The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-03-11
Charley's Ghost story.

NIoStE
''ralking Of stealing" said Charley Ben.
net, dropping the pumpkin he was turning
into lanterh,, "did ever tell you fcllcrs
about the time l went down to old Pop
Robins's to steal apples, and came back
past the barn where the horsethicf hung
himself years and years ago, cause he
knew that the onstables-they called 'cm
constables in those times--wcre after him,
and that he'd be hung by somebody else if
he didn'R No2 Here's ghost story for
you, then, and hope it will be warning
to you, all never to take anything that
don't belong to you specially apples"
"You sec, Billy Evans and were staying
with our folks at the hotel in Bramblcwood
that summer. and about two miles away
was Pop Robins farm. He used to bring
eggs and chickens and vegetables and fruit
to the hotel; and, oh my wasn't he stingy?
you'd better believe it. He wouldn't even
give you two or three blaclbcrrics, and if
you asked him for an apple, he'd trcmble
all over. A rcg'lar old miscr he was, with
lots of money, and bully apple orchard.
Let's go there some night and help our
Selves says Billy Evans, one day. Dogs,
says l.~s'Only one, says he; Il know him,
and so do you-TTold Snaggletooth; l gave
him almost all the meat wo took for crab
bait the day we didn't catch any. GAIL right
says I. E'''SH@''s+ ....s...s. = .'%sa
"But when the night we'd agreed on
came Billy had cousins-girls-dcw from
New York, and he had to stay home and
entertain them. l don't care much for
girls myself, and was afraid they might
want me to help entertain them too, SO
made up my mird TO go down to Pop Rob-
ms alone. 1t was splendid night; the
moon shone so bright that it was almost rs
Light as day. l scudded along, whstling
away, until got within half mile of tho
orchard, and then I stopped my noise and
walked as softly aspossible. till came to
the first apple tree. Skinned up that tree in
jify (old Snaggletooth didn't put in an ap
pcarance), filled my bag with jolly fat ap-
pies, and slid down again. But when I
came to lift the bag up on my shoulder,
1ound it was awful heavy to carry so far, and
was just agoing to dump some of the ap-
pies out, when remembered all of n sud
den that if l cut across the meadow to the
plank road, l could get back to the hotel
III little moro than half tho time il would
take to go the way came H."... .
$50 l. lshouldered my load and was nearly
across the meadow before l thought of
the haunted barn at the end of it, 1t wasn't
nice thing to remember; but wasn't ago
ing to turn back, ghost or no ghost, and l
tried to whistle again, when all at once that
thing Al Smith was singing just now pop
cd into my head. and says to myself,
That's 30, Charles e. Bennett; you and
your chums may Ihink'its great fun to help
yourselves to other peoples apples and
water-mclons and such things, but it's Just
as much stealing as though you went into
mans house and stole his coat 1t doesn't
seem as bad when you're gong for them,
out you're coming back, up q lonely read,
all alone, at ten o clock at night, lot of
stolen apples On your back, and haunted
barn not far off, it seems worse.
"All the same [ held on to the apples
And when faced the barn I determined
ia 'vhistle if died IN the attempt; but,
BOY. ! don't believe anybody could have
told that Yankee Doodle from sAuld
Lang Syne.' tell you my heart jumped;
when passed the tumble down old place;
but it stood still when, II marched up the
the plank-road, heard step behind me.
wheeled around in instant, but there
was nothing to be seen. Tho moon shone
as bright as ever, but there was nothing to
be seen! must have imagined it, says
to myself, and / walked little faster,
listening with all my might, and sure
enough pat, pat, pat, came tho step after
me. Again wheeled round. Not thing
dld see. And again | started on, the
apples growing heavier and heavier. Pat,
pat, pat, came the step. 1t wasn't like a
human step. That made it more dreadful.
1T must be tho ghost, 1 thought: and 1
don't mind telling you, folers, never was
SO frightened in my life. The time l fell
overheard was nothing to il. l made up
my mind, when Preached the bridge that
crossed little brook near our hotel I'd
streak it Il hadn't exactly run yet for was
saving my strength till the last). But be-
tore got to the bridge, says to myself
and niu st nave said it out loud, though I
didn't mean to-'Perhaps he wants tho
apples 80 .,...N
"Applesl' repeated hoarse voice, with
a horrid laugh.
II tell you, boys, those apples flew, and
l flew too. Over the bridge I went liko
lightning, and ran right into Barney Rear
don, one Of the stablemen, who was COM
ing to look for me. Something has follow
ed me, gasped, from the haunted barn
the ghost! did you see it, says he. NO,
saws l. though turned round dozen
times to look for it. But heard it pat,
pat, pat, behind me all the way sAnd it's
behind you now,' says Barney, bursting
into loud laugh. jumped about six feet.
'Thcre 1t is, says Barney, roaring again,
and pointing to-Pop Robins tame raven!
The sly old thing looked up at me, nodded
its shining black head, croaked Applet
and walked off. 1t had followed me from
the barn, and every time wheeled quickly
round, 1t hoped just as quickly behind
me, and SO of course saw nothing but the
long road and The moonlight on it, But I
never want to be scared again, and If ever
any OF you boys 60 for anything belonging
to other people, don't you count me in. .
What became of the applcs2' asked
jerry o. Neil
fyou'd been there I could have told
you, said Charley, Ey
Longevity OF Quaisers. ....
f.
1t appears from the annual list of NOM
bers of the Society of Friends, that the
number Of deaths among that body during