, drawing my revolver, but before J could pull the trigger the figure had disappeared round the corner of the mill and nothing was to be seen. '• Some prowling nigger seeing if there was any little thing he could pick up,,' I thought as I entered my bedroom window. " It is lucky that I locked things up carefully, or they would not leave me a rag to wear. They are afraid to break locks, that's one comfort, so I don't suppose there is much gone.'' Nothing appeared to have been disturbed in the room when I examined it alter lighting the lamp, only I noticed that the door of a closet in which I kept some clothes and a few other traps was open, and 1 felt confident that I had locked it before I went out. On examination of the lock, however, showed that it had not been forced and the key was in it, as I must have left it. A hasty search amongst the clothes satisfied me that they had not been disturbed, and I was turning away when Lucy's actions again attracted my attention. She was trying to make me understand I' OUR USUAL XMAS SALE IS NOW GOING ON. A LARGE STOCK OF rs. :o: A :o:- Harris & Campkll, T ■• J O'CONNOR STREET. THE GHOST OF A DOG. 91 " .i something about the closet, but I could not exactly comprehend what she wanted to tell me. " What is it, old woman ! " I asked her. " Did he go in there ? " for I felt sure now that the man had been in my room and that Lucy had seen him. She barked, nodded her head, wagged her tail and told me " Yes " as plainly as if she had spoken. " All right," I said. " He did not take anything, so we will go to bed." Still she appeared unsatisiied and kept near the closet, so I looked in again. This time 1 noticed that a bottle of brandy which I kept at the back of the top slielf, was on the lower shelf, and had apparently been hastily placed there as it was near the edge, and the cork was only lightly placed in the mouth of the bottle. " Oh," I said to Lucy, " you saw him take a drink, did you ? " She barked, nodded and wagged her tail in reply, and 1 went on, " well, if that is all he took he is welcome to it. He need not have run the risk of being shot for a drink he could have had for the asking, but that is his business. It a little cool to-night, so I think I'll follow his example, and then we will go to bed. old girl, for we have to be up early to-morrow." I poured some of the brandy into a tumbler, added some water from a pitcher on the table, and drank it oS.. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 La 12.8 12.5 US Ui 1^ §2.2 US u 14.0 I IMIi 2.0 U IIIPS III 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" ► HiotDgra{M] Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STREIT WIBSTIR.N.Y. MSSO (716) •72-4503 '^ %i io 92 THE GHOST OF A DOG. ** Pah I " I exclaimed as I drew my breath and tasted what I had drunk, " that lazy nigger of mine has filled the pitcher from the pond again, I will certainly have to discharge him this time, he has played me that trick too often." It was one of the duties of the boy who waited on me to go to the spring, about a quarter of a mile from the house, every night after eight o'clock and bring me a pitcher of cool water, but two or three times the lazy rascal had filled it from a little stagnant pond in the mill yard, instead of going to the spring. Lucy still seemed dissatisfied about something, but as I could not make out what she was trying to get me to understand, I made her jump into bed, for, of course* she slept with me. I lighted a pipe and sat down to read for a few minutes, having first taken Laura's cigar-case from the drawer in which I kept it pending the arrival of a crystal casket 1 had ordered from New York, and laid it on the table beside me to admire and dream over, as I had done every night since I had had it. Somehow I felt most unusually drowsy, and thinking that I had, probably, put too much brandy in the tumbler, I undressed and got into bed. Almost immediately I fell into a deep sleep, broken by fearful outlines of dreams which gradually took ^ 1 4^ ->- k i THE GHOST OF A DOG. 93 mm ^v form and shape, and I knew that I was in the infernal regions. Dark masses of vapor rolled before me, broken here and there by sharp flashes of blue and red lightning ; the constant roar and crackling of flames sounded in my ears and great gleams of fire lighted up the musky atmosphere in occasional fitful gusts ; the sharp, loud cries of lost spirits resounded through the air ; dozens of little imps were dancing on my chest and stuffing hot balls of cotton into my nose and mouth. Then the scene changed in an instant. All was calm and quiet save the gentle plash of water and the faint flnttering of wings. I was Prometheus chained to his rock, and I could see the vultures hovering over me then they swooped down on me, and i could feel them snapping pieces of flesh from me with their long hook- like bills, only they did not tear out my vitals, but- snatched large fragments from my neck and shoulders. At last one huge, voracious monster seized me by the cheek and seemed to tear the whole of it away, and then — I awoke. Awoke to find the mosquito netting around my bed, the bed clothes and the whole room on fire, while the snapping and roaring of the flames outside told me that the entire building was in the deadly embrace of the Fire King Awoke to find my faithful little Lucy, bathed in perspiration and every hair on her body erect with fear, biting and scratching like a mad dog in her efforts to arouse me from that 94 THE GHOST OF A DOG. sleep which in a few seconds longer would have been death. Fortunately my bed was near the open window, and seizing Lucy in my arms I sprang through it, cleared the railing of the verandah at a bound, and landed unhurt on the grass beyond, saved from a cruel death by my faithful little dog ! One instant I pressed her to my heart and kissed and hugged her, while tears of gratitude rolled down my cheeks, and then 1 put her down and turned towards the house to see if anything could be saved. At the same moment a thought flashed across my mind, and I exclaimed " Laura's cigar case ! " and took a step towards the burning building : but it was madness to think of entering that seething mass of flames, and I drew back with a groan of despair at my loss. At that instant I saw something small and black jump on the verandah and rush through the window into the burning room. It was Lucy, She had heard my cry " Laura's cigar-case," and had at once gone to get it. Just then the smoke in the room lifted a little, and I saw Lucy on the chair by the table, saw her seize the cigar-case in her mouth and turn with it to jump down — then a great billow of flame swept across the ^, TEE 0H08T OF A DOG. 95 room, I heard one loud, sharp scream of agony which sounded almost human, and I fell senseless on the grass. My brave little Lucy had saved my life, and lost her own. -^ WESTERN DRY AIR REFRIGERATED J:. -GO TO- STAR SHOPS, WELLINGTON WARU MARKET. i. Abattoirs, Refrigerators, Shops and System of Deliveiy Complete. BETWEEN THE ACTS. X X SOME REMARKS ON THE INTELLIGENCE OF DOGS. LEVER dog ! Deuced clever dog ! " said the dark man in the corner, as Rawson paused for moment in his story. " I hope she left some pups, Rawson, I would like to have one." " I am afraid I shall not be able to oblige you Clemments," replied Rawson. " I have often wished to have one of Lucy's pups, but the only one of the three she had that lived was in the possession of a person I could not ask a favor of, as events turned out." " Now," said Thorton triumphantly, " I suppose you fellows will be a little less sceptical about the intelligence of dogs. You see that dog of Rawson's hnew that something wrong was going on, and told him all about it." ** No. Not quite all," replied Rav/son. " You will see as my story goes on that there was something else which Lucy was intelligent enough to have noticed "and tried to tell me ; but I was not intelligent enough to understand her, and my not understanding her nearly cost me my life, and lost her to nie." 98 THE GHOST OF A DOG. *' You actually believe then," said Archer, *' that dogs can notice things and understand them, just as we can ? " " Of course I do. Lucy saw something in my room that night which 1 do not say she understood — indeed I should rather think that she did not under- stand it ; but it was something which struck her as strange, and I believe she wanted to know what 1 thought about it, and asked my opinion in her language, and it was my want of intelligence not hers which prevented my comprehending her." •^ By Jove," interrupted Clemments, ** let us all learn the dog language, it can't be harder to master than Chinese." "If men would only study dogs, and other animals, and also birds, as closely as they study men we would learn to comprehend what they mean much better than we do," said Rawson. '* Well, I've no desire to study Dog Latin," said Langton, " nor to discover how to talk to * birds, beasts and reptiles.' Mrs. Eve tried that in the garden of Eden and made a mess of it." " I alwers did think them niggers nasty beasts," said the Missus, " an' to think uvthet dirty brute a fetch- in' water fur y'u to drink outer thet pon' where the ducks an' geese wur a messin' about. It's a wonder it J 0. X THE GHOST OF A DOG. 99 J X hadn't a turned yer innards insides out. I know thet water as hes been standin' fur ever so little alwers gives me thet turn in the stummic thet Pm obleeged to take a drop of suinniat 'ot to contrehact it. I'd a give thet boy a good bastin', if I'ad a been y'u, Mr. Rawson, fur it's a wonder y'u didn't get the Colliery morpus arfter drinkin' the lilthy stuff." " It was not the boy's fault that night, Missus," replied Rawson, " he brought the water all right enough, it was something else was wrong, not the water. Bnt I had better hurry up and finish ray story for it is getting near twelve. SMALL-POX Can be Removed. -:o:- LEON &D CO., (London) Perfumers to H. M. the Queen. Have invented and patented thj world-renowned 'obliterator; Which removes Small- Pox Marks of however long standing. # The application is simple and harmless, causes no inconvenience and contains nothing injurious. Price, $2.50. SUPERFLUOUS HAIR. Leon compensated for many of the slights 1 considered I had received. The Colonel was the only person who did not ajpear to sympathize with me ; but treated me with a cutting coolness which was hard to bear. " This is a very bad business, Mr. Rawson," he said with icy civility. " The non-renewal of those policies of Insurance was a great oversight. I shall expect you to call at my office to-morrow and explain matters to me fully," and he turned from me and entered into conversation with the Manager of the THE GHOST OF A DOG. 103 r\ I IX Macon Bank who had come out to offer assistance to the family. I felt terribly hurt at the Colonel's manner ; but what struck me as most curious was that he should know that the policies of Insurance had not been renewed, for I had not mentioned that to anyone. I noticed too that most of the gentlemen who came from Macon knew that the policies had expired. Surely the Insurance Agent could not have told all these people of the lucky escape his Companies had had ; how came it then that so many of them knew that the property was uninsured ? Just then I looked towards the door- way and saw Dixon standing in it, staring at me like one who imagines he sees a visitor from another world. In an instant the truth flashed upon me. He it was who had spread the report about the non-renewal of the policies, for he knew when they expired as well as I did, and had, probably, learned from the Agent the previous day that they had not been renewed ; he it was, I now felt sure, who had visited my room on the previous night and drugged my brand;"^ — for I was certain now that it had been drugged, and that what Lucy could not make me understand was that she saw the man put something into the bottle, as well as take something out ; he it was whom I had seen cross the yard, and whose figure seemed familiar even in tliat 104 THE GHOST OF A DOG. "" brief moment ; he it was who had fired the Overseer's house, making sure that I would be so stupified by the opiate that I would not awake, and there he stood now at the door with drooping jaw, staring eyes, trembling limbs and palid cheek, gaziug, wonder-struck, at the man whom he had doomed to certain death, and whose blackened remains he expected to be told had been recovered from the ruins of the house. With two long strides I crossed the room to his side, and seizing him by the throat cried, " You infernal villain. It was you who drugged my drink and fired the house in which 1 lay stupified last night. I recognised your figure as you crossed the yard." Everyone in the room turned towards us, and crowded around us as we stood glaring at each other, my erip tightening on his throat while he stood ghastly and trembling with fear. In a second or two he recovered suflScientlv to endeavor to shake himself free ; and then, as his courage partially returned, he said with a sickly uttempt at a smile : " The man is mad, or drunk ! I did not leave my hotel in Macon after eight o'clock last night, until seven o'clock this morning when 1 heard of the fire. I was playing cards in my own room until nearly midnight^ iy- TEE GHOST OF A DOG, 105 as several gentlemen present can prove, before which time I am informed the house, seven miles distant, was burnt." I released my hold and stepped back p.mazed. Could this be true ? Could I have been mistaken ? Was it possible that the sudden thought which had flashed across my brain with all the force of inspired truth was erroneous, and that I had done this man a cruel wrong by charging him with so foul a crime ? No ! Every sense told me the thought was the truth, and his own craven face showed that I was right. But I well knew that he would scarcelv have ventured to make the assertion he had — so easily susceptible of proof as it was — without some means of backing up his lie with good circumstantial evidence. I remembered the old saying that '' a lie well told, and carefully backed up by good circumstantial evidence, often prevails against the truth," and 1 determined to keep cool, and act cautiously. " You will have ample opportunity to prove your «Z^^^," I said, " for I intend laying an information against you for arson and attempt to murder. Mr. Harthraw," I continued turning to the President of the Bank, *' you are a magistrate, may I trouble you to take my deposition and to issue a wairant for this man's arrest?" 106 THE GHOST OF A DOG, " One moment Rawson," said the gentleman I had addressed, " I think there must be some mistake here. Everyone I have spoken with on the subject seems to agree as to the time the lire was discovered — and it would appear that it had been burning some time then — and the hour is fixed at from half past eleven to a quarter to twelve, certainly not later than a quarter to twelve. Now at precisely that time, a quarter to twelve, Mr. Dixon was, to my personal knowledge, in his own room at the hotel with Muchison, Blackmore, Thornton, Bailey and myself. 1 am quite certain as to the time, for when the clock on the mantel piece chimed three quarters I expressed some surprise at its being so late and looked at my watch, which I found to be two minutes slow by the church clock which chimed almost at the same minute." A smile of triumph stole over Dixon's face, and I Loticed that two or three of the gentlemen drew away from me a little as the Bank President ceased speaking. *• Did you notice the hour hand of your watch, Mr. Harthraw ? " I asked. '' Or did you merely glance at the minute hand, as people often do when looking to see if a watch is right or not ? " " You would make an excellent Barrister, Mr. Rawson," he replied coldly. " i could not swear positively that I did look at the hour hand ; but I can THE GHOST OF A DOG. 107 swear positively that I heard the clock on the mantel piece strike twelve, just as we were leaving the room, for 1 counted the strokes." " Clocks are not infallible," I said, *' and have been known before now to be made to bear false witness in order to gain a point. However, as you gentlemen seem so positive about the time " — for both Bailey and Blackmore, who were present, corroborated Harthraw's statement — " I must, perforce, admit that the evidence appears to be against me at present ; but I am perfectly certain that that man was in my room aboat half-past eleven last night, at the very time you say, hy his clocks he was seven miles away. 1 am not satisfied that I am mistaken ; but I will endeavour to find out whether that clock told the truth or not before I make any further charge." "It would be wise of you to do so, sir," thundered the Colonel. " A more infamous charge against a gentleman of standing and respectability I have never heard proffered." " I shall make my charge at a more fitting time and place, never fear," I answered hotly. " And as for the gentleman his chief claims to that character appear to rest on his attempts to injure my reputation and to take my life." " You forget yourself strangely, Mr. Rawson,'^ 108 THE GHOST OF A DOG. said Mr. Hartkraw in his stifEest and most formal man- ner, " in persisting in this ridiculous charge after you have my word and that of two other gentlemen pre- sent, that it is an utter impossibility that Mr. Dixon could have been in your room at the hour you name, as at that time he was with us, seven miles away ; and you still more strangely forget yourself, sir, when you make a wild, impossible charge of arson and attempted murder against a kSouthern gentleman. Mr. Dixon is one of us, sir," and he rather ostentatiously crossed the room and took Dixon's arm. I had indeed forgotten that Dixon was a Souther- ner ; and although he had not hitherto been so fully acknowledged by the representatives of the old families as *' one of them," still I knew that in any question of truth or honor between us two, they would to a man support him. I was standing quite alone now, all the men hav- ing clustered round Dixon, and the ladies having withdrawn to one end of the room. I determined that I would at once go into Macon and make my charge before the Mayor, who was a '* Carpet Bagger," and would be only too glad of an opportunity to arrest one of the " Southern gentry," who had treated him with no small amount of contempt. Before leaving the room, however, I crossed to THE GHOST OF A DOG. 109 where Mrs. Armstrong sat and asked to be excused from keeping my engagement for dinner, pleading that business connected with the fire would detain me in Macon. She accepted the excuse, but hoped I would be able to conclude my busmess in time to return for the evening. I was about to frame another excuse, when Laura came forward and said, "Oh, you must come for the evening. You know you promised to help me with the Christmas tree, and I should not be able to get on at all without you. You must come ; and try to get here before seven, so that we can finish the tree while the others are at dinner." I could not resist her invitation and promised to return, although I anticipated spending anything but a pleasant evening, after my scene with Dixon. 1 had several reasons for wanting to go to Macon, not the least of which was the necessity for getting some clothes, if I could find a clothier obliging enough to open his shop on Christmas Day : for I had escaped in my night-dress, and had been forced to temporarily borrow some clothes from Harold, which were ridicu- lously small for me. This, however, was but a secondary consideration ; I had much more important business to attend to in Macon. I rode direct to the hotel at which I had put up ONTARIO CARRIAGE FACTORY, R. SHORE, Proprietor, Manufacturer of all Descriptions of Fine Carriages ALL WORK WAKBANTED. CHARGES MODERATE. Repairing done ivitli Neatness and Despatoli* 233, 235, 237, 239 QUEEN STREET, OTXATSTA, OlSTT. J^ THE GHOST OF A DOG. Ill when I first arrived in Macon, and at which I knew Dixon was now staying. The landlord was one of the most " unreconstructed " Southerners I ever met, but he and 1 were very jsjood friends, and I hoped to get some information from him as to what time Dixon's card party broke up the night before. " Goodness Gracious, Mr. Rawson ! " he exclaimed, as I rode up," " Is it you o. your ghost ? " ** It is all that is left of me," I replied, laughing, *' What are you surprised at ?" "At seeing you," he answered. "I heard you were burnt in the Overseer's house; and precious sorry I was to hear it too." " That is singular," I said. " Who was it told you I was burned ? " " Mr. Dixon," he answered. " He told me this morning, at the pame time he spoke about the fire." "Here was a little bit of "circumstantial evidence" I had not expected. No one could possibly have told him that^ for there never was a moment's doubt as to my safety — except in the mind of the man who set the fire. " You must have misunderstood him, Brewer," I said. " My poor little dog was burnt to death, perhaps that was what he said." " ^o. He said you were burnt and he supposed the dog too, for I asked about Lucy." 112 THE GHOST OF A DOO, " Well," I rejoined, " you see I am not as dead as Mr. Dixon would like me to be ; but as I have been burnt out of house and home, I shall have to put up with you again for awhile. I suppose I can have my old room." ** Mr. Dixon has that now, sir," he replied ; " but you can have the one next to it, which is quite as good a room." " Very well," I said. " Let us go up and look at it." I was anxious to get upstairs, as I noticed it only wanted a few minutes to twelve, and I was desirous that both Brewer and I should hear the clock in Dixon's room strike. I knew the clock well, having occupied the room ; and knew that it struck rather loudly, so I ha 3 no fear that we would not hear it in the next room. I was not disappointed for we were scarcely in the room I was to occupy before the clock in the adjoining apart- ment chimed the hour and then struck — One! " Hello " ! said Brewer, " That clock is an hour fast." '* Let us go and see," I said, " whether it is, or whether it is only the striking apparatus that is out of order." THE GHOST OF A DOG, 113 "Can't be out of order," said Brewer, "for it only came back from the watchmaker's yesterday afternoon ; and I can swear it was all right, hands and strike, at six o'clock for 1 was in the room when it struck." Here was more evidence, even better than I had hoped and the clock itself supplied the balance, for the hands pointed to the correct time, twelve, while it had just a moment before struck one. It was evident that Dixon had put his clock an hour ahead on purpose to deceive his guests, and had forced the hour hand back after his purpose was served, but he had either forgot- ten, or had not noticed, that the clock struck one liour more than the hands indicated. " I'll just stop it for an honr," said Brewer, " and then at two o'clock it will be all right," ** Better leave it as it is," I said carelessly. " Most probably Dixon has fixed it that way on purpose. Call his attention to it when he comes in. " All right," he replied. " Let's go down and take a drink." On the way down I said carelessly, " Do you etill have as many poker parties as you used to when I was here ? " for the place had been the resort of most of the " sports " of Macon, and scarcely a night passed without there being one or more gambling parties ia some of the rooms. 114 THE GHOST OF A DOG. il " Well, no, not until Dixon came. Since then he has had a party in his room 'most every night- Harthraw and Bailey, and some more wore there last night ; but they didn't play long, quit about eleven. I reckon Dixon was cleaning them out too fast, he plays a pretty stiff game." '' About eleven ! " Evidence was rolling up in my favor ; but I thought I might strengthen it a little. " Did you notice, Johnnie," what time Mr. Harthraw left Dixon's room last night ? I asked the barkeeper, after Brewer had taken his drink and gone to smoke a cigar on the verandah. " Can't say what time it was when he left the room," he replied, " but it was just five minutes to eleven by the bar clock which we always keep a little slow, when he and Mr. Bailey passed through the bar going out. I had just that minute looked up to see how near shutting up time it was." " Do you know if Dixon went out after they left ?" " I didn't see him ; but old Tom said this morning Dixon must have been riding his mare pretty hard, for she was all blown and covered with mud when he went to feed her this morning." There was my case made, and Mr. Dixon's alibi, for which he had worked so carefully, knocked all to pieces. THE GHOST OF A DOG. 116 (( V A lie well told and carefully backed up by good ciicumstantial evidence, &c." Oh, yes I '* Carefully backed up," that was it ; but his backing up had broken down, and his lie would not '* prevail against the truth." I got Brewer to change a cheque tor me, found a clothier where I could get a ready-made suit to fit me pretty well, and called on the Mayor. My business with him was soon settled, and I had the satisfaction before I left, of seeing him issue a warrant for Dixon's arrest. At my request, however, the serving of it was postponed until his return to Macon, as 1 did not wish to cause 'a scene at Mount Houghton by having him arrested there. I had dinner about five, and then rode slowly back to the plantation, reaching there a little before seven. The family was still at dirmer, so T went at once to the back drawing-room, where the Christmas tree was, and there found Laura busily engaged placing some of the presents on the tree. I had brought the wreath of mistletoe she had asked me to remember, and placed it on a chair as I entered. *' ?)h, I am 80 glad yon have come," she said. " I want to put this smoking cap for Harold on the very top of the tree, and I cannot reach so high ; please put it up for me." BOB 116 THE GHOST OF A DOO. I placed the cap wliere she desired, and together we finished decorating the tree and lighting the tapers, she, meanwhile, talking with me in the kindest manner, sympathizing with me in my lose, and tears came to her eyes when 1 told her how poor Lucy had lo'^* her life while trying to save the cigar-case. "Poor little darling," she said, " it is too cruel that she should have died so. You will never have another dog that you will care so much for." " No," I said ; *' Nor another cigar-case." *' Oh, as for that," she rejoined with a smile, *' I will make you another ever so much better ; and I will work a portrait of Lucy on it in colored silks, so that you shall have something to remember her by," I could scarcely thank her for pleasure, and my heart was beating so rapidly it almost suffocated me. Surely she was beginning to care a little — ever so little — for me ! She was no coquette to lead a man on to folly and then langh at his anguish. No,l was sure of thj»t ; and I felt certain she must care a little for me, if only as a friend. Should I tell her that I loved her, and plead for time and opportunity to teach her how to love me? No, it would be premature. Better to wait a little longer and — " There now, this is the last thing to be done," she cried, coming gaily towards me with the wreath in < A \n '.% THE OHOST OF A DOG. IIT 4- V'^ one hand and a short step ladder in the other. ^^ Just get up here, please, and hang this wreath from that hook in the centre there. This is ' the mistletoe bough' and you know everybody is allowed to be as gallant as he pleases under that." I had mounted the ladder while she was speaking and hung the wreath as she directed ; and she was standing quite close to me, under it, as siie said the last words. In an instant I had sprung to the floor by her side, seized her in my arms, and was covering; her lips and cheeks with kisses. *' How dare you, sir ? How dare you take such a liberty ? " she cried releasing herself from my embrace and standing facing me with flashing eyes, flaming cheeks, and her little hands clenched in passion as if she would strike me. "I love you, Laura, 1 love you!" I cried, stretching my arms towards her. " I have loved you from the first moment I saw you, shall love you to the last moment of my life." " Indeed, sir ! " she said with a sneer of irony which sounded more like the Colonel than herself. " I am sure I ought to feel most highly flattered, especially as you know I am already engaged." Engaged ! 10 118 THE GHOST OF A DOG. I staggered back as if I had been struck, and leaned against the table for support. I did not notice that she had said I knew of her engagement but asked, mechanically : " Engaged — to whom 'i " " You only add to your impertinence by asking me what you already know," she replied, with heighted colour. " You have insulted and humiliated me enough, sir. Please stand aside and allow me to quit the room." Unconsciously I had been stranding before her so as to prevent her passing out, but I did not stand aside now. I was mad, wild, drunken with jealousy and disappointed love, and seizing her by the wrists I cried; " Yon shall tell me, you shall I say. I have a right to know for whom you spurn my love ; the love that you have seen in my eyes, heard in my voice and felt in ray touch every time we have met ; the love you have encouraged and nourished by your sweet smiles and gentle actions, even to this moment ; the love that — ," but here tears and passion choked my utterance, and I turned aside and sunk into a chair, burying my head in my hands to hide the bitter tears I could not repress. I am told that there is something very touching to a woman in the sight of " A. strong man bowed to tears ;" and my grief seem to touch Laura, for she did THE GHOST OF A BOG. 119 not leave the room, although I no longer barred her passage. She stood looking gently and compassionately on me for a few moments while my passion wore itself out by its own violence ; then coming up to mo she laid her hand on my arm and said softly, " Don't cry." Those simple little words sounded so ludicrous that I almost laughed; but the revulsion of feeling checked my passion, and I was soon able to command myself. '' I am truly sorry that this has happened, Mr. Rawson," she continued, speaking very gently. '' You have been so kind to us. I had hoped we should always continue to be great friends. I never dreamt of any such folly on your part. The difference in our stations should have saved vou from that. Besides, when I returned from New Orleans I was sure you knew of my engagement ; and, to be candid with you, thought it somewhat strange that you never mentioned it." " How sliouid 1 know," I answered bitterly. "Your cousin never condescended to impart such a delicate piece of information to the Overseer ^ " I thought Bob had told you," she said quietly, without noticing my sneer. " I am sure lie intended to do so." '' Bob, what Bob ? I know no Bob." '* Your friend Bob Harrison, who used to receive HEAPEST In Ottawa, EPOT General Dealer in House Farnishings ■0' ,'»*■ v^ %*' d^^i 42^ -^^ %^ ^. ^^Ji *%mf^<* ESTIMi\TES GIVEN *>^&!i§^ Large Stock of Stoves Constantly on Sand, Farmers' Cistern and Deep Well Pumps Ready for Putting Up. LEARN OUR PRI0E8. COME AND INSPECT OUR STOCK BEFORE PURCHASING ELSEWHERE. DEWIS & CHANDLERi'' '{a stbamfittbrs, 332 Welllnfcton St., Ottawa. t / 'l!^ THE GHOST OF A DOG. 121 \ s*//^ such nice, long, amusing letters from you, which he always read to me. Indeed, it was through those letters, and what Bob told me about how kind you were to him during the war, that I first got to like you ; and I thought how nice it would be to have someone to talk to about Bob, but you never mentioned his name." Bob Harrison ! What a fool I had l)een ! While I had been puzzling myself as to who the " Bob " was of whom she had spoken so familiarly on her return from New Orleans, it had never occurred to me that Harrison's name was Robert, and might very easily be converted into " Bob." Harrison had written me of his engage- ment, but had not mentioned the lady's name ; and I had stupidly fancied it was a cousin of his I had met in New Orleans, and never for a moment thought that he referred to Laura. As soon as I could command my voice sufficiently I said, " Pray forgive my folly. Miss Laura, and permit me to congratulate — Bob. What you have said has so unnerved me that I must ask you to excuse me for this evening. I am in no humor for merry-making now, and will leave before the guests come out from dinner. Oood-bye, and try to forget my folly." I walked out of the room like one in a dream ; 122 THE GHOST OF A DOG, and I have never seen Laura Armstrong since that night. * ■X- •X- vf * ■X- * ■X- ¥r ill My career in the South virtually ended that Christmas Eve in the back drawing-room at Mount Houghton ; for although I remained a week longer in Macon to settle up my business, I did not return to the plantation. 1 quite decided before I left Laura's presence to quit the South for ever, and that very clause in the contract which a few days before I had so regretted 1 now rejoiced at ; for I was determined to make the Colonel quarrel with me and enforce his right to cancel the agreement. I succeeded admirably. The Colonel was more insulting than ever and we had a '' downright row.'^ This time, however, I gave him a Roland for his Oliver and exasperated him so that he wanted to fight me with any weapons I might choose from penknives to breach-loading cannons. I would not fight him ; but I accomplished my purpose and got the contract broken at once, instead of ''fter three months, notice as the agreement required. I left the South a much poorer man than I had entered it. With the exception of the first ten thousand dollars I had advanced, and which was secured to me -/ Hi I ^ THK GHOST OF A DOG. 123 .* m i}^' by a mortgage on the plantation, almost every dollar I had was swallowei up in the fire ; and I found that I would pretty nearly have to begin at the foot of the ladder again. That I did not care to do. There was no object in life for me now ; no solace but in forget- fulness, and, like thousands who have gone before and thousands who will come after me, I sought iri dissipa- tion relief from the pain which was gnawirig at my heart. 1 travelled, both on this continent and abroad, ne\er remaining long in one place, gambling, drinking and indulging in the wildest debauchery, but without relief from the feeling of utter desolation in my life. What money I had was soon wasted, and I should have starved, I suppose — for I had lost all energy to work — had it not been for the $700 a year I received as interest on my mortgage. This, with what I could occasionably win at the public gambling tables of Europe, or on the turf, kept me from absolute beggary, but I was often in sad want. One day, about eighteen months after I had left Macon, I received, in Baden-Baden, a letter and a parcel which had followed me through half a dozen or more Continental Post Offices, and which were some months old when they reached me. The letter contained the wedding cards of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Harrison, with DBY-GOOBS. THE GREAT HOUSE FOR BARGAINS IN DRY- GOODS IS THE GRAND WEST END DRY GOODS STORE. 327 and 329 WELLINGTON STREET, OTTAWA. Importers of Staple and FURS, BEADY-MADE CLOTH- ING, TAILORING, MIL- LINERY, AND i r... .„ ,.UJ kH M^ ^ 5-Dv«fl:.A.is:i3sra- ,i WHOXiiii^AIii: A]y]> KfiTAIIi, THE GHOST OF A DOG, 125 y a long, frank epistle from Bob, and a short, kind, dear little note from Laura. The package contained wedding cake and a handsome Cigar case witli Lucy's portrait worked on it, such as Laura liad promised me. The letter from Laura touched me as nothing had touched me since I parted from her. She had heard of the kind of life I had been leadina;, and wrote to ask me " for her sake " to give up the evil course I was following and return to the position in my own self-respect 1 had occupied when she knew me. " For my sake," she said, " do not give me cause to regret that once you loved me. Bob and I expect to visit Europe next year, and we hope to meet you and to find you quite your own self again." That one line '* Do not give me cause to regret that once you loved me " decided me at once. She should never more be ashamed to think that the man who had loved her had become debased and degraded below the level of the brute creation through that love. No ! I could prove to her that I was and could be a man ; and from that moment I would abandon my wild career and once more settle down into a quiet, sober, steady man of business. I had been lucky at the tables that day and had some two hundred Napoleons or so in my pocket ; and 1 determined to quit the scene of temptation at once -= -'-- , -t -ftl 126 TEE GHOST OF A DOG. \-' i and for ever, and in some distant colony, wliere I would never risk the chance of meeting her, begin life anew. It was evening when I received her letter, and the next morning found me on my way to Paris, from whence I intended to go to London, and there decide whether I should emigrate to Australia or go to some East Indian port. We left Baden about eight o'clock and rolled swiftly and easily towards Strasburg. The compartment of the carriage in which I was travelling was tilled with Frenchmen and Germans, who were laughing, tal kin i; and smoking; but being indisposed for either, I drew back in my corner and fell asleep. When I awoke I found myself at a station, the name of which I did not notice, and got out to walk about the platform a bit, as I telt cramped after my nap. There were quite a number of passengers to get on at this station ; and the carriages being already well filled, an extra carriage was attached at the end of the train. When 1 returned to the carriage I had been in I found that my seat had been taken by a lady, and as I did not like to disturb her, I took my satchel, which was all the baggage I had, and went to the rear carriage, where I was lucky enough to secure a compartment alone. Here I made myself coinfoitable in a corner, drew out my precious letter and cigar case, read the one over and over again, and admired the other for the hundredth time. Finally I lit a cigar, took the THE GHOST OF A DOG. 127 Galignani from m} satchel and was soon deeply inter- ested in its contents. About a quarter of an hour after we had left the station I thought I felt a slight jar and looked up for an instant, but noticing nothing peculiar, was return- ing to my newspaper when I felt a sudden and vigorous tug at my trousers leg, heard a short, sharp, impatient bark, and, looking down saw — Lucy ! Saw her, heard her, and felt her tugging at me as plainly as I had ever seen, heard or felt her befoie, and yet she had been burnt to ashes eighteen months before ! I was perfectly sober, entirely wide awake, undonbtedly sane, and it was mid-day ; yet I unmis- takably saw, felt and heard what ninety-nine out of every hundred persons would declare to be an utter impossibility — the ghost ol my own dog ! So natural and life-like was it all that,involuntarily, I cried " Lucy ! " '* Lucy ! " and stooped over to caress her. My hand passed through what seemed to be her body without experiencing any sensation of touching anything, yet still I felt her tugging at my trousers, felt her scratching desperately at my feet and ankles? ►heard her barking, and saw her plainly, so plainly that I even noticed that she had on her collar with her name engraved on it ! A sudden feeling of impending danger shot 128 THE GHOST OF A DOG. through me, and 1 spruDg to the door and put mj head out. In an instant I realized the terrible position in which I was placed. From the time we had left the station we had been ascending a long, steep grade, and had nearly reached the top when the carriage in which I was had become detached from the rest of the train, and was now running back down the incline with ever increasing velocity. I remembered that we had left a goods train on a siding at the station, and, looking down the track, saw to my horror that it was just appearing round a curve not over two hundred yards from us. I saw at a glance that there was no means of avoiding a collision, and that there was no hope for our light carriage in an encounter with the heavy monster approaching. My only chance for safety was in jumping from the train. With one frantic effort I tore the door open, and, drawing myself well together, sprang into the air at the moment the engineer of the goods train perceiv- ed his peril and sounded his danger signal. One hurried gasp for breath, one moment's suspen- sion in the air, a touch on the bank, and then a feeling of being rolled over and over downwards to some un- fathomable depth ; a semi-consciousness of a dull, heavy crash and a terrible tearing and grinding sound, of m< TEE GHOST OF A DOG. 129 shrill shrieks of agony and wild cries of despair, and then all was blank and I knew nothing more. Three weeks afterwards I awoke to consciousness on a hospital pallet in Strasburg, to find myself almost covered with splints, bandages and plasters ; and to learn that out of the eighteen human lives in that ill- fated carriage, mine was the only one that was saved. For the second time I owed my preservation from a violent death to my little pet dog Lucy ; once in the flesh, and once in the spirit — for nothing can ever pos- sibly persuade me that I did not see her ghost in that carriage on that eventful morning. That is my story, gentleman. I scarcely expect you to believe the latter part of it, but I assure you it is quite as true as all that preceded it. Account for it I cannot, but believe it I do ; and more, I believe that I shall see Lucy again, but that the third time she will be too late and I shall be killed. KENNEDY Sc Co., FAMILY GROCERS AND Wine Merchants. Pure Teas and Coffees (2, A SSWl&Mt.3> 261 Wellington (Street, - OTTAWA. EPILOGUE. THE LAST TIME RAW80N SAW LUCT. ElERE was silence in the room for a few seconils vv^^y after Rawson ceased speaking, and then the ^^v Missus said, *' Well, I never heered tell the likes of that ! To think of 'er a comin' back to you after she was dead, an' a gettin' inter the railway's carrage to tell you there was surnmat up ! It beats hevery think ! " *' Yes, by Jove ! " exclaimed Clemments. *' And brought her collar along, with hci* name on it, that you might not make a mistake and think it was another dog. It was clever, deuced clever ! " " It would be a great improvement in ghosts," said Langton, '' if they would all adopt the fashion of having their names hung about them in some conspicuous place. It would save lots of bother and trouble, for even the best regulated ghosts get mixed sometimes." " It is rather an unusual feature in psychology," said Archer, " to advance the theory that dogs have sculs, for, of course a dog must have a soul before it can become a ghost. I thought that idea was confined to ' Lo,' the poor Indian, who 132 THE GHOST OF A DOG. thinks, admitted to that equal sky, His faithful dog shall bear him company.' " " I do not pretend to rai8e a psychological point at all," replied Rawson. The question whether or not dogs have souls has nothing to do with my story. I simply state what I know to be a fact, that my dog Lucy, or her ghost, or shade, or whatever you please to call it, appeared to me in broad daylight and was the means of saving me from a terrible death. I do not attempt to explain it, I only know it was so." "Are you quite sure you did see, feel and hear something? " askud Langton. "Are you sure it wasn't the ghost of Cognac, instead of the ghost of a dog, and that you were not suffering from the least bit of D.T's?" " Quite certain. I had been drinking very little for a month previous, and had had nothing more stimu- lating than a small bottle of Rhine wine at dinner the evening before and nothing since." " It's very queer, said Archer. "Of course, I krow you believe it, but it couldn't have been the dog. Must have been something wrong with your stomach, and, perhaps, looking at the cigar case with the picture of the dog on it put her into your mind, and you fancied, you know, that you saw lier, when it might have been only a bit of cucumber that wouldn't digest, or something of that sort." i-t ' .a.iBJii.Em-j.^j'.i.aa '!'? THE GHOST OF A DOG. 133 > " I scarcely thought you would credit the story," said Eawson," but such as it is I believe it, and nothing can shake that belief." " Say, Rawson ! " shouted the dark man in the corner, " Did you have that fellow Dixon hanged ? " " Dixon was never brought to trial. He got word, somehow, of my having obtained a warrant for his arrest and kept out of the way for awhile. When I left the South there was, of course, no one to prose- cute him, and after a time he returned to Macon, and is now, I believe. Overseer of Mount Houghton plantation." "And have you never met the young lady again. Miss Laura ? " asked Thorton. Eawson paused for a few seconds, and a look of intense pain crossed his face. At last he said, very slowly and sadly, " No, I never met her again, and shall never see her more in this world." " Dead ? " " Yes. She and her husband were amongst the passengers in the ill-fated City of Boston, which |left Halifax on the 26th January, 1870, and has not since been heard of. Just then the clock began to strike twelve, and the punch was duly introduced, healths drunk, and " Merry Christmas " passed around. After that the Missus favored the company with an exhibition of 11 « DTI 9 —DEALER IN BOOTS &SHOL3 American and Canadian RUBBERS. J STJSSE3:: OTTAWA. v^ Special Attention given to Gent«' and Boys* Hand-made Work. THE GHOST OF A DOG. 135 vocal gymnastics which she was pleased to term "A bit of a^song," and other songs and stories followed. It was about two o'clock when the company separated, Archer and Langton going towards the West end of the city, and Rawson turning Eastwards. " Well, good night, old fellow," said Langton shaking hands with Rawson, "and many thanks for your story. I only hope we may meet again next Christmas Eve and have as pleasant a time." " Next Christmas Eve," said Rawson thoughtfully, " Who can tell whether we will all be alive next Christmas Eve ? " " Well, I hope we will be at all events. Good night." , V^ -H- * •X- •X- •X- •X * * * In the Ottawa Times of the 26th December, appeared the following paragraph: — Fatal Accident. — Sub-Constable Barnes reported on Christmas morning that at about a quarter past two o'clock, while he was passing through the St. Lawrence ^/4^. O* 6^ ^^'^NG M^^ "' .-K# 6^ r-C^ ON" S3E3E03RT 1XOTIC3S. Select Stock of Millinery always on band. 1 V. f HOOPSKIRTS, CRINOLETTE BUSTLES, COR- SETS, ECT., IN LARGE VARIETY. Satis&ction Guaranteed. Prices Moderate. Hoe KAMEB, 310 WELLINGTON STREET, - OHAWA. V. t HOW I WAS MESMERISED. ^ A V V HOW I WAS MESMERISED. ^OUNG Toppletin and I never ^ot on well together. We lived in the same boarding house on •Albert Street, hut we had as little to do with each other as is possible for two men meeting daily at breakfast and dinner, and having to ask each other to pass the salt, pepper, butter, &c.. &c. I think Annie Mertyns had something to do with the mutual dislike which sprung up between Toppletin and I ; in fact, as far as I am personally concerned, I ani sure Annie Mertyns had a great deal to do with it. You see Annie is a very pretty girl, very clever, very attractive and all that sort of thing. And it was only natural that I should fall in love with her before I had been in the house a week. Whether it was natural or not, I did ; and then I found out what a disagreeable puppy young Toppletin was. Old Mertyns with his wife and daughter occupied the first floor, and old Mertyns rather liked Toppletin, for Toppletin was rich, and old Mertyns, altho' well-to- ' 142 HOW I WAS MESMERISED. do, lived close up to his income and saved very little to leave for Annie. Still it annoyed me that Annie would quit the parlour if 1 chanced to enter it when she was alone, altho' she would sit and play and sing for an hour at a time when Toppletin was there ; but> on the other hand, she was very kind and friendly when others were present, and used to laugh at my jokes and little anecdotes — for I make puns and joke& occasionally, which my friends say are very good, altho' they may not perhaps be good enough for publication. Toppletin never laughed at my jokes. He could not see the point of ;i pun to save his life, and as for making one, it would have been as easy for him to fly. Annie liked a good pun and laughed, very musically, at the right time, and I conld see that made Toppletin mad, so I used to practise up old jokes and little anecdotes to annoy him and make Annie laugh. This went on for several months until the event which I am about to relate occurred. Annie is a very intelligent girl. She is very fond of reading, and holds pretty strong opinions about " Intellectual force " and " The influence of mind over matter," and such like topics. It was only natural, therefore, that when Professor John Reynolds came here a short while ago, and lectured on Mesmerism, Annie should desire to hear the lecture and witness the experiments. i' ^. ^*> HOW 1 WAS MESMERISED. 143 P " ■t. Men We made np a party to go. Mr. and Mrs. Am Topple [1 and I. Why Toppletin went, I cannot say, for in order to understand Mesmer- ism I believe it requires a little brains, and that i& something Toppletin never had. We enjoyed the lecture and experiments very much, and laughed a great deal at the curious antics the " subjects " went through. When I say that we all laughed, I must except Annie, she never laughed^ but sat all the time gazing earnestly at the Professor,, as if trj'ing to mesmerise him. When we got home,. Annie was loud in her praise of the influence of mind over matter, and could not sing the Professor's praises enough. The next day Annie got the works of Mesmer and studied them, and also had an interview with Professor Reynolds, who told her that she, Annie,^ possessed a good deal of mesmeric power. For a week after that, Annie practised her powers in secret, and actually tried an experiment. She attempted to mesmerise Fido, her pet poodle. The experiment was not successful. Whether it was the effect of the " passes," or whether he had taken some- thing which did not agree with him, I do not know ; but Fido went mad, foamed at the mouth, bit at Annie^ and had to be shot by old Mertyns in the back yard. Annie did not experiment again for some days, but AS AN INDUCEMENT Canadian Pacific Railway -ODFIFHUS- REDUCED BATES TO ALL FOR- Christmas Holidays. - .) POUSHED and UNPOLISHED GRANITES. CANADIAN AND ALL Foreign Marbles THE TRADE SUPPLIED. Specimens and Designs Fomislied on Application. «««f««rf«».»