The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-01-12
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 -wish you happy New ysar, and will tAke t in eranees,s said the bad boy as he smiled on the grocery man. and began filing his pockets with the luscious tropical fruit.
 sJsss yoa hold oa," said the grocery man, as he stopped the boy from taking any more. Here's a herring when anybody wishes another a happy New Year he should allow the victim the priv ilege of selecting the weapons. as they do in duel Now, oranges are liable ,o give you the winter cholera, and If they did, would ee liable for damages, bu, you take this smoked herring and eat 1t. and will take the chances" and the grocery man unloaded the boys pockets and handed him the herring.
 Dear me. what free-hearted old fel- low you are said the boy. as he took of his milton and began peeling the herring. Here. you'd better take back the head and skin of this herring and give me cracker, and then l will tell you what brave man pa is. V
 Tell me about your pa. haven't heard anything from him for long time said the grocery man as he handed the boy the cracker, and sat down on a 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 house. instead of in- vestigatin, ii. people got scared and wen, around talking about the house being haunted, and before long everybody be- lieved II, the reputation of the house vas ruined, and everybody was nervous. Pa sad tha, haunted houses was on a par with spiritualism, and people of sense never took any stock in either. He said If ever heard of haunted house, 10 let him know and he would go through it and investigate it in the dark. thought to myself, boss, ,ou can't fool Hennery. and l laid for pa. That evening my chum's cat came ovef to visit our cat, and when t was time 10 go to bed the two cats were sleeping by the stove, and pa told me better pu, the cats out doors and go to bed. So l took the cats up carefully and raised up the cover 10 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 l shut down the cover, and VIC all went to bed. Pa and ma sleep nigh, over the parlor. and sleep al the back of the house Along about two o'clock m the morning. about the time cats usually ge, woke up and begin 10 prowl around. there was faint scratching of toe nails on the strings. and yo~l, that sounded k. f., was evidently music, such as you ge, a, boarding houses where a boaIdef pfac- ;ices on the piano for her board listened, and pretty soon there vas two meous' and spit. and the strings acted as though they were being walked on the way a cat does when she puts her paws up in your lap and lets her toe nails go through xour pants got up and went to pas room and ma was setting up m bed with her nightcap of. her hair standing nght up straight. ani she was trying 10 get pa ,o raise up and listen. but II wasn't pa s night to listen, and he put his head under the bed clothes and tired to snore, but knew pa was scared. told pa that 1 wasn't afraid but wished he would le, me sleep on the lounge in his room and pa raised up and wanted 10 know wha, the row was. and just then the cat in the piano seemed to have come together for their regular evening fight. and of ali the music you eve heard, that bea, every thing. Ia listened and said l, was some body next door trying to play opera, bu, ma said something was in the house aud told pa the house was haunted. and for hlm 'o get up and investigate PA was kind of shamed 10 be afraid, so he 20, his pants on and went ou. Tn the hat and jus, then the cats got to fighting another round, and pa rushed into the bathroom and closed the door. and yelled for me ,o open the window and holler for the police. l got mp and asked pa. through the door, fl he was afraid, and he said no, he wasn't afraid bu, he thought. seeing he was m the bathroom he would take a bath, and told him lf he was afraid would go down and investigate, because there was no haunted house that had any terror for Hennery, and went down and le, the cats out, and they got on the back fence and had A real sociable time, and after i, was all still pa came out with towel m his hand and tired to tftAkC uS oCsiCSC nC naQ tAECu D4tT two o'clock Tn the morning with cold water. don't think |, is right for father to try to deceive his little boy that way. Pa must have washed himself real hard, for he was pale as ghost when he came ou, Of the bathroom, but he was paler still in the morning when he found the piano full of cat hair. He thinks the air from the register blew into the piano Bu, am sorry for pa, as he has had t-ou- ble enough trying to keep from failing, but he had to go to the wall"
 What. You don't tell me your father has failed Y said the grocery man. as he took down the ledger. Great heavens. he owes me seven dollars and the man groaned
 Yes, pa says that is the only way he can make dollar. don; know any thing abou, the business of failing. bu, as near as can get at il, by hearing pa and bis attorney talk about II, there IS yr Apsv ,s if sf st s~ ~rrxk~A x,uh, ard ,(