The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-03-19


upset the boat.
"Mr. Goodman was whispering
some soft nonsense in Miss Biglo WIS
ear, when Harry Edmonds gave the
preconcerted signal, and We all lean
ed over at once to pick water lily.
Over went the boat, and in an instant
everybody was foundering about in
three feet of water. A terrible
scream from Miss Biglow, some vic.
lent splashing and trembling on tn
part Of Mr.. Goodman, and then we
saw him rescue her bodily from the
water and carry her triumphantly to
the shore in his arms.
"We followed without delay, and
found Mr.. Goodman sitting on the
bank, gazing in direst dismay at the
object he had so gallantly carried to
shore. Poor Miss Biglow did not
look pre-possessing; and the two
rude young cousins of Gertie's burst
out laughing when they saw her,
which was very unkind and thought
less of them"
"Did you laugh, Aunt Sarah ?" we
saked.
"Well, my dears, laughing is very
contagious, and / could not help
joining in. She sat on stone, look
ing, as that naughty Gertie said, just
like an ancient mermaid, just arisen
from the sea. In the struggle her
hat had came off, taking with it the
wealth of hair which had been Mr..
Goodman's especial delight. In its
place was tight little knob with a
wiry wisp of hair stretching out at
right angles, and asserting itself in a
most obtrusive manner. But her
face represented the most astonish-
ing change, for the paint had been
washed into stri pes and patches, and
the cheek which had rested upon
her cavaliers shoulder was quite
white, while the other stripy red
color, very peculiar indeed. For
some reason she had not spoken
word since reaching the shore, but
sat with her handkerchief to her
mouth, loc king about her with an
expression of intense anxiety.
Harry had fished up her hat with
all the back hair hanging to it, and
now presented it to her on the end
of stick. The position was too lu,
dicrous, and we burst out laughing in
her very face. AT first she looked at
the hair in bewildered sort of way,
not seeming to understand what we
were laughing at; then putting up
her hand felt the little top knot at
back of her head as she did so, the
whole horrible truth flashed upon
her and she sprang to her feet
trem bling with fury.
"Vipers," she said and we saw
tn at she had not a tooth in her head.
"Scorpions % And without taking
her back hair with her, she fled to,
wards the house.
1--WE all followed, inwar3ly won
dering what she would do, and
whether she really thought we up.
set the boat Intentionally. She did
not appear at dinner SO sour hos
tess went up stairs, and was closet
ed with her for about an hour when
she came down, we fancied she look
ed rather gravely at US, but "guilty
conscience you know, and ours be-
gan to feel very guilty.
"Just as l was going to bed. Ger
tie came to me and beckoned me
mysteriously to follow her.
"Will you come down to the lake
with me, Sarah ?" she said.
"Goodness, Gertie - | answered.
"It's almost t%elve o'clock, and what
do you want to go there for ?''
81 must co." she said, determined.
ly. "You never noticed it but L lost
all my back hair in those nasty rush
es, and must get it tonight; / fas-
tened my veil over the back of my
head, 50 you did not see it was
gone"
"Of course I went with her, and
creeping out the door, we ran hand
in hand, down the dark patch to the
lake, and soon reached the spot so
fatal to Miss Biglow's hopes. As we
stood for a moment silently watch
ing the moonbeams on the water, a
tall figure, robed in white, rushed
out of the bushes into the water at
our feet. My blood froze within me,
and / almost fell to the ground.
"What is it ?" l asked, in a low,
terrified whisper, clutching hold of
Gertie.
GA ghost !" she answered, her
teeth chattering as she spoke. ooh,
what shall we do ?"
"The spectral figure turned round
just then, and seeing US standing on
the shore, stretched out both arms
and came toward US as quickly as
possible. At the same moment the
moon was hidden by cloud, and
we were in total darkness. Gertie
gave a piercing scream, and fled
with the desperation of despair to
ward the house, followed by myself
as quickly as possible every mo-
ment tancied that dreadful thing
would spring out from behind some
dark cluster of evergreens, and
clutch me in its ghostly hands.
"We reached our rooms at last,
and, boiling the door, l threw my.
self on the bed, halt dead with ter
ror.
"Next morning we resolved to say
nothing about our adventure, lest we
should be laughed at but our ner-
vous, startled manner, and pale
faces, showed that something had
happened to us.
"Oh, Sarah !" whispered Gertie,
coming to me after breakfast, and
speaking in an awe. e.struck voice said
"she's gone"
"Whe's gone ?" l asked.
"Miss Biglow; no one has seen
her since last night; and we saw b e'
ghost"
Gertie shuddered and trembled d
violently.
"We found it really so. Miss
Biglow had disappeared, and no one
knew where she had gone. We
hunted high and low, but found no
the slightest trace of her, and Gertie
and l came to the conclusion she had
drowned herself, and that we saw
her spirit that night on the banks Of
the lake.
"Harry told US that our hostess
knew where she had gone, and that
Miss Biglow left note explaining
her sudden departure, and blamin Q