The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-23

! knows what / seed VIII my own eyes,
reckin I seed dem ghosteses las yeah
an de yeah befo' an de yeah befo' dat,
an 7 don want 10 see dem no more
neder" This in a tone of doggcd couvic-
ton, that meant to hold fast TO the facts
| in spite of all argument.
Mr.. c. laughed again. well.
| should like TO see that ghost Just once, '
| he said, II warrant he would stay away
! from this plantation after l got through
! with him.
What would you do with him, papa, "
asked Marie
''Why shoot him, and get rid of him, "
! he replied Come, darling, call Mlindy
! and run off to bed, and don't let Uncle
! Bens foolish stories worry you II is all
| nonsense about ghosts. There are no
| such things Uncle Ben dreamed that he
saw them" Hekissed his little daughter
and she went away with her nurse TO go
| to bed
Hits mighty easy for people to piuion-
| ate bout dreamin' an hallosumashunin'
when dey Amt done seed muffin dem
| selbes, " said Ben, half to himself and half
| to Mr. c., ''but when | seen dat ghostes
| las summer right out dar under dat ibe-
| oak, wus des as wide awake es ! is dis
! Dressed mint, an 1 reckin my eyes is es
| good es anybody's. l seen nm, shure|
| Mr.. c. laughed heartily at the old
mans persistence. "Well Ben he said,
| the next time you see it call me right
| quick | should like to get sight of it
myself"
''You mighty infdellious, Marse John,
| but hit am a ser'uS matter for lartn
| bout, Plenty folkses done seed dem
| ghosteses, an dey done druv lots o.
| niggas away from dis heah plantation.
/ I'd done gone myself, but fer you an
| Miss Jane"
i believe you would stay with me,
! Ben. in spite of all the ghosts in the
! world, j." said Mr.. c. kindly but you
! had better go to bed now, or you might
see them again tonight 1t is the dark
! of the moon and he chuckled to himself
! as he arose to go in the house and mind,
! Ben" he called, as the negro started for
! his cabin, If you see them be sure to
| call me. -
1t was one of those gorgeous summer
nights that are common in Louisiana.
! The stars hung thick in the liquid, moon
less sky, so bright and near that it al
most seemed as though one could reach
them from the ground. A cool breeze
from the south rippled across the mighty
| river and whispered through the foliage
of the trees, and a hooking bird in the
top of a great live oak trilled and piped
| in the very ecstasy of love Suddenly
| his song broke off short in a harsh scream
| of alarm, as a strange, mearthly noise
rose from the ground beneath him.
| M'lindy, who slept on cot III the same
room with her little charge, awoke with
a start of fear Nothing now broke the
profound stiffness of the midnight but the
! shrill cries of the katydids and crickets,
which sounded weird and fearsome
! through the darkness. 81 'Clar' to good
ness" muttered the girl to herself, IS
! fought l seen dem ghosteseS. TsC mighty
skeered. Marie Marie" she called
| softly, slipping out of her cot, and put
| ting her arms around her sleeping charge.
Wake up, honey, Use skeert nigh to
| deaf"
"What is the matter" answered Marie
| drOwsily.
Il fought I seen dem ghostess what
! Unc' Ben wus a-tellin' bout
! Marie started wide awake in a moment,
and with a SILVER of fear Struggled close
| to Mlindy. where did you see them2"
| she asked in an awestruck whisper
81 didn't see dem fer suah, des fought
! dat I did, " whispered M'lindy in return.
! Il wus in bed, an | dunno whe'r ]
wus sleep ur awake"
Let's look out of the window, and see
! if we can see them" whispered Marie,
| with fearsome courage.
Use skeert TO, Miss Marie"
''Pshaw there amt no such thing as
! ghost. My papa said so, returned Marie,
| plucking up her southern courage. Come
on" and she slipped out of the bed and
| stole to the window, M'lindy. who was
too frightened to get an inch away from
her, holding fast to her gown.
The window commanded a view of the
! garden before the house, and for a mo-
ment they stood peering down into the
| dense black shadows of the shrubbery'
| Presently a frightful groan broke
upon their ears. They clutched one an
other in a spasm of terror and gazed faS-
ciuated into the darkness. Another
groan! and then they saw a dim white
figure glide out of the deep shadows into
the starlight of the open pathway. Poor
little Marie stared at it for u moment in
dumb paroXysm of fright, and then
with a wild shrek fell fainting to the
floor. ooh, Lordyp' yelled Mlindy, sink
ing down beside her in helpless terror,
DE ghostes Marse John! Miss Jane!
Marse John Come quick! De ghostess
Oh, MErse John, Miss Marie's daid
Come Quick"
In moment the house was awake, and
presently Marie was revived and sobbing
Historically in her mothers arms Min
dy was soon recovered enough to tell
what they had seen, and Mr.. c., utter
ly unable to account for the appearance,
which he could hardly doubt, as Marie
confirmed M'lindy's story most positively,
lOOh HIS X uI anu SIOulb'l GlG SuIIOulu-
ings of the house, determined to make
short work of the apparition, whether
natural or supernatural, if he could find
it. He found nothing, and after thor
Ough search he returned to the house,
angry and perturbed, and half inclined TO
think that Uncle Ben had been surrepti-
tiOusly trying to enforce the acceptan ce
of his own opinions as TO the realty of
ghosts. In an hour the house was set
tied down to sleep again, Marie this time
Struggled safely between her parents, and
M'lindylying on the floor at the foot Of
their bed. and no more was seen of the
ghost that night.
The next day Ben was carefully ques-
toned, but he had evidently been sound
asleep, and had seen or heard nothing of
the apparition. Mr.. c. limited at his
suspicious in a roundabout way, and Ben
took fire at once.
Needn't fink I done hit, Marse john
No, sir Needn't fink ole Ben done no
sech trick es dat! Ben amt wantin' to
skeer his Miss Marie! I kill anybody do
dat! Nobody else but Marse John better
not say no sech fling bout Benz He git
hissef in trubble mighty quick Slleer
Miss Marie! No. sir Marse john No,
sir Ben amt no ghostes yit! An eff he
war, he sooner die n skeer Miss Marie.
dunno what dat ghOstes want to cum
roun' yere skeerinR little chillen fer, no
how! Let UNI cum an skeer Ben, eff they
wan to. l gwine to watch fer dat ghostes