Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1860-05-12

| ehsIer 10 cneat ourselves tna0 Cneat inc 0eVlI
That OLD bag was too stingy to buy dress
but persuaded herself it was bein' too good to
wear it."
| Well, the house was hat.roofed house,
and had trap door in the ceiln' over the
keepin' room, and there was crane on the
roof, with rope to pull up things to spread
all out, and when Barney thought the old
woman was asleep, he crawls out Of the house,
opens the trap.door, and lets himself down
by the rope, and he and Jerusha set down on
the hearth in the chimney corner courtin', on,
as they call it in them diggins, "sniflin ashes"
When daylight began TO show, he went up
| the rope hand over hand, hauled it up after
| him, closed to the trap-door, and made him.
self scarce. Well, all this went on as slick
as could be, for while, but the old woman
seed that her darter looked pale, as if she
| hadn't sleep enough and there was no gettin'
her mp in the mornin', and when she did, she
was yawnin' and gapin', and so dull she hadn't
a word to say. She got very uneasy about it
at last, and used to get up in the night some
times, and call her darter, and make her go
off to bed and once or twice come plaguy
neaf catchin' of them"
So what does Barney do, but take two mig
gers with him, when he went after that, and
leaves them on the roof, and fastens a large
basket to the rope, and tells them if they feel
the rope pulled, they must hoist away for
dear lie, but not to speak word for the
world. Well, one night the old woman came
to the door, as usual, and says, "Jerusha,"
says she, what on airth ails you, to make
you sit up all night that way? Do come to
bed, I'm rastliDg with the evil one, I'll come
presently" "Dear, dear" says she, "you
have rastled long enough with him to have
throwed him by this time. If you can't throw
him now, give it up, OF be may throw you."-
Presently, marm," says the darter. ats
always the same tune" says ler mother
goin' off grumblin'-"it's always presently
what has got into that gal to act so? Oh
dear what pertracted time she has on it,
She has been sorely exercised, poor girl"
AS soon as,she had gone, Barney larfed so
that he had to put his arm around her to
study him on the bench, in way that didn't
look unlike rompin', and when he went to
whisper, he arfed so he did nothin' but touch
her cheek with his lips, in q way that look'd
plaguily like kissin', and felt like it, too, and
she pulled to get away, and that he had
most regular rastle as they sat oD the bench,
awful smash, and in bounced the old woman.
(which is uppermost," says she. "Have
yon tbrowed Satan, or mas Satan throwed
you? Speak, Jerusha, speak, dear, who's
throwed ?" 81 have throwed him." says her
darter; "and hope he's broke his neck, he
acted So" Come to bed, then, darling"
says she, sand say prayer ofterward, and"
Just then the old woman was seized
round the waist. hosted to the roof and from
thence to the crane, where the basket stop.
ped and the first thing she knowd she was
away up ever so far in the air swngin' in
large basket and no soul near her.
Barney and his niggers cut stick in double
quick time, crept into the bushes, and went
all round the road, just as the day was break
in. The old woman was q singin out for
dear life, kickin' and squealin' and cryin' and
prayin', all in one properly frightened. Down
runs Barney, hard as he could slip, lookn' as
innocent as if he'd never heard nothin' Of it,
pretendin' to be horrd frightened offers bis
services, climbs up, releases the old woman,
and gets blessed until be gets tired of it,
"Oh p says the old woman, "Mr. O'Balen-
tine, the moment Jerusha throwed the evil
one. the house shook like al earthquake, and
as entered the room he grabbed me. Oh |!
| shall never forget his fiery eyeballs, and the
horrid smell of birthstone he had"
"Had he q cloven foot and long tail ?"
says Barney. 81 couldn't see in the dark"
said she; "but bis claws were awful sharp,
oh ! how they dug into MY RIBS. 1t enc most
took the flesh oi-oh, dear! Lord have
mercy upon US hope he's laid in the Red
Sea now"
"Tell you what it is, Aunty," says Barney,
that's an awful story keep it secret for your
life-folks might say the house is harnted-
that you we're possessed and that Jerusha was
in league with the evil one. Don't SO much
as lisp syllable to liyin' sinner breathin'
keep the secret, and | will help you"
The hint took the old woman had no wish
to be burnt or drowned for witch, and the
moment ieller has O woman's secret, he is
that womans master. He was invited there,
he stayed there, married there but the old
woman never knew who the evil one was, and
always thought to her dying day it was old
Scratch himself. After her death they didn't
keep it secret no longer, and many good
larf has there been at the story Of Barney
O'Balentine and the Devil.