Delta chief., 1884-01-16
PECK'S Rad BOY AND HIS PA.
Ne frisht-n. III. n. with Supernatural
Noi.-s---Tsihs About Making Nancy
by Failing.

Il wish You a happy New Year. and
! will take il in oranges, said the bad
boy rs he smiled on the groceyman.
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 herring. When
anybody wishes another happy New
Year he should allow the victim the
privilege of selecting the weapons, as
they do IN n duel. Now. oranges are
liable to give you the winter cholera.
and II they did. ! would be liable for
damages. but you take this smoked
herring and eat IL. and will take the
chances. "and the groccryman unloadcd
the boys pockets and handed him the
herring.
Dear. me. what frec-hcartcd old
fellow YOU are, said the boy. as he
took of his mittcn and began pecling
the herring. Here. you'd better take
back the head and skin of this herring
and give me n cracker, and then | will
tell you what n brave man pa is"
Tell me about your pa. haven't
heard anything from him for long
time, said the groccryman as he hand
ed the boy the cracker, and sat down
hH u nan buHnfl HtaSNft Nv inc slpNfs
well. You see, las, night we got to
talking about haunted houses. and pa
said there was no such thing rs
haunted house. He said whenever any
unusual noise was heard in house. in
stead Of Investigating 1t, people got
scared and went around talking abor
the house being haunted. and
before long everybody believed
IL. the reputation of the
house was ruined, and everybody
was nervous. Pa said that haunted
honscs WAS on par with spiriiunl.sm.
and people of sense never took any
stock in either. He said If ever
heard of 4 haunted house. To let him
know and he would 90 through il and
investigate IL in the dark. ! thought
to myself. boss, YOU cant fool Hen
nery.' and ! laid for pa That evening
my chums cat came over to visit our
cat, and when II was time 10 go 10 bed
the two eats were sleeping by the stove,
md pa told me better put the cats out
doors and go to bed. So 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 pctted them, and they
wen, to sleep. and shut down tho GOV.
er. anu we all went to bed Pa and ma
sleep right over the parlor, and ! sleep
at the back Of the house Along about 2
O'Clock in the morning. about the time
eats usually get woke up and begin TO
prowl around. there was faint
scratching Of toc-nails ON the strings.
and yowl, that sounded rs though II
came from the sewer. II was evident
" music, such as you get Mt boarding
houses where a boarder practices on
the piano for her board. listened and
pretty soon there was two 'mcous' and
spit. and the strings acted Ms sthough
they were being walked ON the way
cat does when she puts her paw up In
your lap and lets her toe-nails 90
through your pants. ! go, up and
went TO pas room. and ma was sitting
up in bed with her nightcap OH, her hair
standing right up straight, and she was
trying to get pa TO raise up and listen,
but il wasn't pas night 10 listen. and
he put his head under the bcd-clothcs
and tried to sporo. but | knew pa was
scared. ! told pa that | wasn't afraid
but ! wished he would let me sleep on
the lougc in his room, and pa raised up
and wanted TO know what the
row was, and just then the cats
in the piano seemed to have
come together for their regular even
ing fight, and of all the music you ever
heard, that beat everything. Pa listen
ed and said IL was somebody next door
tying to play opera, but ma said some-
thing was In the house, and l told pa
the bous6 was haunted, and for him to
get up and investigate. Pa was kind Of !