Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-08-26
4 uanted uant.

Black Nanny. dear SOUL believed de-
voutly in chants bu, Billy. whom she had
nursed and brought up to twelve years old.
laughed such thing, quite to scorn. He
was a mischievou, fellow. and though hc
loved Black NANNY dearly. thought it great
fun to scare her out of her wits.
She was very fond of going to might
meetn" The path ran through the past
ure at one end OF which lay an old grave
ward. and there Billy determined to give
her a glorious fright Il took all day to
make the ghost which was that night to
confront her For the head, Billy cut eyes
and mouth in a big gourd, inside of which
he meant to place couple of lighted can
dies. The gourd topped pole, with cross
arms tackled on. from which drapery of
white window-curtains fell long and full.
Billy himself would be sheltered in their
folds and by raising the pole above his
head could make the spectre al least ten
feet high.
How Nanny and the rest would rum
cry out, at the sight Of it He could hardly
tx things properly in place for thinking Of
it when he had got upon the hillside fifty
yards from the path. As for Tom and
black Charley, who sat under near brier-
bush ready to touch of a bit of redtire,
they were simply helpless with laughing.
1t was nine clock. pitchdark and
cloudy, when the meeting-goers came well
in view, struggling procession of men and
women. with here and there lantern
feebly blinking in the line. As It came
well abreast of him, Billy uncovered the
flaming gourd head. pushed 1t up. up, to
the full height, giving out, as he did it, a
| screech-owls cry.
Tom and black Charley were TO answer
it with the flash Of red-fire. Instead came
a smothered exclamation, "LOrdy ! done
lost dem matches
Before cropping fingers could find them,
there came a patter of sharp swift footballs
behind. Something took Billy hard III the
/ knees. sent him and the ghost sprawlinE,
Tom and black Charley scuttling away as
| fast as their legs could carry them
/ Billy heard the black boy crying out.
Run, Tawmy, run Dey is hants.
/ knowed hit all de time An dey sho 'nough
/ liant done got Billy"
Indeed, he half believed it. for no sooner
/ did he scramble TO his feet than he was
again knocked fiat by this mysterious
/ something that seemed to his excited fancy
to be "a veritablc giant. And it had Ger
| tainly come from among the graves He
had stood with hi, back TO them, facing
down hill. Ii only he could reach the bot
tom OF ii. where by this time Black Nanny
ought 10 be, unless, indeed, she had seen
and been frightened away by his struggle
with this demon of the dark Again he got
to his knees. 10 be again knocked fiat with
a resoundlng thwack.
Stretching himself full length. Billy be-
gan TO roll down hill faster than ever he
had done in hi, life, too spent and breath
less 10 call aloud but only vowinc if he
escaped alive henceforth to let hants reign
/ supreme in the pasture.
Fast As he rolled. his assailant kept NJ
with him, aiding his descent with more
thwacks and pushes. Nor did they stol
until Nanny lantern-light fell full il
Billy's eyes. Mammys voice cried out
"Ruu we're, ev'ybody, Bless my hear
alive, ef we're amt Squire Elan ole fight
in ram done broke il our paster al mos
kilt somebody. Wy its Billy, Lord loy,
yer. honey. huccame We los in de dark ont
yere2 Sposen dem hants had er sot a 'te
We std or de ole ram?
II most wish they had Billy said, get
ing up slowly and hanging his head.-Hgr
per-, Young Pe0pic.