midnight
NICK CARTER 'S GHOST STORY . Nick Carter 's friends often ask him whether , in the course of his remarkable experience as a detective , he has ever encountered anything which could not have been the work of human hands . Few people , nowadays , will own that they believe in ghosts . Yet most of us would be less sure about it in a grave-yard at midnight than on Broadway at noon . A man who can tell a reasonable story about having seen a ghost may not find many believers , but he will get plenty of listeners , for we are all eager to hear about such things . So Nick , who always likes to oblige his friends , does not deny the existence of spirits when he is asked whether he ever saw any . On the contrary , if he has the time to spare , he usually tells the following story : A broad-shouldered , square-jawed , bright-eyed young man called on Nick one afternoon , and was ushered into the study .