Ottumwa weekly courier., 1878-10-30
AUNT HEPSY's GHOST STORY,
ny AMY RANDOLPH.

BY AMY RANDOLPH.
"Don't believe in ghosts, Ell 2" said
Aunt Hepsibah Horton. "Well, I
don't neither-not to say exactly be-
lieve in 'em but there's some things
that there amt no accounting for.
Did ever tell you about my neph-
ew, Charlie Ferrol? No? Then I'll
tell it to you exactly as 1t occurred,
eleven years ago, come st. Valentines
eve. And if You can account for il,
it's more than I can do.
'I brought Charlie Fcrrol up. and
he grew up straight as young pop
lar, and just as good a. gold, and |
wasn't no way surprised when he
married Alice Harper, the only |
child of old Harper, the merchant, |
as everybody supposed to be worth |
his cool hundred thousand dollars.
Bless your heart! our Charlie
might have married royal princess,
and no discredit to her choice, eith-
er.
"Well, they went out to live at Har-
per Hall, a grand place that the old
gentleman had up the river, and Char
lie. he was dead set as I should come
to live with 'em. And Alice, she
wrote the sweetest little letter to beg
me to come: Because am 80 mex.
perienced, dear Aunt Hepsibah,' she
says, and you would be such COM
fort. And wrote back: my dears,
young folks is best by themselves,
and ! shouldn't be nothing but sort
of secondhand mother-in-law, artcr
all. Butt saysI, "Tll come to your
first christening, and glad of the
chance
"Well, l meant it only as joke, to
De sure, but 1t wasn't twelve month
afore Charlie wrote again:
"sDear Aunt Hepsy,' says he, the
time has come to claim your promise.
We have dear little girl, and she's
to be christened on Thursday. So
pack up your best silk gown, and one
of those dear old lace caps, with the
long round lappets, that always make
you look like Mother Bund, and
come on Wednesday. The train
leaves you al Harper's Station, and
I'll be there to meet you at seven pre-
cisely.'
i "Well, this was o surprise. l
couldn't help laughing and crying at
once, to think Of my little Charlie,
whose comforter l had tied around
his neck go many time, and him
starting off for school of frosty day,
being the father of little child him
self. And then I remembered that
: hadn't dress fit to wear, and that
: Desire Ann Burrough was just run
! ming up the brsadths of q new black
: silk, as was fit to stand alone with ite
q own richness. So trotted around
I there to hurry her up. 4 must have
Q it by Wednesday morning. says L
for I'm going to christening party
at Harper's Hail. And Desire, she
said 1t should be ready, If she had te
= cit up all night to put on the flounce
= l stopped on the way and got new
= pair of boots and new lace collar
: and cuffs, with q bow of lavender
ribbon, and took out my husband'
= old gold watch with the steel chain
= !. and the cameo brooch had when W,
]. were married, for 1 didn't want t.
= appear like dowdy among Alice
rich relations!
. "It was st. Valentines Eve, when
got off at Harper's Station. Not ,
IA oVuA Woo W UC eCOuy OACOPt tuO SlSuB
man, q putting mp his red lantern
with his face all tied up in scarf
and his breadth smoking in th'
10 moonlight like factory chimney.
l. "He looks around at me, and
% looks around at him.
81 Expecting somebody to meet you
II says he.
d "'Yes, sir saysI
o "tWhere from p says he.
|, "tHarper's Hail. says 1.
II "Nobody's been down to this train
n says he.
"It's very strange says 1. "Is j
far to Harper's Hall?'
Says he: "Do You see that rel
n light twinkling on the hill, among tn
It trees? That's Harper's Hall. Ant
if you'll wait twenty minutes till tn
next train has gone over the draw
= I'll walk there with you and carr,
:, your bag
:. "'Thankee SIR says l, but it's chill
= ly waiting, and / guess I'll trudg
!, along by myself, and the bag ain
II heavy. Pm obleeged to you just tn,
- same
= "tAll right, says he. "Its ,
J, straight road, and you can't miss it.
= $50 l give him friendly goot
: night, and off set.
. After going a little distance look
- y ed up and there was Charlie walkin,
= by my side.
= II don't deny as gave little start
> for hadn't heard so much rs footfal
" on the hard frozen ground, and ther'
: he was close to me, as pale as death
u and holding his hand to his head
= And how l came to notice it dom
" fairly know; but the amethyst rim,
as he used to wear on the little finge
;, Of that left hand wasn't there.
= "'Well, declare says L, syou'v
. given me pretty fright
"But he never says q word, bu
y - looks at me with that pale face, an,
- eyes that had sort of scared look il
'cm.
: "rCharlie," says /, whats the mat
y ter? Be you sick? Speak to you
:, I old aunty, says I, beginning to trem
} Bile all over.
. "But still he says not word an,
!. just then see face looking over hi
:. shoulder-the face of small, darl
:, man, with scar across his forehead
- and squint in his eyes. And i
i seemed as if he held his hands up t
$ strike. And l tried to scream out
ls but felt just like you do sometime
= in q nightmare, as if there was hun
I dred pound weight on my Ghost, an,
} couldn't move hand nor foot. An,
the first knew l was standing ther
. under the evergreen trees, with m,
} bag clasped tight in my two handi
= and nothing near but the moonligh
) and the boughs a-creaking in tn
. wind.
II 81 knowed it wasn't no dream, be
. cause folks don't dream standing upol
their feet, and with their eyes wild,
: open, but-what was it?
al II ran every step of the remaining
), way, old woman though / be. ant
y rushed like mad creature into tn
= Hall. Alice came to meet me.
!, Why, aunty,' says she, why hav'
yOu hurried SO fast? You're all ou
Of breath
n Where's Charlie ?' says I, with m,
! hand on my heart.
Isn't he out there?' says Alice
standing on tip.toe to look over my
!, shoulder. He went down to the trail
to meet you nearly an hour ago.
"tThen God have mercy ON hi
soul p says I, sitting down and be
ginning to cry. And I told 'em all.
Gas snre as I sit here" says ], ii
was Charles ghost stood by me il
Ithat 1nna1v opnf n N dor Tho v,inna