Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-04-13

skiPpisr. u tired the cid man out AZ
last, aud With whoop aud q howl van
iahed, NJ Reuben eane, limp uncon-,
| soious heap, on his own doorstep.
Mis- good wife Martha found him and
hoisted him over the aill mutterlng,
that timO, was tho only GROCERY the
village could boast Of. whom old Brown
came to his senses he told the story Of
tho ghost Mistress Brown was no fool,
and abe ourlod hor upper lip aud sRldi
"Old man, you had '0m bad this time"
"You soom 10 know . good deal about
those old time affairs" ] vontured 70
remark.
"Donr Ifr he ehuekled, and then
went ont
"nut his ghostship gAvo the old lsdys
turn one night when sho went out 70
milk 'Old Sukey.' Mistress Brown was
out In the dim moonlight, sitting COIN.
fortably on her ono-leRged stool, milk
Ing away and softly humminB
'hsth0dist tune
-'oh, long to be tSors,
And its gloriss 70 ah are Etc,
When two long lesblsss arms descended
over her head and around her ample
waist, and bony bands elssped the
| brim ming bucket Of milk, raising II TO
oRverLous mouth, which swallowed
the contents with great gulps, Mistress
Brown snrsnR TO hor feet and oufrontsd
tbs horrible objooti then With a
shirk, she had 10 the house. "Old SUI
key" gave q snort, and bawllns Justify,
dsshsd away down the road, tall high In
tho air. With gasping breath and many
groanh the good woman told the tale to
"Reubo" The old mas only said
"Sloan's, i" and turned away.
"Tbs village Of Cincinnati did not con-
tain more than dfty souls all told, and
before o Donth had passed At least ono
half Of them had somo sort Of eEperi-
enos With his khostship. he appeared
to be a festivo Aort OF g, excuse
me, They tried In vain to catch or
trap this wary geuluB OF smother
world. he came az no wsnt-lof,
no trace ThsD came pause,
Two weeks won't by without
. recurrence Of his gbostship, and the
people began to regain their lost COM
poeure. Fourth OF July WIS 20 be cole
brated, and the Declaration Of Inde-
pendonoe was 10 he read by none other
than old Roubo Brown. Tho festivities
were TO bs hold In ths evening. Ths
grove selected was on tina ground
WHARF the Crawford House now stands,
at the corner Of Sixth and Walnut
While they waited the convsrsation
drifted upon the topic OF tho ghost.
"What N II should como tonight said
one CAV girl, and a. she spoke tho air
grew chill; there Was the old sound OF
tapping wings and swiahing garments,
and tho tall white shadow came drift
Ing down upon the platform that bad
oeop erected for old Reuben, Tho old
man was just placing one foot upon the
log that served o, = step, with the
declaration In his hand, when the
ghost tor 10 was none other, snatchNd II
from him. old Reuben fell 20 tho
ground, lump and useless. One woman
tainted, several went into Mysteries, but
NJ ah nd Nd H..A 4 hns
bones, men and women too. Sia men
and four women stood thoir ground
with pluck and determination plainly
written upon their faces The ghost
yawnod and grinued horribly. His eyes
burned far back In their sockets He
spst upon the ground, Kroanod and
moaned, and waved bis long arms, which
ratified like Dill-trap. Then ne opened
his mouth aud blue smoke lsSued
forth. accom- panied by tho fumes OF sui
phur, "It's the devil" hoarsely whis-
percd one woman, a. tho little crowd
huddled together like lost sheep and
waited. The ghost spoke.
~ am q centennial spirit" II walled,
"onos in hundred years | sm forced to
walk tho earth. | have comNi goi
shall return in the allotted time TO and
all things changed here. Your childrsn's
children shall boom their centennial
year and In the nidst OF thsiT rovslry
ahalI ne Win tnsm. Auleu.'
AZ the last word left the lips Of the
man before me he vanished. / rubbed
my eye and looked about me.
Some Que was touching my shoulder.
l sprAng to my feet and confronted the
proprietor OF the restaurant
"Looh here, young man," he said
kindly, but nrmly, "This is not a
lodg ng house and you must be OF" He
picked up my hat, handed IL to une, and
presented his bill $3.50" IL read. /
stared at the bill and then st him, and
then 81 tks vacant chair opposite my
own
~ thousha hS paid the bnl," saiA
slowly.
"Ao, whof What de yo meanf Come,
pay the bill ead be ohs He asoned an
aOyed.
Diving down into my pockets
brougbt up my last two-dollsT bill.
Sighnd as he gave me the change and do
partad n aaddaI and yisnr man