Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-15
MRS. WATKINS GHOST.

L
ed the old house down" Thus Aunt
Polly concluded her story, with the air
of one who relished and appreciated a
good orthodox ghost story, just as a col
Iector reioices over some rare old coin or
an antiquarian gloats over some choice
and genuine relic
Aunt Polly so called in the family, was
the village tailoress. Just now she was
s'doing up our fall work, and we child
rem had gathered around her that evening
begging for a story, which she did not
require much urging to tell, for she was
not only fond Of talking, but she had
that power Of fixing the attention of her
auditors which was to be gained from a
firm belief In her own stories
She was engaged in refining the sleeve
ofJOhn's overcoat, cut down from one of
his fathers, and with pressing board
upon her knee, she reached out for the
fatiron she had heating upon the stove,
ascertaining its degree of heat with her
wetfinger and then vigorously pressing
open the seam.
Little Joe, who had been cracking
hickory nuts behind the stove on
smooth stone which he held between his
knees, came closer to mother, who was
seated near the lamp running her long
darning needle in and out the toe Of a
Wcll-wOrn blue wooden stocking.
John with his jack-knife and gimlet,
was altering the straps on his skates.
He started nervOusly when the hickory
wood snapped suddenly in the stove.
Father who held up the county ga
zette before his face as if he were reading,
was evidently not pleased with the i'm
preston left upon us children by Aunt
Pollys story. / had been watching his
face for I knew how much he disliked to
have superstitious fears implanted in
our minds: | was therefore entirely
taken by surprise when instead of the
disapproval which | expected to hear
him express, he said "Why that's not
The worst Of it, Aunt Polly-old Mrs.
Watkins ghost actually paid us a visit
after the new house was builtr
Now du tell, Deacon Samson!
Who'd thought it! Did YOU everr' and
Aunt Polly held her iron so long on one
spot that there was slight smell of
scorched cloth pervading the room
which speedily recalled her to her
work
Il would tell you all about it, if I
thought YOU would recognize the relation
ship between Aunt P0lIy's ghost and
mine" continued my father; to which
condition, having about it to us the vague
ness Of an ancient oracle, we assented;
and father, taking of his spectacles and
placing them on the table beside him, be-
gan the stsry.
when your mother and [ were first
married we bought this place, where at
that time stood the old house of which |
Aunt Polly has just now been telling you. |
The neighbars said to me: You're not
going to live in that old haunted house, |
al & I
should pull it down-not, however, for
fear Of ghosts, but the old rockery was
really not habitable The rats and mice
had full possession, and [ think they
haunted the place more than poor old
Mrs Watkins. ''You see, children, am
not afraid Of ghosts"
Aunt Polly did not like the insinuation
contained in this last remark and she
spoke rather sharply as she replaced her
iron on the stove and blew out spark
from burnt corner Of the holder. II
thought you said Mis- Watkins ghost
haunted the new house"
you shall hear. As | have Just said,
we pulled the old house down and clear
ed MP the premises, and in the spring
built this nice, snug farmhouse. When
we moved here we were the happiest
young couple you would find anywhere,
and don't know but that now we are the
happiest old couple, eh, mother?" and
father turned towards her with a tender
ness in his tone which, was in itself an
answer to his question.
we had so many farm hands that we
couldn't Get along without help, so by
dint Of much persuading we got one of
The farmers daughters, Mary Ann Jones,
from theneXt town to come and live with
MS for the first year; and Ben Smithers
agreed 10 work the farm with me on
shares. Everything went on so smoothly
that for time [ don't think we should
have had one single perplexity if it had
aot been for Mis- Watkins ghost"
Here my father paused in his story to
take down his pipe from the mantelshelf,
and | could see that he and mother eX-
changed glances, but as mother leaned
down closely over her work | could not
find out if she was laughing, or if it was
a sigh which she smothered in the huge
blue wooden stocking which she for the
moment held up to her face.
j" Do go on, pal" cried little Joe.
We'll, don't be impatient, my lad"
said father, slowly giving few kindly
putfs to the pipe, over which he held a
hickory coal with the tongs.
" Among the few modern improvements
N our new house had bell at the front
door in place of the oldfashioned brass
knockel. One morning we were startled
rather early by a violent ring at this front
door bell | rose in great haste and
dressed myself, fearing it might be some
bad news from the old folks, your grand
father and grandmother, who lived in
North Springfield; for our neighbors al
ways came r0uni to the back door-in
fact the front door was hardly opened
once month, and the front path was
pretty well grown shut with grass. |
opened the door. Nobody was there
Thinking that the visitor had got tired of
waiting while | dressed and had gone
round to the back door, I opened that;
but nobody was there. Expecting to find
some one at the barn, | went out. Ben
Smithers had already opened the wagon
house, and was running out the light
wagon; he was going to harness up the
colt to see If it would go in double har-
ness Ben had heard the bell, but
thought it was to Yaken Mary Ann.
He hadn't seen anyone at the
door; bub then they might have been
there, for he hadn't looked He thought
IF anyone was about the place, they'd
come in before long l soon forgot the
bell IN discussing the good points OF the
colt and in the various chores which oc-
cupied nv time until breakfastwaS ready,
and il was not until we were seated at the
table that was reminded of it by another
ring at the door.
"Why, 1 thought YOU went to the door