Produced by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) ALL MEN ARE GHOSTS BY L. P. JACKS AUTHOR OF "MAD SHEPHERDS," "AMONG THE IDOLMAKERS," "THE ALCHEMY OF THOUGHT" LONDON WILLIAMS & NORGATE 14 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN 1913 I DEDICATE THIS VOLUME TO STOPFORD BROOKE TO WHOM I OWE MORE THAN COULD BE TOLD WERE MANY PAGES EMPLOYED IN THE RECITAL CONTENTS PANHANDLE AND THE GHOSTS: I. PANHANDLE LAYS DOWN A PRINCIPLE II. PANHANDLE NARRATES HIS HISTORY AND DESCRIBES THE HAUNTED HOUSE III. PANHANDLE'S REMARKABLE ADVENTURE. THE GHOST APPEARS THE MAGIC FORMULA ALL MEN ARE GHOSTS: I. DR PIECRAFT BECOMES CONFUSED II. "THE HOLE IN THE WATER-SKIN" III. DR PIECRAFT CLEARS HIS MIND THE PROFESSOR'S MARE FARMER JEREMY AND HIS WAYS WHITE ROSES Of the stories in this volume, "Farmer Jeremy and his Ways" has already appeared in the _Cornhill_; "The Magic Formula," "The Professor's Mare," and "White Roses" in the _Atlantic Monthly_. These are reprinted with the permission of the respective Editors. Some additions have been made which were precluded by the shorter form of the magazine story. "He that hath found some fledged bird's nest may know, At first sight, if the bird be flown; But what fair well or grove he sings in now, That is to him unknown. And yet, as angels in some brighter dreams Call to the soul while man doth sleep; So some strange thoughts transcend our wonted themes, And into glory peep." HENRY VAUGHAN, 1655. ALL MEN ARE GHOSTS PANHANDLE AND THE GHOSTS "'Oh,' dissi lui, 'Or se' tu ancor morto?' Ed egli a me, 'Come il mio corpo stea Nel mondo su, nulla scienza porto.'" DANTE, _Inferno_, Canto xxxiii. I PANHANDLE LAYS DOWN A PRINCIPLE