The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-09-07
Capturing a Ghost.

DAUL CHENEY sat at his desk in
i the school room of rural district,
where he had been teaching Ito use
well-worn adage) the young idea how to
shoot. His present task was that of
writing letter to chum In his city
home.
No doubt (he wrote) you imagine
am dwelling in sort Of rural Arcadia,
and just as far as physical nature goes,
am, for there can be nothing more
green than the hills, nothing more clear,
cool or limpld, or musical than the
brooks that everywhere ribbon the
valleys. Paradise itself could not pro-
duce more life giving breezes, and yet
my life Is burden, because the girls
land they are greatly the majority of
my pupils) are such wide awake, mis-
chief-lovlng, tormentlng beauties rs
were never before given to one person to
manage. They will have their own
way, and completely demoraliSe the
school they tease, coax, and wheedle
me out of my most important rules, and
when endurance ceases to be II virtue,
cast upon me such reproachful glances
aud put up such pouting, pretty lips,
that fellow is tempted to seize his hat
and vamose the ranch, as they say
West But in spite of my complaints,
don't imagine me subjugated. have
at last issued positive command for the
students not to range Off during study
hours, as has been the practice.
A sort of Glpsy encampment Is located
near an isolated nook among the hills.
Among the tribe is an old fortune-teller,
and of course the pretty heads of my
female scholars are completely turned,
and have not only laid down the law
against visiting the camp, but fixed a
penalty thereto.
Now know you will raise your hands
in holy horror when tell you that after
exhausting every other form of punish
ment, from the Ounce cap to writing
lengthy compositions (the bitter abhor-
renee of every feminine heart y and all
to no purpose, have in this instance,
resoited to the old-fashioned one, the
ferrule And so help me fate, l will
carry it out to the bitter end, and make
every little hand smart whose owner
disobeys, or my name Is not Paul
Cheney"
The school house where our hero pre-
sided was some distance from the village
where he boarded, and the walk, though
pleasant, was lonely and passing
graveyard. And of late wierd tales had
been told of ghosts who walk there by
moonlight, and in one or two instances,
when the schoolmaster had been belat-
ed he had observed an object clothed in
white fit at distance before him, and
in his very path. Though a tritle
startled, he had no doubt that it was u
riddle that time would unravel. There
fore, upon the night when he had re-
mained writing to the city friend, as he
hurried homeward to be in time for
supper, he gave the matter no thought
and had reached the boundary of the
graveyard when he was confronted by
the white robed apparition, approaching
him with extended arms.
The suggestions natural to its appear
ance were the reverse of pleasant, yet
he never dreamed the gliding visitant
was other than earthly, and quickened
his pace to meet it, but to his astonish-
ment it disappeared as quickly and
entirely as if swallowed by the earth.
Not little startled and puzzled, he
fastened home, but kept his own coun-
sci.
The next morning he proceeded to
school more early than usual and spent
some time in reconnoitering the walk of
the ghost, and evidently to his satisfac-
ton, for the broad smile that illumin-
ated his face as he entered the school
room, appeared to assure the pupils that
their teacher was in the best humor,
and they would accordingly receive
many indulgences.
At recess a number of pretty heads
were in close consultation, and Sue
salmon, a black-eyed beauty said with
q pout:
Wasn't 1t mean for Mr.. Cheney to
threaten to whip any one who went up
to the Gipsy encampment? Just as if
he dared to do it'll"
:" would like to see him ferrule my
hand" chimed in May Ellis.
"Or mine, eitherl" exclaimed Kitty
Dalton. " What's the use of being such
cowardly ninnies, girls ? Let's go in
spite of him."
81 will pay for any girl who will go
with me to-day to have her fortune