The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-03-11
TIE SARPY GHOST.

dozen miles from great western city, and
he at least If no one else. will bear testi-
mony to the truth of this ghost story; also
to the fact that, previous to seeing the ghost,
be did not believe there could be such a
thing. Although the owner of a farm. he is
not farmer in one sense of the word, but
devotes his time to buying and selling stock.
This often necessiiates long rides Into the
surrounding country, and sometimes far
INTO the night.
One prominent trait in Mr. Ssrpy's
character must not go unmentioned. He
was always careful to impress upon mis-
friends that he was an out and out temper
ance man. He believed IN temperance, bat
not in intempeTRnce. The spiritual COM
mand: 80 ye temperate in all things" he
considered applied to eating and sleeping as
well as drinking. On the other hand, TEN.
perance did not mean total abstinence. This
be was certain OF, aud in accordance with
this belief kept Jug of the best bourbon in
his cellar, and it was fact that cobwebs
rarely, if ever, grew over the mouth of the
Jug.
He drank very little, he said, and never got
drunk. In fact, he had a profound contempt
for a man who would get drunk. like jim
Benton, on the adjoining farm. he had at
various times lectured jim on the vice of in
temperance.
why, JIM" he would say "why don't
you stop when you have dram or two, and
not make beast of yourself? l can take
drink, and can let it alone, just as please.
II you do that, you'll get along all right"
Jim could make no answer to this argu-
ment, for while he knew he could take
drink when he pleased, he knew he could
mt at il alone when ne nleGend.
Less than year before the advent Of the
ghost Mr.. Sarpy had, TO the surprise OF every
body, married the belle of the neighborhood,
Miss Mary Parrge. To the surprise / say,
for Mr.. Ssrpy was little past the prime of
life and not very progressing man in the
MAN, but Mary apparently saw good in him
and married him in spite of the warnings OF
her friends with reference to his habits of
taking dram.
She would break him of it she said, but
she found her influence powerless on that
score great as his love seemed to be for her.
He would listen attentively to her argu.
ments, and laugh at her fears, but he would
take his dram just the same, promising that
when he saw IL was injuring him he would
stop.
Thus time ran on. and the occasional dram
gave the otherwise happy wife great deal OF
uneasiness. She tried various expedielts TO
convince him of his danger. but he had pro-
four faith in mis- oWn ability to stop when
mis- judgment dictated, and would not be
convin ced.
1t wss one bitterly cold winter night that
the ghost came, and Its coming was the
bsrbipger of good. Mr.. Sarpy had business
in the city that kept him away until late
hour, aDG Mrs. Sarpy sat by the fire waiting
for him. She could usually hear the sound
of the horses feet on the stable floor az he
went in, but the wind was blowing and
moaning 50 on this night that she could hear
nothing but il.
The clock on the mantel had Just struck -
when Mrs. Sarpy heard, above the wind, the
crack of q pistol from the direction of the
barn. She ran to the window and looked
out but could see nothing Of her husband.
Again the pistol cracker, and she knew it
was inside the bsra. Again she heard it,
and again, until she had counted seven
shots.
She knew That was the number OF cham
bers in Mr.. Ssrpy's revolver, but could not
imagine what he was shooting ar, unless it
might be tramp as they often lodged in
the barn, and he had had trouble with one
of them not long ago.
While she WIS still Sonderlng and anxious,
Mr.. Sarpy came running across the yard and
burst into the room exclaiming: "Give me
tie lantern. Mary; there must be ghost in
the BAN. I've put seven bullets into 1t and
it didn't bulge"
This news both sstonished and alarmed
Mrs. Sarpy, who hurriedly lit the lantern,
saying: why, Joseph, what is it?"
That's more than / can tell. It's some
thing that looks like man no on one of the
high timbers, and it keeps moving all the
time like as il il was hurt. heard it the 6rst
thing when / went in after oats for the
horse. thought it was some crazy tramp
bad gotten up there, but, by George, it was
the gbost'
He had by this time reloaded the revolver,
and, jerking up the lantern he hurried of
toward the barn.
Now, it happened that Mrs. Sarpy was an
uncommoEly shrewd little woman. She
had noticed an unnatural light in Mr.. Sarpy's
eye, and that his hand trembled greatly as
be loaded his pistol. This, however, might
baye been due to the excitement of seeing
the ghost.
She threw shawl around her shoulders
and hurried after him, determined to see
the ghost, too. Mr.. Sarpy was cautiously
entering the barn door when she came in
sight, and she waited outside, listening for
the crack of revolver, but none came. She
looked tlembliDgly within, and there saw
Sarpy standing up in the haymow, holding
the lantern above his head and looking in
great yerplexity at some hing on one of the
cToss-timoers near the roof
what is it?" Mrs. Sarpy asked.
plagued if can tell what il is! It's no
ghost, that's suiel Come up and see if you
CAD tell"
Mrs. Ssrpy had no need to climb into the
NOW. She instantly recoanized the ghost,
and exclaimed: why, that's nothing bat
q pile of sacks you put up there to keep the
rats from gnswing them."
That's SO, guess said Mr.. Ssrpy, in as
constituent: but what was that sound
heard? There it is now"
That's nothing in the world, said Mrs
Sarpy. shaking with laughter, "b0t the wind
blowing through that broken widow. You
know il always means that way when the
wind blows hard from the north -
Mr.. Sarpy climbed down from the nov,
saying: Il don't know what's the matter
with me TO night ] must bs ous of my
hes d. I've shot all those wheat sacks full
of holes"
Mrs Sarpy deity thrust her hand into his
pocket. aud drew ont flask nearly empty.
Her face became sober in an instant, and she
faid: That's what's the matter, Joseph!
You took one dram too many at lastw
Mr.. Sarpy made no reply. He went off to
feed the horse, and as he did SO debated with
himself whether he could possibly have been
drunk, as Mary had intimsted. 1t had been
such bitter cold night. and he had suffered
so from the cold, that he had taken more
than he had supposed, as the almost empty
flask proved. He entered the house and
found Mrs. Ssrpy sitting by the FIRE crying.
He had no reason TO ask her the cause of her
grief He OWNED her thoughts. II il had
emma IN this alroadv what WOrId IL ha in