The Meeker herald., 1892-07-09
WITH THE GHOST.

most midway between the Two poihts
Naoye lay the old Sharp farm. dcsolntc
and run 10 weed, simply because the
owner was forced to content himself
from year TO year with the grazing II
afforded his cattle and the few mcagcr
loads Of hay saved from tho neglected.
meadows.
Tho former proprietor old jacob
Sharp, or Lame Jake" rs he wa
more frequently called by reason OF n
,lubiooL had taken II notion few
years before TO hang himself to IL
,-af,er la the old barn and 10y tina, lit
Tie act Ind completely ruined the rep-
uintlon Of ono of the best and most
fertile holding, in the country.
From whatever source originated,
weird and uncnnny stories soon began
to circulate respecting tho old home
stead.
Frequently the farmer during sleep
usually when most worried. would
Ind himself suddenly AMI Disgrace
fully fired out of bid by some Invisible
agency: windows and crockary woro
smashed bells rung at midnight and
on one occasion hi. wifo had the wits
nearly frightened Gu, of bor by ind
Ing her lord sleeping one morning by
her side hl, hand, folded on hi.
breast and two pennies placed In oriho'
doN &. !iioa over his eyes
These happenings. tho reader VIII
easily conceive. hni tho .iioc, %! lin.
Hing his occupancy OF the Sharp mss
-nng. STR ctly to tho period Of his
lcn.o; and .om. three ar four other,
ii sss.NN
short stays
Wei d light, burning through ih,
ehink- Of the barn aud about tho
rrsmi-c, were 80 common To the
,oighbort that whom tho boys mad
girls happened to b. bcla,ad u, n
danec. hu.kins or aa nppl. pairing
they toll. their parents that they came
home by tho Ugh, OF old shnrp's Ian
torn.
nn no, going In thi. age o' Ill.
vidcd * r,- and long distance 'ol..
phone To pu, my solf on record u, IA q
man thu, saw Jake sharp'- ghost hut
what did SEQ and hear III, nigh,
slept la tina: old barn-~,l I'm going
TO tell you about II;
had been Ia Il and 9as return
dark and .tnrlc.- aud III, fain, nnsh-.
u: lightning wh oh began In III. ~c..
kept inc easing la Frequency and bril-.
iiancy behind M, iii. .u'. n, tho old
sharp gable, doomed up from tho
hiAcxnuss bc.ors sau, ,tho storm ] had
bran srpr-hcnhing tu-.t nFon mo Ike
tho opening Of ~a'-r.goui
Never before had .ccn such n
do~ mail. Tho rain d, .--nd-i 10 ono
-olid sheet. aud Ia. earth fairly shock
with the con,inDous -Ill Of tho hun-
der The lightning vas ncrco and
vivid.
Under the circumstance. ihcro "a,
so,hln: To do bu, to iako shelter Toe
IA limo n, lcas, In III. old barn aud
you can easily ima;in. with what n
creepy sensation ! heard tho ricsc,y
doors cr-aS on their rusty hinge. NJ
swung 'hsm orrn and go. my team a.
quickly as possible under tho loasy
cover
Striking match jus, tn 60, my
bearing. I uabi;,-d tho horses aad
supplied ,hcm with hay OF which
there wa. n quantity In ono Of tho
inova. and then lighted my pirr. tina,
Incompatible .olscc of tho solitary.
gf-saa TO iakr stock IT my .nrrouad.
ings
Tho storm shown. NO sign 81 nba,c
mcui ,hu thunder crashes foll,viu.
zach ,.hus Ia qui-s succession and
the Lightning playing WILDLY through
tho chins. aud beoscn shinslc. b..
gan with y. much s'"ici.n n. ! could
assume making pruparaiiou, Tor thy
present comfort.
Selecting dry spp; in 'hc hayinov
removed some 81 my We, outer gar.
in-nis and with the aid Of horse bian.
kci. succeeded la imprpyi.ing "a ,ol.
q able bid. but not I assure you.
with the ~ oicsi idea Of -lcrt,
Nevertheless ia an hour or 81 the
thunder aud lightning having almost
dlIi away although the ruin s,ill
came down in torrents. worn out with
fatigue aud soo,hrd by tho ojor of
tho hay. fell into "a deep and guic,
siumbcr
How long slcp; know not Ju, I
was suiiunI awakened by Tn. snort
ing and stamping o. tho horses aud
starting up became Immediately CON
.ciou- OF faint blush light floating
In the air directly over the scat had
50 lately occupied
I, rc'cmblcd NO other Ugh, bsi
over seen. bu, seemed ~ bc simply a
ball of blush or amc,bys, colorcd
fro which circicd ABOUT through the
AIR with a queer unduia,ing move.
mont, I, impaired Ia mo Ne looked
n, I, a strange feeling OF dizziness and
nausea
While I sat staring. fascinated by
the mysterious ligh, ! was Mortified
to hear long. low proan coming
seemingly from the bed Of the wagon
! followed almost instantly by tho sound
kcf my own name. repeated rs distinct.
Z ly a- had ever heard 1t in my life
.Jori joe
With the cold Precipitation begin.
Phing To break from every pore
sprang to INV feet. and a. did 80 the
Ugh, Hoatcd slowly up to the raf,ers
and disappeared. while a low. rafting
laugh echoed through the darkness.
- All doubts I as 10 tho truth Of the
stories had heard about the haunted
barn were now pretty fully dismissed.
felt tina, | was fairly in for it.
B. the feeble glare OF IN matches
which only seemed TO intensity the
darkness | -trove TO penetrate the
: wall of blacsncss about me, but not
41h.ng could sec.