The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-10-20

been to Htfsburg felt bound to pose be- fore poor creature like Tim Mulcahy, who had never left his native mountains. And so, to fnd out whether Patsy nigh, not have some reciprocal confidence 10 volunteer. told him my own ghost story. which isn much of ghost story after ali Ina, Lad of thirteen or fourteen should look in al the open door of a dining room and behold there a woman seated before the ire that he should carefully regard her shawl and hat and gown. ~on- der.ng who she could be; tha, he should forthwith go ard ask the other people m he house and bring them 10 the door of the room only 60 discover that the char was vacant and that by To possibility could any stranger have been there and lei; 5: and then 10 ind that thls porteni was followed by no calamity whateyer- neither funeral nor a wedding nor any tmng-ihis II must be confessed. was a poor nd weak ghost story. which should De ashamed 10 say word abou, to the rsyeh;eal society. But i, deeply inter ested Patsy: and he was eager to knoa whether il was a real ghost |; and when l answered iha, of course II was only Al ol ;lea illusion, he remained silent for 4 isme. and then repeated his wise aphorlsm--
 Maybe there's more going on than VIC krow"
 Agan Patsy was silen, for time; and then. rather with the ar of man who is compelled to confess something aga,ns, hls sill. he said
 N eli. SOFT. new iha, were on |, l wi!l teil you what happened ,e me: bni don't like speaking oi l,-the less that's sad tae better. but uill tel yeu N hat hap tei.d ne SOFT and IS nanny the year sinee ,ould any one ,he story Twas nineteen at the tune. Ny mother and me. we had gone to inc far of Letter nahlneh 10 sell t~o sheep: and there we were all day. and the oivll d bii could we sell the sheep. No matter. Patsy. said my mother To me. il the md of the day. you'll buy yourself the pair of ne~ boots all the same, for who knows when we'll next be in \, LetternAhinch from the farm: And so bought,he palr of boots, and mighty proud l was of thim, SOFT, you may be sure and l kep, ihim on during the evening. until t was tune for us 10 set out to walk back 10 the farm. for the devil of an offer could we get for the sheep. We'll now. SOFT, about tree miles from Letternahinch, or maybe ',ls three miles and | halt. there's Il wood and d dark wood l, was that night. though l, was a inoonI ght night and the road as white as silver; and says l, Mother. the new boots are hurting my feet wal; a minute now and I'll take them ort. But she went on with the sheep: and was sit ting down at the edge oi the wood taking of the boots, whin there ~as d nose ana something rushed at me from the wood and hit me slap and wen, by. Sure ! hope your honorll niver see anything like that terrible beast Twas IT the road nov, and l was up. with the boots m one hand and little bit oi stuck Tn the other and l kept threatening II when il came near 10 attack me. l called out to my mother, but she was frightened too she wouldn', look back Come an. Patsy. come an" she cried 10 me and dursn', rIa, for fear ot the beast.
 Bu, what was II like. Patsy"
 Well. SOFT, will make you sinsible ct it: though was all of thrimble. for II followed me along the road. and some times twas Tn the ditch. ard when couldn't see II heard II, and my mother heard il, and she was as terrified as was
 Twas about four or tive feet long-yls. SOFT, mabe i've feet Ii was and red. and when II put up its head twas like to strike al me like a snake, but l had bit of a stick in my hand and l kep, tha, turned to It, Maybe II had legs bu, could see none. and ,he body-well now the body was abou, the thickness of thin dog. long and thin i, was-and the noise |; made was terrible. terrible. Well, now SOFT, maybe Il was fancy. l understand that Maybe II was something in my own head fever. But nanny and nanny IS inc tune have thought over Il, and what bothers me intirely IS that my mother should have heard Il when II was growing at me in the ditch
 Even now the recollection of this strange thing seemed To overshadow Patsy with fear and trembling. His eyes were distraught: and ne spoke like one speaking 10 himself. and escribing something that he actually saw before him.
 Twasn't the size of II, your honor, .ha; frightened me sure i. couldn', reach q, me higher than the knee. when II put up its head as if Il would strike me. bur there was something terrible about II that made me ,hnmble from me head 10 me foot. And whin 1 put down my stick |, would keep back. running along by the side O me, bat always wid its head turned 10 me. and threatening :; and sure l WAS afraid 10 strike Il. fl l had the power, but was wake with the thrimbling and my mother she ~ouldn' !, look back--'twasa a Gods truth. your honor, l never was m such frigh, as that night. And thin. when II Jeff the road for a while, knew II was there still all the time, by hearing of its growing A; me 1. and a, such times whin II was n the di,ch l would have hurried on faster, and go; up to my mother, but my legs were wake with the fush;, and sure was afraid | would come up behind me If was 10 run. There nov. SOFT, there may be an explanation will no, say ID 10 iha; : maybe twas kind Of fever n my head , Es.. .