South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1868-02-21

with baskets uhand or fear in their hearts.
bat with mischief in their ewes, and laugh
ter in-their sleeves. Joe reached the gate
of the cemetcry-they reached the valley
just below, the stopping place of timid noe
turnal ramblcrs. Joe kucelcd down and Of
fcrcd up prayer for his safety ere he ven
tured to lift the i,tch-they sat down aud
gave vent to subduel meriiment, at the
4 thought of how they would frishten him
Z when he came. And that WAS the differ.
i cnce between them. ''-' e -'e
The victim reached his destination in
I saflty, assembled tie tree, flied his basket
I with pears, aud was Just making ready TO
scramble down-when 10 what should re
\ behold but two objects noting up timong
the graves from that side Of the yard OPP
pusite To the one on which he bud entered
They came directly towards the pear tree,
and as they moved noiselessly, Joe knew
Z they could be roae o,ber than ghosts' p
At first he Thought Of dropping % terra
Ft'rmd, and making an effort 70 escape them
7 by flight buta second Thought eXhibito 2
tie folly of trying to ran away frem indii
} viduals capable of hRrnessipg and riding the
wind besides, they might not be after Rim
and if they were they might not find lri.n,
4 snugiy piled away as he was in the thick
foliuge of the tree. So, having reasoned
/ thus with himself lie made choice of the
! wiser course--that IT remaining where he
was aud keeping quiet.
/ The ghosts, or whatever they were, NOV
! ed >ioaIy up to the foot of the pear tree,
( where they halted and fell into i conyersa-
ton.
Now, T,m,' sail ono Of thcm, you stay
( down and pick Up while climb her.
oh, no, we'd better both climb, sail the
other. Better keep together, you know
aud then, if one gets Into trouble, wo'n both
be into il you know
why We ,rW be together. WHAT diff
ference il there between being up in the
tree AMI being down on the ground p
oh. no difference, You know only
thought we'd better both climb you know.
There's no graves up in the tree, but they
re rs dick q, hops down here, you know
Yes; but don't you rccolIect that old
Jane Fowler says the tree IS haunted One
"f Us must e. up TO shake down the pears,
and while he's doing that the other must
bc below tn pick EN- up Which will YOU
do? It's all the same thing to me-
$50 1t Is to ne, YOU know. Go on your
Soif-take sack along and gather fast, 30
We can get away from here, you know I'll
pick up and pile what falls you know ; and
Siralghtway the first speaker began scratch
ing his way up the trunk OF the tree
y vast relief was the sound Of those
scratches TO poor joe; fcr be felt certain
they were produced by substance more
solid than could be expected Of mere
thing of air; still he did not know what II
might all end IN, therefore he concluded 10
still keep quiet
Up among the lower limbs came the IN
welcome visitor shaking the tree picking
pears, and all the while keeping UP live
!y chat with bis companion on tic ground
up until within very few feet of our
victiuzal member Of tho social party. aud
tho srlicn'y saw-a ghost Reclining
among thc branches Of the old pear tree
and just above his head, were the outlines
distinctly 60 he seen, OF human figure
Like aash Of liglhiae li. bravery left
hu-'ve, aud his strength too, FIR relax
M als bpli upon ,he tree, Ee came down
with crash. svccrinc Joc'+ blskc' which
bad been hung on q lower limb with him
anil ri'i1E pajl mel, sac', basket AMI ALL
upon 'la mrn@ho was on tlc ground pick
Ing up rctrs
acct OFT ~ Oh, Wii3etross
IN loss time than it fakes us % tell IL,
thoy wrro over t.e fence aud thuuler.nr
down the hiHflc towards the spot where
orr lurlyiue character h9d ssationel them
selves fr the purpose Of Tightening Joe
There be- c1mes' s.fi one NJ them. s-
sounds not unlike those ui1de by n train of
cars 10 rapid motion. reached lheir car.
tscro hn o1ntct, Aud ha'. a-irrianl -un-
riug know it' Now. mike rcsdr. and
20 us give hiu something worth running
i,r VII I'D DC passcs l,'
YES, there be come s--f can sec him
now AHd by . Gorge there is SOME hing
after IHm Lank dau't you see two Objects.
q dj5uLod. There is yomttLibg scuI
ding % along right 90 bis hcsis.
And ior'hwith there was another STAN.
Pede-auothcr display Of hard running
and thc valley in which the fanny mon bad
stationed themselves was lcft without an
occupant.
s tw moronts later, AMI iho two fun
loving members dl-heI iu upon the s1cjI
party, and hrcathicss AMI other faces
grew very pale as thcy rc.atcd whlt thuy
bad soon; esp. caily whom they avursl
tmi tuc spectre seized poor joe by tDo hair
of bis head, aud crosse the valley with bin
&c q single bound Never before was lit-
dc party eo h.uor-suickcn We may a.
most venture to say, without on eye single
t' figure of speech, they were entirely
p7r'yz q and vA.re 10 would all apec enc
Jed wc are unable o. conjecture, bad not