Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-03-30


TOM LEGGETs GHOST.
Tom Legget was the name of very
eccentric individual who formerly lived
In the town of Greenfield. Vermont. His
eccentricity WAS not of that kind which
made him unpopular by either word or
act. Indeed. Tom would not have will
ingly injured the n-anest insect that
ever crawled. Still, he had his errors-
grave errors-and excessive drinking was
one OF them.
In Squire Deans store. on stormy
night in winter, after inviting all hands
te drink, Tom would launch into the
greatest maze OF yarns about this, that
aud the other, ever heard Of. 1t was ac-
knowlsdged by all that, when about half
tipsy, he could invent more lies tn IN
any other man i'm town.
On the night when the following story
of his was told-which | give as near
Uerbdtim as / remember-the Squire's
store was pretty well filled with a motley
assembiage OF neighbors. Some were
seated In chairs around the stove. others
on top OF barrels, and some on the lower
end CT the counter. Customers were
scarce, and the company present were
mainly bent upon the enjoyment OF their
pipes. with nip now aud then at the
Squire's cider, which contained some
thing little stronger than apple juice.
A few feeble jokes had been gotten oil
at somebody's expense in the company.
which were not relished any too well,
when Tom opened with the following
interrogatory
II say, Squire. did We ever hear tell of
a genuine ghost about these parts-a real,
downright, out-and-out ghost?'
mo, Tom, | never did; unless that
lame mule of Farmer Jones', which the
boys whiiewashed and tied To the church.
bell. was one."
MARY time, Squire - sail the unlucky
owner of that piece OF mule flesh, who
occupied one Vf the ba- rel heads. Those
boys got their deserts, and that ere mule
is jest as pretty an animal as ever We laid
eyes on now
"Then Tom had better give US his
story, for | have never heard that one
about the mule beaten yet. What say
the company ?"
The story! The story.' they all ex-
claimed.
Tom cleared his throat, adjusted him.
self to a more comfortable position i'm
his chair before the glowing fire, and
I'VE all remember the cold. clustering.
diSagreeab,e weather OF last both OF No
vember, suppose? L. was the night
JEFF kn0x's brlndled steer died, ami all
tue ponds hereabOut froze up solid Well,
ON that night, as some OF you well know,
for l see 'em here now, was seated with
you around this stove and engaged In
about the same advertisements. We got
rather noisy as the hours wore on. and
ut last the Squire. here. turned us all out
Of doors. Didn't We, Squire ?"
ut was about the hour of closing, l
think" mildly answered the Squire.
Yes, and as we stood shivering around
the doorstep. the midnight express came
Numbering through the town, and ye
asked us all in again for Il nightcap.
Well, when reached home that night,
some one had LETT light OIL the sitting
room table, with mate 10 it i'll the fire.
place thought it strange that such a
big. roaring fire should have been lett
Tor me TO go to bed by-quite an unusual
thing. line old people have set up later
than common" thought, never once
thinking OF the boys. | sat down in the
big armchair in front of the fire place,
took off my boots and put them beside
the fender. and then lay back and watch
ed the huge back log blaze.
This is solid comfort" thought /.
Here am, having a nice time of il, and
outside the weather is cold as blazes ~
decided to have little smoke, and
then retire; so blew out the light and
put my feet upon the fender. Very soon
after fell asleep in the chair, with the
pipe in my mouth. had distinct re
membrance Of hearing the bell ring one.
and of comparing the time with our
old clock i'm the corner 1t was just two
minutes behind. When / awoke the
hard pointed to three. 1 had slept two
hours. Relighting my pipe, | turned
my attention toward the fire, which had
got down to embers. Fuel was added,
and soon had the pleasure of feeling
myself growing warmer, for the room
had cooled off rapidly during my sleep.
1t was half-past three o'clock when l
concluded to retire. 1 rose to get the
lamp, when my eye fell upon the west
window, which looks out into an old
cornfield back of the house. Was it fancy?
Did my eyes deceive me? thought as
j looked mans face dropped down out
of sight. The curtain moved as if some
one had hit it Intentionally and set it |
from side. L did not see how
il could be done with the window shut.
While was watching it, and trying to
think where the draft came from, the
object that first gave me the shock came
into view. 1t stood there, looking
straight into the room; manor at least
y mans face.
"Heavens and earth! What ails the
man p asked myself.
There was i'm his face such an express
sion Of diabolical wickedness as l never
again wish to behold. He made no
movement nor spoke word to explain
himself. But right there under the VIII
dow, IN black, shiny broadcloth coat,
IN old silk hat that had seen many
changes in fashion set jauntily on one
side of his head. tor all the world Sec
ond edition CT the village schoolmaster;
his face an and pale, with high Cheek
bones, his chin covered with stubble OF
short beard. But, most startling OF all,
and what filed me with horror, was his
throat cut from ear to ear, the blood
oozing down drop by drop over white
shirt front! 1t was horrible! Those
dead eyes looking into the room-the
man standing there as ii he had been a
statue cut in stone.
There was something so horrible in his
face that for minute or so stood by
the chair as ii struck dumb. Where had
! seen that shiny black coat and old plug
hat? Somewhere. it seemed to me, IN
my own family. His features, too, were