The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-05-13

course a.torturin' de dumb tings till hi,
time had coined. -''
One day he was standin' on de pal.
! iery up dere looking out, when he heard
e noise. and dere jest tween him and dc
door was big rattlesnake all in a nile
ready to jump. De old sinner seed nIa;n
ne couldn't git to de door, SO he Din ]
scleecn' and jumped out on dat brick
pavement. e bis neck was broke, and dey
took him up stone dead.a' s Z
90 my blessed Marsterr' auavered
Elizabeth, show did de snake git up
u"i ssaA - s sssE
/ He had it in box, and someway de
Warmnt got out, but thinks it was de
eVli one hisself coined fur his own, Well.
TWO years arter dat, his son hanped his.
seiI IN dis room from dat iist.'' ..7.9..
E1zabeth screamed hysterieallv.
/ Wen, Gle house got bad name. and
de simmons family dey moved away.
Aunt Mary Green she bought de place.
1ur she sez, De white folks phostesses
amt gwine to trubble an honest ole col
ored woman De berry next week dew
found her dead in bed wild her pore face
all twisted round.
"Oders tuck de place, but de sn;rits
kept sich tromplin' in de loft. and a
bangini and brick-battin' At de doors
ana de wlnders, dat dey couldn't stay.
Sometimes OBJ dark night, eff You goes
out, someting almost knocks you down.
glpanin all de time, and sometimes
glvm' q awful screech, till your har
stands on eend.''
| 80, mercy ON us!'' groaned Elizabeth.
"Wot is we gwine to do, wid.d rent
paid, and our plumber moved herep Nv
Joe is a master hand fur prayir' and
slngin' HYMNS. He's 'ligious mar. is
Joe, and I've hearn tell sperits can't
abear de Bible.''
Joe Smith entered the room at that
moment, his face beaming with delipht
at the excellent bargain he had made ii,
getting the Simmons farm. He was a
small, wiry, nervous little man, much
lighter IN complexion than his wife, but
IN spite ct his diminutive stature, he was
master in his household.
He was accompanied by his only son.
pert, conceited young fellow about
eighteen years old, who had thorough
contempt for his parents homely ways
and opinions. though he did not dare
express himself in his fathers presence.
He had wholesome remembrance of
the discipline Of his early years.
Sarbent, ladies', y said Joe, with !
bow. Alexander, make your manners
to de company. Glad to see you, Mary
Jane, but I 'clar to goodness, ef YOU
amt skimpier and more dried up dan
you was in Texas. Country don't agree
wild you, I4reckon., =
Iwon't agree wild as, Joe, = groaned
his wife. g Miss Potter's been tellin'
me how dis here house is harnted.n
Now Joe was devout believer in the
supernatural, and it was terrible shock
to find himself in house with a phostly
reputation. But he was also a prudent,
money-loving man. He had paid his
rent in advance, he had brought his
stock and farming implements, and he
could not give up the place without a
pecuniary loss that he shrank from con-
templating.
. Well, reckon we'll hab to Law de
ghosts someway, he said, with sickly
smile, which did not impose upon sharp
eyed Mrs. Potter, who was watching
him intently. i..s.S
/" I'll promise to eat all the ghosts,''
said Alexander, laughing scornfully. II
declare, if mother don't really believe in
'em, shaking and trembling there. No
body-no educated person, I mean-be-
lieves in such things nowadays. I'm
wilIin' to face an army Of 'em I only
ask 'em to spar my mustaehe, laugh
ing and caressing q sparse assemblage of |
hairs on his upper lip.
Hush up, you wicked, sinful boy!'' |
groaned his mother. !. De sperits may |
be istenin' to your mockin' words. 3 |
Miss Potter, is you gwine, you and Mary
Jane, toop I'll come ober and see you
ef I'm spared to see anoder
sun. = ~
Mrs Potter shook hands with her
murmured, " Heben purtect
you! several times, gazed up at the fa-
tal joist with q groan and ashudder, and
was gone.
The husband and wife looked at each
other, and Elizabeth poured the doleful
tale into Joe's ears, who listened in dead
silence. The ghostly legends seemed to
Affect even the scoffer Alexander. for
when his mother told him to go to bed
II al 1uIlcF I0OLAys hae NdlOIOuS yOuLl
positively refused. So the whole family
lat by the fire, almost overcome by sleep
Ind WEAKNESS, but yet afraid to close
heir eyes.
Late in the night bang, bang, bang!
,ame, to the back Kitchen door, and SIM
there were shutting noises
leard in the loft overhead, accompanied
" gy'pans.
Too terrified to scream, Elizabeth
,lutched Joe tightly around the neck
/. Sing Rock OBJ Ages she gasped.
Maybe it'll drive 'em away.
Poor Joe's quavering voice rose faint
y in the first line, and when mocking
augh was heard overhead, and the hang,
'ang! commenced again on the back
Ioor. Crash went one of the kitchen
and then came the noise of
roken crockery.
I'm gwine to see bout it.. Joespoke
p, trying to summon up his departed .
ourage. ssD De ghostesses is maxim a
mash OBJ our crockery, and can't stay &
uiet and hear dat. I amt got money to
raste dat way"
20, don't go, Joe,' 2 sobbed Lizabeth,
i :.