Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-03-11
NO. 10.


| VI SdlQ O1aTlGY bGu-
net, dropping the pumpkin he was turning
into lantern, did ever tell you fellers
about the time / went down TO old Pop
Robins's to steal apples, and 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 didntl NoS Here's a ghost story for
you, then, and i hope it will be warning
to you, all never to take anything that
don't belong to you specially apples.
''You see, Billy Evans and were STAYING
with our folks at the hotel in Bramblewood
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 myI wasn't he stingyi
you'd better believe it. He wouldn't even
give you two or three blackberries, and if
you asked him for an apple, he'd tremble
all over. A reg'lar old miser 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 |. Only one, says 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 "AIl right
says l.
'But when the night we'd agreed on
came, Billy had cousns-girls-dcw from
New York, and he had to stay home aud
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 miLd 10 go down to Pop Rob-
in IS alone. 1t was splendid night; the
moon shone so bright that it 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 in
a jiffy (old Snaggletooth didn't put in an ap-
pearance), filled my bag with jolly fat ap-
pies, and slid down again But when
came to liftthc bag up on my shoulder,
found it was awful heavytO carry so far, and
L was just agoing to dump some of the ap-
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 It, would
take to 60 the way came.
80 shouldered my load and was nearly
across the meadow before / 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 |
tried to whistle again, when all at once that
thing Al Smith was singing just now pop
ed into NV head, and says L TO myself,
That's SO, Charles 4. Bennett; you and
your ehums may think its great fun to help
yourselves to other peoples apples and
water-melons and such things, but it's just
as much steahng as though you went into
mans house and stole his coat Ii doesn't
seem as bad when you're going for them,
but you're coming back. up lonely read.
all alone, at ten o clock at night, q lot OF
stolen apples on your back; and haunted
barn not far of, it seems worse.
''All the same, 1 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 sAuld
Lang Syne.' / tell you my heart jumped:
when passed the tumble down old place;
but il stood still when, as l marched up the
the plank-road, heard step behind me.
| wheeled around in instant, but there
was nothing to be seen. The moon shone
as bright as ever, but there was nothing TO
be seen! 4 must have imagined it, says
to myself, and / walked a little faster,
listening with all my might, and sure
enough pat, pat, pat, came the step after
me. Again wheeled round Not thing
did see. And again l started on, the
apples growing heavier and heavier. Pat,
pat, pat, came the step. 1t wasn't like
human step. That made it more dreadful.
1T must be the ghost, / thought: and
don't mind telling you, fellers, never was
so 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 it 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 /
didn't mean to-P perhaps he wants the
apples.h t1ala9. Efafi ~
'Apples! repeated a hoarse voice, with
horHd laugh.
II tell you, boys, those apples flew, and
flew too. Over the bridge went like
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 it9 says he. No,
saws l, though l turned round dozen
times to look for ii. But / heard it pat,
pat, pat, behind me all the way tAnd it's
behind you now,' says Barney, bursting
finto loud laugh. l jumped about six feet.
There it is, says Barney, roaring again,
and pointing to-Pop Robins tame ravenl
The sly old thing looked up at me, nodded
its shining black head, croaked Apples
and walked off. 1t had followed me from
the barn, and every time wheeled quickly
round, it hoped just as quickly behind
me, and so of course I saw nothing but the
long road and the moonlight on il. But L
never want to be scared again, and if ever
any of you boys go for anything belonging
to other people, don't you count me in"
'eWhat became of the applesG' asked
Jerry o. Neil
elf you'd been there l could have told
you, +" said Charley,
Il