The Brookhaven leader., 1883-07-12

spend Christmas He was just a terror,
was this boy. He had been n District
Telegraph Me senger boy, and he
WASH. afraid of anything. The folks
told hun about the ghost, but he said
he didn't care for any living ghost, and
| had Just rs soon see him as not.
That night the boy woke up, and saw
the ghost standing in his bedroom, and
he said: "Thishycr is nice conduct,
coming into a gentleman room with
out knocking. What do you want,
anyway
The ghost replied in the most respect.
full way that he wanted to find the own
er of the umbrella. Il stole that um-
brella when was alive" he said, land
l am filed with remorse."
II should think you would be, said
the boy, 'fOr it is the worst old cotton
umbrella ever saw"
"If can only find the owner and
give it back to him." con inued tie
| ghost. al can get little rest; but We
been looking for him ninety years, and
l can't find him."
"Serves you right" said the boy,
''for not send ng for a messenger.
! You re in luck to meet me. Gimme
the umbrella, and I'll give it back to
the Cwner."
'.Bless you," said the ghost, handing
the umbrella to the boy; ''you have
saved me. Now | will go away and
rest" and he turned to go out of the
door, when the boy said:
''See here; it's fifty cents for taking
an umbrella home, and I've got to be
paid in advance"
But haven't got any money" said
the ghost.
Cant help that" said the boy.
"You give me fifty cents; or else take
your umbrella back again. We don't
do any work in our office for nothing"
Well, the end of it all was that the
ghost left the umbrella with the boy,
and the next n ght he came back with
the money, though where he got it no.
body will ever know. The boy kept the
money, and threw the umbrella away,
for he was real bad boy, and made
believe that he was going to find the
owner; and the ghost was never slen
again.
But / haven't told about the trouble
with Aunt Eliza yet. The dry sac
came to our house motfer bought a
lot of live crabs from man, and put
them in pail in the k tc zen. Tom
McGinnis was spending the day with
me. and | said to him what fun it would
be to have crab races, such as we used
to have down at the sea shore last sum
mer He said wouldn't it, though; so
each of us took three crabs, and went
upstairs into the spare bedroom, where
we could be sure of not being dis urbed.
We had splendid time with the crabs,
and | won more than half the races.
All of a sudden | heard mother calling
me, and Tom and l just dropped the
crabs into an empty workbasket. and
pushed it under the sofa out of sight,
and then went downstairs.
l meant to get the crabs and take
them back to the kitchen again, but ]
forgot all about it, for Aunt Eliza came
ju,t after mother had called me, and
everybody was busy talking to her. OF
course she was put into the spare room,
and as she was very tired, she said she d
lie down on the ia until dinner-time
and take her hair down.
About an hour afterward we heard
the most dreadful cries from Aunt
Elias room. and everybody rushed up
stairs, because they thought she must
certainly be dead. Mother opened tie
door, and we all went in. Aunt Eliza
was standing in the middle of the floor,
and jumping up and down. and crying
and shrieking at the top of her voice.
One crab was hanging on to one of her
fingers, and he pinched Just as hard IS
he could pinch, and there We're two
more hanging on to the ends of he,
hair. You see, the crabs had got out of
the work basket, and me of them had
climbed up the sofa while Aunt Eliza
was asleep.
Of course they said it was all my fault,
and perhaps it was. But I'd like to
know if it's a fair thing to leave crabs
where they can tempt fellow, and
then to be severe with him when he
forgets to put them back. However, l
forgive everybody, especially Aunt
Eliza, who really doesn't mean any
harm. Jimmy BroeCn," in Harper's
! You7lq PeOple.