Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-03
AUNTIES GHOST STORY.

1t was a cold autumn night. The
wind was bowling without, but inside
the great, old fashioned kitchen where
we children sat, gathered around the
cracking fire, everything was cozy and
warm. Aunt Jane had given us basket
of nuts, and we were having great fun
cracking them.
We had come tospend few days with
Aunt Jane, who lived in fine old farm
house some miles away from the village.
Now, auntie had no children of her own,
and SO she was always glad when we
nieces and nephews came like a young
army to take possession of the old house,
as she was very kind to us and told us
many famous stories.
But, as said, the wind was having a
clustering time of it without, and we
were laughing merrily within, and crack
ing our nuts, when all of sudden we
heard piercing scream. Of course we
all screamed too, dropped our nuts, and
sat quite still in fright. Now, Auntie
Jane, who is very sensible, and not at
all timid, only looked up from her sew
ing and listened. In another minute
there came another scream, even louder
than the first. "Oh, auntiep we cried,
in frightened chorus, ''it's Robbie"
Robbie, who was only A years old, and
not big enough to sit up with us, had
been put to bed up stairs half an hour
before. Don't be such silly little
geese!" said auntie, calmly folding her
work. "Ill go up and see what is the
matter with the child" So auntie put
down her basket, took a lamp in her
hand and left the room, while we all
followed and stood huddled together at
the foot of the stairs.
Presently auntie appeared with tremb-
ling Robbie in her arms, and told us all
to go back into the kitchen.
Auntie took her place by the fire, and
we all sat down again. "Now, Robbie"
said Aunt Jane, quietly, "sit up and tell
them what was the matter, and why
you screamed and frightened everybody,
and what you saw" But Master Robbie
didn't want to sit up; he kicked his little
fat legs about and clung close to auntie,
hiding his face in her gown.
"Come along, sir" said auntie firmly,
and then she sat Robbie up in her lap,
but he put his finger in his mouth and
blinked at the fire, and finally began to
howl dismally.
"There, there" said auntie more gen
tly and petting him. "Be brave little
man. Now tell US, what did you think
you saw"
A little pause, then from out the folds
of auntie's gown came a smothered
'Dhostr from Robbie.
"So," said auntie, ''you thought you
saw a ghost?''
Fought saw dhost," was the muf-
fled echo.
every WE'LL" said auntie. "Now what
did you really see when I came in
with the lamp and made you take your
head out from under the blanket? Pet
ticoat?" asked auntie, bending down.
"Petticoat hanging in torner."
"Ah,'" said auntie, "you thought you
saw ghost, and what you really did
see was a white petticoat hanging up in
the corner. Is that it?
"Es, Use been bad boy today, and
Henny told me when was bad boy J
would see dhost 'tanding up in torner.
and fought pettitoat was dhost."
Auntie looked very sternly at Henry.
Henry" she said,. "have you really
been putting such nonsense into this
silly little boys head?'
"Oh, just for fun," said Henry, though
he looked little ashamed. "It's fine
way to keep him good"
"Let me tell you. Henry, that great
deal of harm and great deal of suffer-
ing have come from just this thought
less habit of frightening little children
in order to keep them good.
"And so am going to tell you q story