Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-27
THE GHOST.

IHE U1USI.
Nv fathers farm was fully eleven
miles, over lonely and deserted road,
from the little town of B, and al
most midway between the two points
above lay the old Sharp farm, desolate
and run to weeds, simply because the
owner, for reasons hereafter to be given,
was forced to content himself from year
to year with the grazing it afforded his
cattle and the few meager loads of hay
saved from the neglected meadows.
The former proprietor, old Jacob
Sharp, or Lame Jake, as he was more fire.
quently called by reason of an unfortu-
nate physical deformity, known to the
doctors, believe, as equino-varus, and
commonly as clubfoot, had taken no.
ton few years before to hang himself
to rafter in the old barn, and by that
little act had completely ruined the rep
utation of one of the best and most fer
tile holdings in the country.
From whatever source originated,
weird and uncanny stories soon began
to circulate respecting the old home
stead, the purport of which were that
poor old Lame Jake, who had been so
impatient to get out of the world, was
now equally anxious to get back, but
having foolishly disposed of his carnal
covering to crafty the whim of an idle
moment, he was now compelled in re-
visiting thus the glimpses of the moon,
to restrict himself to such hours and
places as the native modesty of any
proper minded ghost would be most apt
to suggest.
! Many and marvellous were the legends
which the "auld slashers' Of the coun-
try, as the Great Antiquary would call
them, were in the habit of relating to
such juvenile and feminine ears as were
most readily captivated thereby; and
many and many night have seen my
sister and younger brothers go to bed
with eyes like saucers after an evenings
seance with one of these raconteurs.
But, as the New Light of Asia has it,
that is another story.
One tenant of the place had fifty bush
els of wheat carefully winnowed one
night, old Jake being distinctly seen by
a member of the family, whom the noise
of the mill had aroused, standing in the
time honored white nightgown and
surrounded by a blush halo, industri-
ously turning the crank; but while he
was congratulating himself that these
visitations promised to be of a Brownie
rather than of Goblin character the
next night, outrageous to relate, the
winnowed wheat was just as carefully
mixed with an equal quantity of rye
from another bin, the scandalous pro-
ceedings being celebrated with fashings
of light, the most outlandish racket and
discordant peals of unearthly laughter.
These financial losses and annoyances,
while bad enough in their way, might
still have been struggled against for
some time had not his ghostship taken
it into his pneumatic head to begin a
series Of domiciliary visits threatening
more directly the unfortunate mans
personal peace and welfare.
A bright glare, emanating from some
particular room, would convey to the
startled inmates the idea that the house
was in flames; and rush being made
thither the light would disappear in an
instant, to the accompaniment of loud
groans and laughter, rattling of fur
niture and pattering of ghostly footsteps
down the Railways.
Frequently the farmer during sleep,
usually when most worried, would find
himself suddenly and disgracefully fired
out Of bed by some invisible agency;
windows and crockery were smashed,
bells rung at midnight, and on one oc-
casion his wife had the wits nearly
frightened out of her by finding her
lord sleeping one morning by her side,
his hands folded on his breast and two
pennies placed in orthodox fashion-ov over
his eyes.
These happenings, the reader will
easily conceive, had the effect of limit
ing his occupancy of the Sharp messuage
strictly to the period of his lease, and
some three or four others who succeeded
him made equally short stays.
Others complained most of the trouble
they had with their cattle. Horses Sc
curely stalled began about midnight to
raise most terrific uproar, and if not
promptly liberated would invariably
thrash down the stable door and be
found next morning huddled together
in the farthest corner of the pasture.
Frequently one would be found bearing
the marks of the saddle and other evil
dences of severe night journey, al
though in such instances, in justice to
old Jake, the fact that one of the boys
was courting squire's daughter in a
county may have borne
some relation to the phenomenon.
Weird lights burning through the
chinks of the barn and about the prem
ises were so common to the neighbors
that when the boys and girls happened
to be belated at dance, husking OF
an apple pairing they told their parents
they came home by the light of old
Sharp's lantern.
am not going in this age of divided
skirts and long distance telephones to
put myself on record as the man that
saw Jake Sharp's ghost; but what I did
see and hear the night / slept in that
old barn-well, I'm going to tell you
about it.
had been to B and was returning
somewhat late. The night was dark
and starless, and the faint flashes of
which began in the west kept
increasing in frequency and brilliancy
behind me till, just as the old Sharp
0ahles 1Oomed nm from the blackness he