Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-01-26
Gales ar1D Sketfkes.
He FRIGHTESs Hrs Pa WITH SUPERSAI-
URAL NoIsEs-TALKs ABOUT MAKING
MONEY BY FAILING.

CRAL NoIsEs-TALKs ABOUT MAKING
MONEY BY FAILING.
wish you a happy New Year. and 1
will take it in oranges" said the bad boy,
az he smiled on the groceryman. and began
filing his pockets with the luscious trop-
ical fruit.
Just you hold on" said the grocery
man as he stopped the boy from taking
any more. Here's q herring. When
anybody wishes another q happy New
Year he should allow the victim the priv
ilege of selecting the weapons as they do
in duel. Now, oranges are liable to
give you the winter cholera, and if they
DID would be liable for DAMAGES, bat
you take this smoked herring and eat it
and I will take the chances" and the
groceryman unload the boys pockets and
handed him the herring.
Dear boy. what freehearted old tel
low you are" said the boy as he took off
his mitten and began peeling the herring.
Here. you'd better take back the head
and skin of this herring and give me a
cracker, and then will tell you what a
brave man pa is.
Tell me about your pa. | haven't
said the groceryman. as ne handed the
boy the cracker, and sat down on a half
bushel measure by the stove.
We'll, you see. last night we got to
talking about haunted houses, and pa said
there was no such thing as haunted
house. He said whenever any unusual
noise was heard in house, instead OF in
vestigating it, people got scared and went
around talking about the house being
haunted. and before long everybody be-
lieved it. the reputation Of the house was
ruined. and everybody was nervous. Pa
said that haunted houses was on par with
Splritualism, and people of sense never
took any stock in either. He said if l
heard OF haunted house to let him know
and be would 90 through 1t and investi-
gate it in the dark. l thought to myself,
Boss. you can't tool Hennerv,' and laid
for pa. That evening my chum's cat came
over TO visit our cat, and when it was time
to 90 to bed the two cats were sleeping by
the stove, and pa told me had better put
the cats outdoors and go to bed. So took
up the cats 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 | sleep at the
back OF the house. Along about O'Clock
in the morning, about the time cats usual
ly get woke up and begin to prowl around.
there was faint scratching OF the toe
nails on the strings, and yowl. that
sounded as though it came from the sewer.
Il 81 70 fpnf
ut boarding houses where a boarder
practices the piano for her board. l
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 in
your lap and lets her toe nails 60 through
your pants. got up and went to pas
room, and ma was sitting up in bed with
her night cap off, her hair standing right
up straight, and she was trying to get pa
to raise up and listen. but it wasn't pas
night to listen. and he put his head under
the bed clothes and tried to snore. but
knew pa was scared. told pa that l
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 in the
piano seem to have come together tor their
regular evening fight, and of sill the mu-
sic YOU ever heard. that beat everything.
Pa listened 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 up
and investigate. Pa was kind of 'shamed to
be afraid. So he got up. and all was still,
and he got his pants on and went out into
the hall. and Just then the cats got to
fighting another round, and pa rushed into
the bath room 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 bath room.
he would take bath and | told him if he
was afraid would go and investigate, be-
cause there was no haunted house that had
any terrors Tor Hennery. and l 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
a towel in his hand and tried to make us
believe he had taken bath at two O'Clock
in the morning, with cold water. don't
think it is right for father to try to de.
ceive his little boy that way. Pa mus
have washed himself real hard for he was
pale as ghost when he came out of the
bath room, but he was paler still in the
morning when he found the piano full Of
cat hair. He thinks the air from the regis
ter blew into the piano. But am sorry
for pa. as he has had trouble enough try
ing to keep from failing. but he had TO e
to the wall.
What, You don't tell me your father
has failed ?" said the groceryman. as he
took down the ledger. "Great heavens
he owes me 81" and the man groaned
Yes, pa says that is the only way he
can make a dollar. / don't know any
thing about the business of failing. but q.
near rs can get at 1t. by hearing pa anC
his attorney talk about it. there Is money
in il if it is worked right, and if was,in
your place would work an annual fail
ure department into my business. The
way to fail is 10 get credit for all you can
and sell for cash. and when you sell the
best things. have somebody that you owe
relative, or fellow that you have 60
confidence in. get on his ear. and get ou
an attachment and close you up, or els,
make an assignment to fellow WHIT
stands in with you and let him offer the cred
itors ten cents on dollar in notes payabl,
in six. twelve and eighteen months. B,