The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-04-23


house she had always regarded as Bit
| ter trial.
| 1t seemed as if she had never for
given Becky for it, or for being child
with all child's thoughtlessness and
love of play. She expected more of
her than she did of her own girls, who
were older; and could never under
stand why Becky should not content.
eddy settle down into the quiet, woman
~ drudge she wished her to be. Yet
Becky was only eleven years old.
The child went off with the basket,
sobbing with fear and despair at the
thought of what she had to do. 1t was
really not very dark, only deep twi-
light, on q pleasant summer evening.
No doubt her aunt was right in saying
there was really nothing for her to be
afraid of; yet the sensitive, imaginative
child could not help being afraid.
The old DimmOck house stood in a
undergoing repairs, and Becky had
more than once been there for shaw
ings, which the carpenters allowed her
to carry away.
She was not afraid when the men
were there. Oh, why, she thought, had
she not left her play, and gone an hour
before, when she could have got some
other girl to go with her. and have
made the task pleasure? Poor Becky
was always doing some such thought
less thing, which was sure to provoke
her aunt, and give herself all the more
trouble and pain; yet she never could
learn wisdom.
She blamed herself a little; but she
blamed others much more. Her aunt
might have waited for the shavings till
morning; or she might have sent Tom
for them-cOusin Tom. who was four
teen years old and not afraid of any,
thing.
But Tom was proud, willful boy; he
wouldn't be seen going through the
streets with basket of shavings. His
sisters, Josephine and Laura, who were
almost young ladies, could not, of
course, be expected to do such a thing;
but poor little Becky presumed to think
such errands-especially after dark
belonged to Tom.
She met Tom on the street with two
other boys. He had the stump of a
cigar in his mouth, and he was talking
loud and staggering.
TOMB she called to him, implor-
ingly; -,
torted, not deigning to turn his head.
but just putting out his chin sidewise
toward her, and putting away at his
cigar-stump in lQaferish fashion.
"Please 60 with me for the shavings,
won't you? Do, Tomr'
"Hi-hi-hi!" Tom snickered. $50
with you for shavings! that's good
joke"
"T'm afraidr' she pleaded.
"Afraid. you goose! What are you
afrlid of? The old house is full of
ghosts, but they never hurt anybody,
only silly little girls that are afraid of
'em; they scare them almost to death
sometimes! Hi-hi-hi! come along"
cried Tom to his companions, putting
back into his teeth the stump, which he
had flourished in his fingers whilst
making this foolish speech.
Ghosts in the old house! Poor Becky
knew well enough that Tom never let
lie stand in the way of any mischief or
sport of his, and she wouldn't have
minded at all what he said if she hadn't
been so frightened. But now all her
vague fears of the darkness and soil
tude of the deserted house took shape
to her fancy, and became horrible spec
tiers.
She stopped at the door, crying desc
lately. She would not have had strength
to 90 step farther if the certainty that
it was growing darker all the while, and
that she would be whipped if she should
go home without the shavings, had not
given her momentary resolution.
Tom had said that the ghosts scared
only little girls who were afraid of them.
Then she wouldn't be afraid. She would
be brave for once. So she nerved her.
self.
Breathless. trembling, cold shivers of
fear creeping over her from head to
foot, she mounted the steps, paused
moment to listen in the dim entry, then
glided softly into the room where the
shavings were.
There she paused again. She could
see nothing but the faint outline of the
workbench, the bare walls, and the
windows through which the evening
light came. Suddenly she heard a rustic
in the shavings. 1t may have been
caused by prowling cat, or perhaps by
some beggar who had crawled in there
for nights lodging. But to poor little
Becky it was the rising of the ghosts,
and she really fancied she saw huge
head, with horns and fiery eyes, starting
out of the darkness. All her courage,
which had cost her so much, was gone
in an instant. She dropped her basket
and ran.
Out of the house and down the steps
she went, and along the street, until she
began to meet people. Then she came
to herself a little. and remembered the