The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-05-15
THE HAUNTED HOUSE.

THE HAUNTED HOUSE.
Lawsy me, Aunt 'Lizabeth, you
don't fur TO tell me dat you're gwine tc
lib right here in de Simmons cabinr'
% And I'd like to know, Mary Jane,
wot fur / can't lib here" Mrs. Elizabeth
Smith replied, and if her face had NOT
been coal-black, you would have seen an
angry flush color it at Mary James i'm
pertinence. 80 reckon folks like Joe
and me, wot kin pay our rent, kin choose
our place. De house amt as good as
the one we lef' in Texas, and dere amt
one whole pane OBJ glass in de kitchen
window, but its handy farm fur corn
crop, and good orchard. We calklate
to 60 to Kansas next year, an we lowed
we haint seed any place dis side Stratton
suited us so wellr'
Don't pay much fur rent, guess, !"
was the next question, or rather asser-
ton.
It's dirt cheap. Only ten dollar,
house, farm, and all. DE folks wot
worked it fore we coined, dey didn't
lib in dis house, but in dat one way down
de field. Dey'll hab to turn out bag and
baggage, fur Joe wants all de land fur
his crap
g Maybe" Mary Jane replied, with
sniggle, I" but dere's been tree men fore
you coined, wot tuck de farm, and
wanted all de land, too. Some way it
didn't suit 'em, fur dey gin it up de fust
week, and Lish Potter, he's de man wot
Ibis yOnder, he kept it, and reckon
you Il be glad to glib it up. I'm mon
strous glad, Aunt 'Lizabeth, you've
coined here, but wish you hadn't tuck
dis Simmons farm
Mrs. Elizabeth was at the end of her
patience. She was portly old woman,
with q towering sense of her own inn
portance, and looked down with some
hing like contempt upon the speaker.
Mary Jane was distant relative, very
poor and shiftless, besides being weighed
Town by a large family of children.
Mrs. Elizabeth's dignity revolted |
lgainst these obscure hints which seemed
o reflect against the judgment of her
husband, who had selected the Simmons |
arm as the most eligible location in the |
leighborhood.
'sWhy don'tyou speak up, Mary Jane,
stead OBJ jawin' round a ting. Eff you
inks Joe Smif amt good jedge of rich
he fur crappin', why you don't know
him. OATS all. Nobody can't trow dust
n his eye, so you needn't insinivate de
and isn't good. Perhaps 1 mayn't like
Ie people, fur I've been customed to tip
Up society, black, and white, an reck-
N de folks round here amt much"
nth contemptuous glance at Mary
ane's shabby attire.
well, we amt airifed," Mary Jane
eplied, with an angry toss of her head,
but deere amt family round here
'ould lib in Simmons house eff you paid
I'm fifty dollars a mont. o, here's tish
otter's wife come to see you. Maybe
ne kin tell you why folkses don't stay
,ng in dis here house.
Mrs. Elizabeth was sorely troubled in
lind, but she greeted Mrs. Potter, who
as sharp-faced mulattress, with lofty
,urtesy. The visitor looked around GU
ously, sighed deeply, and shuddered,
she cast her eyes up to the ceiling.
1T makes me shibery ebry time
,mes in dis ROOM she explained.
You must be monstrous brave, Miss |,
nif to lib here. Pears to me I'd go {
Any ef l had to stay in harnted house s
ne night" Z
/" A harnted houser' Mrs. Elizabeth ,
reamed, her turban qiivering, and her
hole portly frame shaking with terror.
rave and daring about everything else, 4
e very name OF ghost threw her into a !
ate Of abject terror. I
:" Why, do tell, didn't YOU know II y
oreT Mrs. Potters sharp, cunning
re was fairly beaming at the excite '
emit she had produced. 81 fought /.
~ body knowed bout de Simmons q
ostesses. You'se stranger, and it's h
shame Mr.. Wiley didn't tell you why a
body kin lib on dis here place. We'se
'rked it nigh on to four year, but we'se a
anoder cabin. Folks come and 90, 4
nobody stops"
. didn't know nothin'," quavered h
!, frightened woman. I;
= Tell her bout it, Miss Potter Mary Il
ne cried. rather pleased ut seeing her e
ative's hanghty mien subdued. W
Well, it's awful. Ole Simmons he 2,
Id de house ten years ago, and he was M
ruel man, wot used to stick flies and "
terfIies on pins, and he had great h,
SITS full Of black beetles and snake or
IS stuffed. He nebber seed critter br
1idn't kill it fur his lection As he
ed it. Well. de Lordlet him run his st,
rse a-torturin' de dumb tings till his tn
, had coined.
One day he was standin' on de gal We
up dere looking out, when he heard wi
Use, and dere jest tween him and de
{ was big rattlesnake all in . pile
y % jump. De old sinner seed plain de
onldn't sit to de door, 50 he gin : | 81