The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-12-22
tWrittea fG: The Cambria FTeeman.l
4 RURAL LOVE STORY.
Sy PETE SMITH

a RURAL LOVE STORY.
By PETE SMITH.
A shQrt distance from of the villages FIJI
northern Cambria resides yo.Ing man whom
we shall call Joe for eony eaience. Joe went to
( town every Sunday evening, and not uufre-
9uently between times to call on his adorable
Mary Jane, who resided there. and once togeth-
er they were the happiest pair the most vivid
imagination ever conceived OF. They were in
the habit on such occasions of promenading hy
Inoonlight. early and late. aud especially did
they appear to have a mutual iuclinati ton TO
walk out seQuestered road that leads from
the village where, alone and undistnrbed they
couid Whisper into each others ears the most
tender and endearing accents of undying love.
There, amid natures tranquility. in the silent
grandsur OF q Summers evening, what place
more lifting for these al-important Interviews
The surroundings were so inviting and the low
ing ana the loved so happy in this quiet retreat
that IL is fair TO presume they found new words
of love:to thrill each others hearts, so fond aud
feelings as if by inspiration itseIf
This soothing pastime did not, however. con-
best only transient; they soon pass away never
( 10 return. and nothing remains for US hut 10
/ mourn over their untifneiy departure And so
It was in this instance, as the sequel will only
too plainly and too painfully show.
several lnquiSitive youths-fOr such there are
| IN every community-manifeste great deal
of interest in the billing and cooling of these
debt young lovers. and determ ned " possible
/ 10 find out why they 30 pcrsistenrly pursued
the same path in ali of their moonlight ram
bles. With this object in view, then, the innui-
( sitiye yoIths aforesaid a certain occa Sion
/ sauntered out the road 50 much frequerted by
s~fvcs behind some sl,ier bushes 6v the wav
size. in front OF which lay huge log, they as
patiently as possible awaited the hOped-for de-
n~Ienlcnt. They had been there bnt n short
time wheL along came the happy couple, with
their minds Lo doubt filled as usual with pleas
/ ant aniicpation5 of 'tEe good time coming
( their footsteps meaotime tending in the drec-
. lion of the huge log 10 which reference has al
; ready been made and u Jon which they seated
themselves in Slissful iguC~ance of sny other
presence than their own. nus comfortably
ensconced they forthwith proc eefled to busi-
ness, and the tales of love which they did tken
! and there untOld were as amusing 20 the hid
as tHB} were no COutt SfS-IIHfig 10
the gushing pair themselves. But that vas not
. al Tor with the endeaTiur words came still
more cndcgring caresses, and then-wei such
a scientific display of pure ard unadulterAtcd
( huggIng aS was iheu ard there in6uiEed in has
seldom been dreamed OF. much less witnessed,
. iu this laud ct rural delights. simultaneously
with these proceedings came mutual inter-
change of e-iip- tical situations one after an
other in quick succession. until the rumher
was almost beyond computation. One of the
. festive youths in ambush endeaVored to count
them, but after reaching four hundred and odd
he finally gave 1t up in despair. Suffice ii to
say that these delight proceedings continued
without interruption for several hours, to the
great diversion of the special tors whose yiei!s,
however. eventually became 50 wearisome that
they began 70 consider the best means of get
ting OUT of the dilemma witl0iI, hein0 tIiscov-
cred. As such al exit seemed to be impossI bic,
/ however. there was nothing left but to subTnit
to the inevitable. which they did with the best
grace possible. Meantime the huyging aud kiss
ing went on till about half past eleven O'Clock.
when the loving couple apparently satiafed
with the delights they bad been enjoying. took
F their departure for other scenes, much to the
relief of the pent-up buIl-dozers who feiicitn-
. ted themselves on their escape from intimida-
+ ilon. but were far from feeling happy after
their Ionc-coDtinued yigils. The joke was good
their side, but it was tar from being q com
piete success. What was the next thing to be
I done? This was ii question easy TO ask, and
not so dfncnlt TO answer, as further develop
/ mrnts viii show.
On his way hume after parting with his dur
cinca Joe was obliged to pass through a dense
forest, which was always dark and gloomy.
The festive youths. fully aware. of this fact de-
termincd upon interviewing our hero in ghost
. Iy garb, and with this object in view they
paired to the most lonesome spot in fh. strip os
F WOODS alluded to- tDuIy half luuF glapSCi
from the time they sailed forth from their for
mer hiding place until tney took ut their posi-
tious i'm the lonely spot chosen, where they
I madc bdste 20 sTray one OF their number in
spectral ha abilimettslin the doing of which they
were obliged, for want OF more fitting attire,
to envplop hin in two white shirts, with which
they covered his person from the crown of his
head even to the soles of his feet. Thus sppa-
relied il II fair to presume tBat he presented q
sight well calculated to strike terror into the
heart of the unsuspecting wayEarcr at so un-
! >easonabe an hour. With al things thus pre-
pared for the uIminat ton OF the Joke The eager
party quietly awaited the advent of Joe, who
soon hove in sight seated upon on old white
h,rse. whose Iineaments were easily discerna-
bic some distance away He came along slow
, Iy and Icisurely. no doubt thinking OF the de-
lightful experience of the last few hours. when
lo and hehod. the young man cnVeloped in a
pair OF white shirts suddenly crossed the road
in rront of him. giving vent TO a kissing sound
he passed the other sice aud hid behind "A
tI &c Poor Joe, what was TO become Of him
now? Would that terrible spectre return and
swalIow.bim up. or would it follow him in close
pursuit? The latter seemed be the cunciu-
sion reach, d by him. for without uttering a
word he rode ou slowly until the fatal spot was
psSscd- when I've put spurs to his horse aud sped
away at lightning speed. Up hill and dow he
wen: at 4 fearful gaitop-
Now hugging his beast with all his might
Now cutchng its tail in a terrible fright;
Now bouncing upon ihe animal tail.
Rumpety bump. like "A rubber ball
Away he sped till the race was DER
And the brute Teined in at his cottage DOOR
After reaching home ne turned the horse into
the field. but forgot in his terrible fright 10
take OF the bride. Tben he retired q he'd. but
DID not even dream about ghosts. Not much.
Neither did ne sleep any that night. nor did he
take any breakfast next ms rEinE. and The re-
suit las that people hogan to wonder what was
the muttf r. He was suffering from an attack
OF some kind but he didn't like TO tell what il
was The secret. however, came hast
He had seen verita bic ghost on the very spot
where many persons declared that It had
time aud again made itself manifest. 1t was
"a hig " bite thing as tall : n man on horse
back, and he WIS sure il followed him. 1t could
not he any thing else than diSem bodied spirit.
his indiSpositiOn. though there still remained a
constant fear, should he ever again 60 court
ing, that the same terrible spectre would once
more confront him So great indeed was his
rEepfditiOn that lie was never afterwards known
70 call upon his Mary Jane. aud she. poor girl.
thu>iastic lover, to W hom it must have been
a cruel deprivation indeed. could have desert
ed her so uucLrem moniousy-
1t is perhaps needless to add that the Dprpe-
traitors of this ghasily joke went home on the
night in question perfectly satisfied with the
result of their iabors, but still more were they
amused when they heard next day the full par
ticulars OF poor loe'S escape from the frightful
appariiion. which threatened to anubilate him.
USE YOURSELF WELL.-The sufferiugs Of
tha chronic invalid pf SIJ,h led kinds