, 1888-11-17
cases of which had heard. But here my

cases of which l had heard. But here my
hostess interrupted.
Tibet mought be, mister, eff 'twan't
nobody but husband an ole Hick'ry as
seen this thing the very night, an cen
mo'ssthet very mint when they'rns seen
it, you see, l was stanin at the dDo' look
in down the road en- listenin' eff / could
heer Dick a-comin', an l noticed the moon
ies risin' atop o the big pine on Breen's
hill. JeS then-I couldn't a-ben a-standin'
thar a couple o minits skeersly-I sec
so'thin' like a man with a hat on come
flynn long the road Eastern ole Hick'ry.
ever cut up. When he got past the bars
| he'd a view O. him all over-an' sure's
I'm, a Twin woman thar warn't q sign O.
his tetchin' the yearth, but jes walkin' an
a-clawin' along in the air, this Always, an
u strange sort O. light-sRafk4in refund
him. He never turned his head, but ies
whipped by like a streak O. lightnin'. An
now lissen to me" holding up the cook
ing fork in her hand and speaking with
solemn earnestness. Tibet were Tuesday
day afore yistiddy, mind. Well, las
night ez we'uns wuz all a-settin here, an
the doc an winder wide open, an a pine
Knot burnin' bright in the chimbly back,
that same shadder of a man come skimmin'
right by tibet winder. We'uns all seen
it, fer the pine light was a-blazin' on his
face. an he was a-lookin' in ez he skum
past. And befo' we could so much as
boiler out, he had shot round the house
an past the doc thar, which was standin'
open, an not a SCUM did he make, but
jos slicked right by like a sperit. An it's
my belief" with a sort of suppressed sob
in her throat, Its my belief tibet thing,
whatsoever it be, hez come to warn us O
somethin' unlucky bout to happen" And
here she cast an anxious glance at her
husband, and then around on the group
of white headed little ones who lowered
about her.
Though more than ever puzzled by this
account l did what l could to cheer up the
family, who were all evidently in a state
of great nervous excitement. Having
partaken with q hearty appetite of my
meal, l stepped outside for fresh air, and
after walking slowly around the house,
stepped up to the bars and stood looking
down the road. The moon had risen and
already shed a clear light on the white
sandy track and the open space around
the cabin. Nothing moved, until as /
stared down the dim vista | became
aware of an unnaturally tall and phantom
like apparition visible in the patches of
moonlight that fiicked the road, now ap-
pearing, now vanishing and all the time
rapidly approaching to where | stood.
"a GHt uTSb RlduCG Oh UulS uppuTlIlOn L
-unconsciously held my breath in a kind of
expectant suspense. The next moment a
CLEAN of recognition flashed upon me-the
whole mystery of the haunting "spook"
was eXplained-and in the excitement and
amusement of the discovery l gave u hilar-
ious shout. The figure as it neared me
slackened its speed, and with an easy
sweep slowly and gracefully glided to my
side.
"Helloi' he cried cheerily, whats up?"
So soon as l could recover from an ire
sistible fit of laughter l explained to him
the state of affairs with the family in the
cabin. He expressed much concern for
the mischief he had unintentionally
caused. He and a friend were making a
bicycling tour through the state, and hav-
ing been for some days delayed at Gala.
ghan's by the indisposition of his com
panion, he had each evening amused him
self by taking a run" in the cool of the
twilight along this level pine forest road.
He had not noticed the man and the horse
at the ferry, and regretted that he had on
the succeeding evening been tempted by
the open bars and the level clearing to
make a circuit around the house, deeming
himself unnoticed, no one having hailed
him. And he was now willing and anx-
ious to make an explanation and apology
to the disquieted family.
| went before in order to prepare the
way, and with some difficulty persuaded
them to have an interview with the
"spook." He CAM gently wheeling up to
the door, and l think l never saw a more
relieved as well as wondering group Of
faces than those which looked on while the
stranger explained the nature and quail
tiles of his marvellous vehicle. Mr.. Car
ney listened with great interest, his wife
laughed Historically and the children wero
as delighted as though they had been at a
circus-especially when the ''spook" dis
tributed among them a handful of nickels
before taking his departure.
Next morning, when called to an early
breakfast, l found Mr.. Carney up-and
looking quite unlike the man | had seen
on the previous evening. His wife ex-
planned that the shakes" seldom lasted
in her family beyond three days; but 1
had my own impression that in this in
stance the attack had been owing as much
to the fright as to the ducking which her
husband had received.
l write this as a warning to ell bicyclists
who are fond of exercising in the mystic
rious shadows of eve before the eyes of
the uninitiated in rural and out of the
way districts.-S. A. Weiss in Detroit
Free Press.