"That was hardly likely, with so many eyes upon him. Besides there was nobody there but women and children, excessively alarmed themselves, the husband, Captain Y----, being at sea, and one of those who was afterwards known to have been lost with all his crew, upon nearing our dangerous coast." "But why did not the city government make a piece of work of putting an end to such a scandal?" inquired a doubter in spectral visitations. "Well, I suspect a whole body of police could do little towards capturing an actual ghost; and then, too, there was at that time no city and no such force. Our town government consisted of mostly ancient citizens, and three or four constables, all of whom, probably, preferred to remain quietly and comfortably at home, instead of venturing out into the wintry night air, to hunt up ghosts." "Why didn't somebody try the effect of a bullet?" inquired another. "Well, shooting was a rather violent remedy; and as for firing at a ghost, I believe every one was afraid." "Wasn't it strange, considering that he must have had some particular object in haunting that spot, and was likely, therefore, to be found out by some of the neighborhood by his face, or dress, or figure, or gait, or in some way or other, if a real person, that he never was recognized?" asked another of our evening guests. "It was strange enough," said my uncle; "but few, if any, got very near him, and they perhaps, casual passers-by, who paid no attention to the fact. As for him, he only walked steadily backward and forward, turning neither to the right nor to the left, except at each end of his beat; replying to no interrogatories, and appearing utterly unconscious of any epithets or railings which from a distance were hurled at him. Only one man ever professed to have seen his face." "Who was that, uncle?" we all eagerly exclaimed.