Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1889-12-04
DEACON PRATT
Br 4

he CLARA AUGUSTA
The direst Consideration reigned in
Parkville. The community were thun-
derstruck. People went about with
solemn conntenances. and spoke in sub
dued whispers. It was dreadful.
Deacon Pratt was . pillar Of the
church. For the twenty wears OF his
residence in Parkville, he had possessed
the confidence Of the people. He had
been school committee; he had set on a
jury; he had come very near being
elected to tho Office Of third select man
land would have been il two Irishmen
who had been hired to vote for him had
not talked to the opposite party-in-
cited TO do SO by the offer of an extra
glass Of whisky apiece.
But it was singular TO notice how soon
after the terrible story got noised
round, all the Deacon's acquaintance
began to remember things about him
that had been long kept out OF mind.
He used to swear before he was con.
verified. He was q notorious cross baby.
He lad been 0 to kick the dog. He
stoned Jones' COWS once. Aud a long
time xgo he and the first Mrs. Pratt
had quarrelled about the number Of
eggs which the gray turkey should set,
and they had pulled hair on it. But
the Deacon had the worst oft, for Mrs.
Pratt w0re Q wig, and her husband
wore his own hair.
It was all talked over thoroughly in
Parkville, alter the news went around
that : ghost had been Keen marching
around the premises of the Deacon.
No doubt Mrs. Pratt No. / had been
abused moro than folks knew of, and
the remembrance Of her wrongs now
kept her from resting in her grave.
Though TO be sure she ought to rest,
the gossips said, for she was buried in
. cashmere robe. in . black walnut
coffin with silver handles, and had q
lifty-dollar tombstone over her head.
But then fifty-dollar tombstones
weren't everything!
And it was soon all over the town
that the first Mrs. Pratt had been hur-
ried TO her grave by her husband, and
that her spirit had come back to torment
him.
The Deacon himself began to grow
pale: Mrs. Pratt No. 2 got nervous, and
was afraid to go down cellar; Belinda,
the hired girl, kept a bottle Of holy
water constantly in her pocket; and
Sambo, the darky help. slept every
night with his head wrapped up in the
coyerlet.
- .E.aE
The terrible apparition hail first
been seen one night in August, when
the Deacon and his wife were at prayer
meeting. Belinda had seen it go in at
the front door, and when the
deacon and his wife returned they had
seon it go out OF the back door, through
the currant bushes. and into the grave
yard beyond.
A tall figure, clad in flowing white
garments, and moving with q CELEBRITY
no living thing could ever hope to
equal.
The ghost o became the topic OF
conversation serywhere. II was Q
almost every night. The minister
spoke Of it in his sermons. The editor
Of the Spitboro' Telegraph filled a half
column OF his paper with an account Of
it. Courageous, scientific men offered
to nnmask ii, and solve the mystery,
but some way, when the night grew
dark, they retired to the Deacon's
kitchen, concluding they could decide
it better oye . mug Of cider, by a good
fire. than out in the cold and dark.
Some foolish people said the ghost
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