West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-02-21

Talking of stealing" said Charley Ben
net, dropping the pumpkin he was turning
into lantern, did ever tell you fellers
about the time l went down To old Pop
Robinss TO steal apples, aud came back
past the barn where the horsethief hung
himself years and years ago, cause he
knew that the constables-they called 'em
conStables in those times-were after him.
and that he'd be hung by somebody else if
/ he didn't Nog Here's "a ghost story for
you, then, and hope il will be warning
TO you, all never To take anything that
/ don't belong 10 you specially apples"
you see, Billy Evans and were staviug
with our folks at the hotel in Bramblewood
that summer, and about two miles away
was Top Robins farm. He used 10 bring
eggs and chickens and vegetables and fruit
To the hotel; and, oh my. wasn't he stingv2
you'd better believe il. He wouldn't even
give you two or three blackberries. and if
You asked him for an apple, he'd tremble
all over. reg'lar old miser he was, with
lots of money, and bully apple orchard.
let's 60 there some night and help our
selves says Billy Evans, one day. Dogs.
SAYS |. Only one, saws he; Il know him.
and so do you-old Snaggletooth; | gave
him almost all the meat we took for crab
bait the day we didn't catch any. "All right
saysl.
But when the night we'd agreed on
came, Billy had cousins-girls-d-w -wn from
New York, and he had to stay home and
entertain them. | don't care much for
/ girls myself, and | was afraid they might
want me To help entertain them too, so
made up my mir d TO go downto Pop Rob
ms alone. 1t was splendid night; the
moon shone SO bright that il was almost as
light as day. / scudded along, whistling
away, until got within half mile of the
orchard, and then | stopped my noise and
walked as softly as possible, till | came to
the first apple tree. | Skinned up that tree i'm
a Jiny (old Snaggetooih didn't put in an APP
pcarance), filled my. bag with jolly fat APP
pies, and slid down again. But when /
came to lift the bag up on my shoulder,
found II was awful heavyto carry so far, and
was just agoing to dump some Of the APP
| pies out, when remembered all of "A sud
den that if | cut across the meadow to the
plank road, l could get back to the hotel
IN little more than half the time il would
take to go the way came
so ! shouldered my load and was nearly
across the meadow before / thought of
the haunted barn at the end of it. Ii wasn't
nice thing to remember; but wasn't ago
ing to turn back, ghost or no ghost, and
tried TO whistle again, when all at once that
thing AL Smith was singing just now pop
Ell into my head, and says | TO myself.
That's so, Charles r.. Bennett; you and
your chums may think its great fun to help
yourselves to other peoples apples and
water-melons and such things, but it's Just
as much stealing as though you went into
mans house and stole his coat Ii doesn't
seem as bad when you're gong for them,
but you're coming back, up lonely road,
all alone, at teno' clock at night, lot of
tstolen 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 / determined
I'd whistle If died IN the attempt; but,
boys, don't believe anybody could have
told that Yankee Doodle from Aud
Lang Syne.' tell you my heart jumped:
when passed the tumble-down old place:
but IL stood still when, as marched up the
the plank-road, / heard step behind me.
i wheeled around in a instant, but there
was nothing To be seen. The moon shone
as bright as ever, but there was nothing TO
be seem i must have imagined it, saws
to myself, and ] walked little faster.
listening with all my might and sure
enough pat, pat, pat, came the step after
me- Again wheeled round Not "A thing
did see. And again / started on, the
apples growing heavier and heavier. Pat.
pat, pat, came the step. II wasn't like n
human step. That made it more dreadful
1T must be The ghost, thought: and
don't mind telling you, fellers, never was
50 frightened in my life. The time | fell
overheard was nothing TO IT, ] made up
my mind, when reached the bridge that
crossed little brook near our hotel. I'd
streak 1t q hadn't exactly run yet for was
saving my strength till the last) But be
fore got to the bridge, says ! to myself
and must nave said it out loud though !
dldnt mean to-'Perhaps he wants the
apples
Apples! repeated a boarse voice, with
a hUrrid laugh.
~ tell you, boys, those apples flew, and
l New too. over the bridge j went like
lightning and ran right into Barney Rear
don one OF the siablemen, who was com.
ing 10 look for me. Something has follow
ed me, j gasped, from the haunted barn
the ghost!' did you see it, says he. NO.
saws |, though / turned round a dozen
times TO look for il But I heard IL pat
pat, pat behind me all the way. And it's
N+''''N t'' aa'fWf ehlo iJdIHtNt DNfhtlUN
into aloud laugh. / jumped about six feet.
There 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 'Apples!'
and walked of. II had followed me from
the barn, and every time wheeled quickly
round, 1t hopped just as quickly behind
me, and Oof course / saw nothing but the
long road and the moonlight on II. But
never want TO be scared again, and II ever
any OF you boys go for anything belonging
70 other people, don't you count me in.
What became Of the apples1' asked
jerry o Neil
IF you'd been there could have told
you, said Charley,
Longevity OF Quakers
II appears from the annual list Of mem
! bers Of the Society of Friends that tho