The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-07-31
THE GHoSTLY RAT.

The first request came from Mrs.
Rats eldest ratlet; and the second was
the indor ement Of their big brothers
appeal by the three young ratlets
Mrs. Rat and her family were as snug
and happy as any rodent household
could reasonably expect to be in this
world of trouble and cats, for they had
just eaten an excellent supper consist
ing Of cheese and other good things,
which had been placed in the pantry by
. considerate cook. and they were row
snngly ensconced in warm nest BAH
OF the chimney, where no cat could pos
sibly penetrate. Besides. there were
rumors among the rodents that their
particular and implacable enemy, Mrs.
Tabby. had been severely injured by
certain bad boys Of the neighborhood,
and would therefore be confined to her
rug for week or more.
''Well, what shall I tell you?. asked
Mrs. Rat; shall it be ghost-story, or
-n
"A ghost-story by all means!" cried
the ratlets unanimously, shivering with
delightful apprehension, and smuggling
clio er together.
"A ghost story it shall be. then. None
Of you ever saw ghost, but have. It
scared me more than a million cats
would
You see Mrs. Rat was somewhat dis
posed to exaggcrate.
Il was quite young then, and Eighty.
! had habit Of straying away from
home and into all sorts Of dangerous
places; but my experience with the
ghost converted me for time into the
most exemplary of rodentesses
Il had got as far away from home as
The big apple bin in the back cellar. and
was enjoying myself immensely when
CHANGED to look around. and there, no
farther away than that knot-hole. indi-
eating it with sweep of her tail, was
the ghost of big rat. lie glowed like
white fire. and his tail was long streak
of ire. lie seemed to DO sitting and
thinking, for he was perfectly motion
less.
Il was literally paralyzed I could
not move paw. nor take my eyes from
the thrilling sight. Every hair on my
body stood erect, and suppose should
have been frozen to the spot until now,
If the ghost himself had not broken the
spell by moving toward me.
Then / turned and ran around tina,
apple bin and back home SO fast that il
wore the skin oil my toes. Twas almost
sure. too, that as turned to run / could
hear the ghost call me by name, and
that only scared me the more.
"When / told my father and mother
Of the apparit,on they only laughed a,
me, and told me might relate it to the
marines.
"1hat same night, though, my lathe,
came home all in fright He had seen
the specter, and was more scared than
had been. Then party Of the braves1
rats in the house got together and wen,
to hunt Tor the ghost / shall never
forget how they started out Some
were making fun of father and pooh
pooling the idea of ghosts generally
Others said there must be something in
it; at any rate they would see.
..Well, they found 1t, or it found
them, l never learned which, but
know they had not been gone
five minutes when tho whole
troop came back, helter-skelter
running as il for their lives
They tore through the holes like mad
and all the lady rats and ratlets VIII,
had been left at home scampered afte
their husbands and fathers, who hadn'
time to stop. but who yelled: Come
run! The ghost is coming!'
I'VE did not stop till we got clea
away from the haunted house and across
the street. into the cellar of buildin!
or the other side We made new home
there, ana heard nothing of the ghos
for some time.
zone Of my brothers got lost in tn
| moving. He wasn't at home when tn
| stampede took place. We supposed b.
was. left behind in the other hoase, bu
no one was brave enough to vcntur
| near the ghost to see. At last w
| mourned for him as dead, believing tina
he had been scared to death by tn
specter, or else caught in . trap sc
blythe giant humans who build tn
houses
One day got 10 proving about agai
as use to. and went into the pantr
! upstairs, for tho food in the cellar wa
not what ] had been accustomed to
Well, will you believe me, as soon Us
poked my nose in the pantry door sa,
the ghost again. There he was, an
- oaucl v,o I,v mama fnv Ia, g ,v ,,,<, a,
soon aa ! saw him.
Somehow, l wasn't so much fright
ened this time, for the voice soundc,
faint, and the ghost did not look quit
80 spectral as before. Then saw that h
was in trap fast and tight; / got rea
brave and went nearer, and he spok
once more.
WHY do you shun me? Why do al
my friends shun me? | am your ow
brother
..'"'Are you dead. and is ityour ghost:
/ asked.
".Not at ALL he said. I'll tell 20
how it happened. ! went into one 9
those wire arrangements to taste bi
of cheese, and then the door closed wit
a bang and couldn't get out. A bi
man came along, and, when he saw me
he said;
"."Ah, ali! my fine fellow! I'll Civ
you coat of phosporous!"
Then he rubbed some stuff all owe
me, which made me bright and shin,
and let me CO. Since then haven
been able to get a word with one OF nj
/ relatives. All of them run from m,
So l don't care what happens to m'
My life is burden. Tell father an
mother
'.But did not stay to hear the rest /
his message for just then big ma
came into the pantry with horrid CT
in his arm :, and ! left. When WEI
back, my brother was gone, and-b,
why dwell on the painful subject?
il time you children were all asleep
| w. II. Siviter, in Santa Claus