The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-05-14

l Shcughtless of them I"
i" Did you laugh, Aunt Sarah F" ",
Well, my dears, laughing is yer,
! contagious, and I could not help iein
| ing IA. She sat on stone, looking. as
that naughty Gertie said, Just like an
| ancient mermaid, just risen from the
sea. In the struggle her hat had come
on taking with it the wealth of hail
Which had been Mr.. GoOdman's s especial
/ delight. In its place was a tight little
Knot with a wiry wisp of hair stretching
out at right angles, and asserting itself
in most obtrusive manner. B1t her
face represented the most astonishing
change, for the paint had been washed
INTO stripes and patches, and the cheek
which had rested upon her cavaliers
shoulder was quite white, while the
other was stripy red color, very pc
cuIlar indeed. Fox. some reason she
had not spoken word since reaching
/ the shore, but sat with her hand
kerchiet to her mouth, looking about
her with an expression of intense
anxiety.
=" Harry had fshed up her hat with
all the back hair hanging to it, and now
presented it to her on the end of a stick.
The position was too ludicrous, and we
burst out laughing in her very face. At
hrst she looked at the hair in a bewild-
cred sort of way, not seeming to under
stand what we were laughing at then
putting up her hand felt the little top
knot at the back of her head as she
did so, the whole horrible truth flashed
upon her and she sprang to her feet
trembling with fury"
Nipers u she said and we saw that
a q
pions !" And, without taking her back
hair with her, she fed toward the house.
We all followed, inwardly wondering
what she would do, and whether she
really thought we upset the boat inten-
tionally. She did not appear at dinner,
so our hostess went upstairs, and was
clOseted with her for about an hour
when she came down we fancied she
looked rather gravely at us, but guilty
conscience" you know, and we began to
feel very guilty.
viii you come down to the lake
with me, Sarah?" she said.
% Goodness, Gertie =" I answered.
'' It's almost twelve o'clock, and what
do You want to go there for ?"
g must CO." she said, determinedly.
g You never noticed it, but lost all nv
back hair in those nasty rushes, and
must get it tonight I fastened the veil
over the back of my head, so you did
not see it going"
OF course went with her, and, creep
ing out of the house by back 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 Watching
the moOnbeams on the water, a tall
IN, al
the bushes into the water at our feet.
My blood froze within me, and almost
fell to the ground
"What is it?" I asked, in a low,
terrified whisper, clutching hold Of
Gertie.
GA ghost she answered. her teeth
chattering as she spoke. "Oh, 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 quickly as possible.
At the Same moment the moon was
hidden by a cloud, and we were in total
darkness. Gertie gave a piercing
scream, and fed with the lu-FJeratiUu /
Of despair toward the house, followed
by myself as quickly as possible; ;
every moment I fancied that dreadful |
lAAuS WOuiu spring Oub ALOAA D6u1uu
some dark cluster of evergreen, and |
clutch me with its ghostly hands.
We reached Qur rooms at last, and |
bolting the door threw myself on the |
bed, half dead with teIrer.
Next morning we resolved not to say
anything about our adventure, lest we |
should be laughed at; but our nervous, |
startled manner, and pale faces showed |
that something had happened.
''Oh, Sarah - whispered Gertie, |
coming to me after breakfast, and, |
speaking to me in an awe-struck voice, |
said, "she's gone.
Who's gone ?" asked.
Miss BigloW no one has seen her |
since last night and we saw her ghost"
Gertie shuddered and trembled VIC !
Lently.
We found it really so. Miss Biglow
bad disappeared, and no one knew |
where she had gone. We hunted high |
and low, but found not the slightest |
trace of her, and Gertie aud I came to |
the conclusion that she had drowned |
herself, and that we saw her spirit that |
night on the banks of the lake.
Harry told Gertie that our hostess |
knew where she had gone, and that Miss |
Biglow left a note explaining her sud |
den departure, and blaming US for the |
whole affair OF course we knew bet /
Ter, and to this day am convinced that |
she drowned herself, and that we saw
her ghost.
"What nonsense, Aunt Sarah. She |
was probably looking for her false teeth, |
1r something else; and besides, how
could YOU tell that it was Miss Biglow
1T all ?''
I recognized her at once by the lit
lie top-knot on the back of her head,
With the wisp of hair sticking out. p"
"Oh, it wasn't ghost at all, Aunt
Sarah"
sMy dears, I knew you would laugh
1t me, but have lived long enough to
know a ghost when see it. I hope, my
iears, that this may be a warning to
7ou all not to improve your good looks
ly wicked articles. Give me my knit
ing, Bessie, and ring for lights.