The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-10-23

Ter. 80, Aunt Keziah, do tell US all
about itr'
It was golden October day up on
the Hook Mountain. Everywhere
the woods were turning to red and
russell lin the silence of the glens the
nuts fell, with a mufied sound, and
pumpkins cleaned like huge the yell
lew California nuggets in the fields
where the corn had been cutdown
and stacked. And old Aunt Keziab,
sitting out onthe sunny porch with
her snow-white bands Of hair
brushed back under her stiff1y
neutrality-suspicious., and her silver
topped caAe beside her, was q fitting
picture Of the serene autumn of life.
"Do sit down, girls" gaid the old
lady. Betsy, bring cut some pound
cake and milk. Been muffin, have
you? Well, faint so many years ago
used to 60 myself, when the first
frosts shook 1.-THE chestnuts down,
and"
"But the ghost story. AuntKeziah,"
said Kate, coaxingly.
"Of course it was a ghost?' said
Aunt Keziah, solemnly. Yes, l
know what you're going to say
mere superstition, optical decisions,
and all that sort of thing. But don't
tell me! Didn't I see Helen Brad
bury with my own eyes, that winter
night, an hour after she drowned
herself in the Black Pool?
well, I'll tell you all about it, if
you want to hear. Pm an old wo-
man now, eighty years old next No
vember, and I amt one to give up
my experience to nobody else's new
tangled ideas
Helen Bradbury was a bright,
pretty girl as ever I see. She was
bound out to my brother Toms wife
when she was only twelve, and If
Cynthia Jane had only known how
to manage, she could have done any
thing she had mind to with Helen
Bradbury. Helen was an imPulslye,
afectionate young thing, and If she
did break bounds once in Will e,
and attend picnics and run after
young company, why; it wasn't such
state prison offense. l always
told Cynthia Jane it wasn't no use
trying to put old heads on young
shoulders. But Cynthia Jane she
fretted and scolded, and hadn't no
patience, and so one day when heard
there had been an up and down flare
up I wasn't bit surprised. I..don't
know-no, and l never knew-just
exactly what it was that Cynthia
Jane said to the child to sting her so
sharp. Whatever it was, though,
it had something to do with the
young campers out, who had their
tent down on White Rock Bluff.
Half a dozen young college lads they
were, and used to go larking and ser
enading around the country. The
girls often used to walk down to the
camp of moonlight nights, and l
don't know where the particular
harm was. But there Cynthia Jane
hadn't no patience. And Helen-so
they told me afterwards-she just
ran out of the house as white as a
sheet, and says she, 1 wont endure
thisl I'll drown myself first says
she, Drown yourself then says
Cynthia Jane. 1T the best thing
you can do, according to my way Of
thinking. But, law, Cynthia Jane,
never s'pesed that the girl really
would do such thing. She stood
in the doorway wiping the fow'ry-
blue cheeny dish that was ia her
hand and watched Helen dart like a
bird down the mountain path and
disappear in the glenl 1t wasn't no
great spell arter that Hamir Hall
came in. He'd been a gunnin' in the
woods and he had a sort Of scared
look on his face. Is Helen here ?
said he. Says Cynthia Jane. No
Then it's her l SEEM said Hiram.
bangin' the stock of his gun down
on the floor. i thought so then, and
now I'm sure of it. Seen her where?
says cynthia Jane. Jump headlong
into the Black Pool says Hiram
Hall. And Cynthia Jane, Lord for
give me- says she, and drops down
on the floor in a dead faint
"Well, you see knew nothing Of
all this at the time. 1 was just
comm up the mountain with nay
pail of cream in nv hand, for | knew
Tom was partial to cream and their
COW IdU ul6U SlA W0chS dlOIO' ~
was clear moonlight, just as bright
as day-and there, standin' in the
path, close by the bars, where you
came up from tue Black Pool, was
Helen Bradbury, her black dress
seemed to be shinin' all over with
water drops, and her face as dead
white as if it was cut in marble. /
stood still and stared at her. Lands
sake alive, Helen says [ how ever
came you here, with your dress all
wetY And l stopped down to pick
up my spectacles, for my sight was
failing me even then, and when L
looked up again she was gone.
"Well, 1 didn't think SO much on
it then. Helen was always quick in
her ways, and after I'd called Helen !!
Helenp once or twice, and got no an
sWer, I went on up the mountain.
"But there wasn't no one at the
house. They were all down to the
Black Pool. OF course there was no
use going there. The Black Pool
isn't much of piece of water to look
at, but every body around here
knows that it is bottomless. They
found the BIT of q blue silk handker-