The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-03-25
Cllarloy's Ghost Story.
1t is q sin to steal . pin,
Al -A11 .. ann r,~o>Ao~ Ak,f~-

rhyme" drawled Hen Rowe (whose
father was poet), patting the singers
daxen head in patronizing manner.
Talking of stealing" said Charley
Bennett, dropping the pumpkin he was
turning into a lantern, "did I ever tell
You fellers about the time I went down
to old Pop Robins to steal apples, and
came back past the barn where the
thief hung himself years and years
ago, cause he knew 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?
No? Here's ghost story for You then,
and I hope it will be warning to you
all never to take anything that doesn't
belong to you, Especially 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 :;
aud, oh myl wasn't he stingy? 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 regular old miser
he was, with lots Of money and bully
apple orchard. Lets go there some
night and help ourselves says Billy
Evans, one day. Dogs says /. 'Only
one says he; know him, ana so do
you-old Snaggletooth; I gave him al
most all the meat We took for crab bait
the day wo didn't catch any, All right
Gays I.
"But when the night we'd agreed on
came Billy had cousins-girls- down
from New York, and he had to stay
home and entertain them. I don't care
much for girls myself, and was afraid
they might want me to help entertain
them, too, so I made up my mind to 20
down to Pop Robins alone. It was a
splendid night; the moon shone so
bright that it was almost as bright as
day. I scudded along, whistling away,
until I got within half a mile of the
orchard, and then I stopped my noise
and walked as softly as possible till I
came to the first apple tree. I Skinned
up that tree in iitfy (old Snaggletooth
didn't put in an appearance), filled my
bag with jolly fat apples, and slid down
again. But when I came to lift the bag
up on my shoulder I found it was awful
heavy to carry so far, and was Just
u-going to dump some of the apples out
when 1 remembered all of sudden
that if / cut across the meadow to the
plank al I could get back to the hotel
in little more than half the time it
would take to go the way I came.
so l shouldered my load, and was
nearly across the meadow before I
thought of the haunted barn at the.end
OF it. It wasn't nice thing to re-
member; but I wasn't agoing to turn
back, ghost or no ghost, and tried to
whistle again, when, all at once, that
thing al Smith was singing just now
popped into my head, and says I to N.Y.
sell, 'That's so, Charles F. Bennett; YOU
and Your chums may think it's great fun
to help yourselves to other peoples ap.
pies and watermelons and such thing.
but it's just as much stealing as though
you went into a mans house and stole
his coat It doesn't seem as bad when
you're going for 'em, but when you're
coming back, up o lonely road, all alone,
at 10 o'clock at night, q lot of stolen an
pies on your back, and a haunted barn
not far off, it seems worse.
All the same I held on to the apples.
And when faced the barn determined
I'd whistle if l 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 it stood still when, as
marched up the plank-road, [ heard a
step behind me. l wheeled around in
On instant, but there was nothing to be
scent I must have imagined it, says
l to myself, and walked little faster,
listening with all my might, and, sure
enough, pat, pat, came the step after
me. Again I wheeled round. Not a
thing did see. And again 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,
l thought; and I don't mind telling
you, fellers, I never was so frightened
in my life. The time I fell overheard
was nothing to it. I made up my mind,
when ! reached the bridge that crossed
. little brook near our hotel, I'd streak
it 4 hadn't exactly run yet, for was
saving my strength till the last). But,
before 1 got to the bridge, says I 20
myself-and I must have said it out
loud, though I didn't mean to-'Per-
haps he wants the apples
"Applesl' repeated a hoarse voice,
with horrid laugh.
II tell you, boys, those apples few,
and few, too. Over the bridge I went
like lightning, and ran right into Bar
ney Reardon, one of the stable men,
who was coming to look for me-.
Something has followed me- gasped,
from the haunted barn-the ehosti 7
Did you see itP' says he. No. says I,
though turned round q dozen times
to look for it. But I heard it. pat, pat,
pat behind me all the way And it's
behind you now, says Barney, bursting
into loud laugh. I jumped about six
feet. There it u.s. says Barney, roar
ing again, and pointing to Pop Robins
tame ravenl The sly old thing looked
up at me, nodded it's shining black
head, croaked 'Applesv and walked of.
1t had followed me from the barn. and
every time I wheeled quickly round it
hoped just as quickly behind me, and
30, OF course, I saw nothing but the
long road and the moonlight on il.
Butt never want to be 80 scared again.
and, 1t ever any Of you boys 60 for any
thing belonging to other people, don't
, you count me in"
What became OF the apples9" asked
Jerry ONeil.
III you'd q been there could have
told you" said Charley.
A Remarkable Beast-tamer.
Strange stories come from India of the
teats performed by a native mesmerize,
named BUM, whose magnetic powers ap-
pear to be found quite Irresistible BY the
lower animals, upon which he exclusive
~ exerts it. He gives seances to which
the public are invited to bring all man.
ner Of ferocious and untamable wild
aud 1~oll