Bridgeton pioneer., 1884-03-06
PECK'S BAD BOY AND HIS PA.


will take it in oranges" said the bad
boy as he smiled on the groceryman,
and began filling his pockets with the
luscious tropical fruit.
Just you hold on, said the grocery
man, as he stopped the boy from
taking any more. Here's a herring.
When anybody wishes another a hap
py New year he should allow the
victim the privilege of selecting the
weapons as they do in a duel. Now.
oranges are liable to give YOU the
winter cholera. and if they did, 1
would be liable for damages, but you
take this smoked herring and eat it,
and will take the chances,n and the
groceryman unloaded the BOYS pock
cts and handed him the herring.
Dear me, what freehearted old
fellow you are" said the boy, as he
took OIL his mitten and began peeling
the herring, Here, you'd better take
back the head and skin of this herring
and give Inc a cracker, and then will
tell you what brave man pa is
Tell me about your pa. | haven't
heard anything from him for long
time" said the groceryman as he
handed the boy the cracker, and sat
down on half bushel measure by the
stove.
well, you see, last night we got to
talking about haunted houses, and pa
SAID there was no such thing as a
haunted house. He said whenever
any unusual noise was heard in a
house, instead of investigating it, the
people got scared and talked about
the house being haunted, and before
long everybody believed it, the repu-
tation of the house was ruined, and
everybody was nervous. Pa said that
haunted houses was on a par with
spiritualism, and people of sense never
took any stock in either. He said if |
ever heard of a haunted house, to let
him know and he would go through
1t and investigate it in the dark. I
thought to myself, boss, you can't
fool Hennery,' and | laid forpa. That
evening my chums cat came over to
visit our cat, and when it was time to
go to bed the two cats were sleeping
by the stove, and pa told me | better
put the cats out doors and go to bed
80 | took the cats up carefully and
raised up the cover to the piano, and
laid the cats down in the back side of
the instrument, among the strings,
and petted them, and they went to
sleep, and | shut down the cover, and
we all went to bed. Pa and ma sleep
right over the parlor, and 1 sleep at
the back of the house. Along about
two O'Clock in the morning, about the
time cats get woke up and begin to
prowl around, there was scratching
of toe-nails on the strings, and yowl,
that sounded as though it came from
the sewer. 1t was evidently music,
such as you get at boarding houses
where boarder practices on the
piano for her board. I listened and
pretty soon there was two 'meous'
and spit and the strings acted as
though they were being walked on
the way cat does when she puts her
paws up in your lap and lets her toe
nails go through your pants. / got
up and went to pas room, and ma
was setting up in bed with her night
cap off, and her hair standing right up
straight, and she was trying to get pa
to raise up and listen, but he put his
head under the bed clothes and tried
to snore, but l knew pa was scared
L told pa that | wasn't afraid but |
wished he would let me sleep on the
lounge in his room, and pa raised up
and wanted to know what the row
was, and just then the cats seemed to
come together for a regular evening
fight, and of all the music you ever
heard that beat everything Pa lis
tened and said it was somebody next
door trying to play opera, but ma said
something was in the house, and | told
pa the house was haunted, and for
him to getup and investigate. Pa was
kind of 'shamed to be afraid, so he cot
up, and all was still, and he got his
pants on and went ont in the hall, and |
just then the cats got to fighting
another round, and pa rushed into the
bathroom and closed the door, and |
yelled for me to open the window and |
holler for the police. [ got up and
asked pa, through the door, if he was
afraid, and he said no, he wasn't afraid,
but he thought, seeing he was in the
bathroom he would take a bath, and
l told him if he was afraid 1 would go
down and investigate, because there
was no haunted house that had any
terror for Hennery, and went down
and let the cats out, and they got on
the back fence and had real sociable
time, and after it was all still pa came
out with towel in his hand and tried
to make US believe he had taken bath