The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-09-09

heard some one coming down the
stairs. Thamp! thump! thump'
il came down The whole fligh, OF
stairs and then seemed to stop.
| sal expecting TO see some one
or something enter the room;
The perspira'ion poured down my
face and | grew sick with terror;
but no ghost appeared, so after
awhile | got over my fright a ILL.,
tie and began to think | was fool.
ish, and tried to fiEd an explana.
lion Of the sounds haa heard.
But just when had begun 10
feel a little better, and was about
to rise and lay he baby IN her
cradle, heard The noise again.
Thump! thnmp! ihump came the
Ioo,slep. | seemed glued to he
chair, and cold chills ran all over
Inc. | your grandpa could only
have stepped in then how glad |
should have been! Always after
the bottom STAR was reeched there
followed a long pause before |
heard the step coming down again.
sat and listened till | had heard
them six times. then | could bear
it not longer. 1t was a warm day
in May, and the front door stood
wide open. l stopped and reused
little Joseph and snalched I'D The
blanket he was lying on with one
hand, while | carried the baby on
the arm and bidding him follow, |
hurried out of the house. There
was The barn and the wood shed,
butt | would mol 90 into either of
them. wanted TO keep in sight
OF that open door for fear of rob
bers, and | don't know that il was
exactly fear, either. think |
should have been much pleased to
welcome the greediest kind of a
robber, and would have cheerfully
surrendered my share of the honse
hold good TO any one who entered
that dreadful room and got rid of
the awful thing that was lramping
up and down the stairs.
Well, Joe and baby and slept
on the wood-pile that nigbt-or Joe
and he baby did. | did not sleep
a wink, but sat and watched that
open door and longed for daylight
to cone. And even after that |
must wait for your grandpa to
drive over that long, long road be-
fore | could enter The house again.
Haunted! OF course it was, |
thought /; no one need to try to
make me think or speak lightly of
ghosts again. Oh, what would |
not have given if we had never put
our precious money into that mis-
cradle placei
Well, about seven o'clock that
morning your grandpa came, and
| wish you could have seen his
face when he drove into the yard
and saw me sitting with the child.
rem on the wood-pile?
For Heavens sake, Sally, what
is the matlerg' he said. "You
look as white as a"
"rhere!" answered. "Don'l
say it, Joseph, if you have any
feeling at all for me! You've
bought up nice lot of 'em, what
ever color they are, and | hope
you'll enjoy 'em. For my part I
don't"
"Now. Sally" says he, "come to
your self and tell me what is the
trouble here, quick
So then did. In spite of all |
told him he laughed, and | knew
that he was veXed, too.
81 used to think you were a
braye woman. Sally" said he,
"but now I've changed my mind"
That kind of stirred me up, and
ltook the children and followed
him into the house.
1t all looked pleasant and limo.
cent enough by daylight with your
grandpa by my side, and | felt
quite ashamed of myself as l stalt.
ed the fire and got things going
for a warm meal. l did not even
say word against his going out to
put up the horses, but stayed about
my business IN The house.
We worked busily all day, and
sat down TO our supper at just
about the same time l had had my
experience the day before. AS the
dusk crept on began TO get ner-
vous, and lit the lamp as soon as
there was the least bit of excuse
for doing so, and then / tried to
act as il | had forgotten all about
everything but supper, r,grandpa and
the babies.
But when there came hush l
was listening for sounds that
might indicate any presence be.
side our own, and was very sure
too, that should hear them. And
l did. The Steps came thump
thump! thump! down The stairs
again,and l turned my face toward
your grandpa, 10 see il he heard.
He mo,ioned me 10 keep still, and
rose very carefully out of his char
and went toward the door on tip.
toe-that door l mean that opened
into the stairway. He pulled it
open with jerk, and there it was
A big, much astorished rat, that
halted in his downward progress
so that for an instant l had a.iull
view of him, then made one final
leap to the bottom stair and dis
appeared through a very new.cut
hole that led into the CELLAR"