Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-10-25

NAC odIAS pS44OI AIaLNCS 90 - "N
Livingstone was again obliged to hustle
for the safety Of his house. This was
repeated at short intervals until day
light, and the family did not get a mo-
ment's rest during that memorable
night. How the amiable lady Of the
house managed to cook breakfast, ira
dition does not say, but from the fact
that nothing is related of suffering by
the Livingstones from hunger, it is to
be presumed that the spook let up on
them for a little while and allowed
them to get something to eat
Worn out, scared and disconsolate,
the hapless Livingstone walked down
to the road that passed his house, and
was Immediately greeted by rough
wagner, who had stopped his team,
and who wanted to know why the
devil Livingstone had stretched a rope
across the highway and fastened it to
a tree on the other side, 50 as to I'M
pede travel?' Livingstone knew that
there were trees, as the wagner said,
on both sides of the road, but he saw
no rope, and wondered what the appa-
rently drunken teamster meant by ac-
cusing him of such an absurd thing.
The driver ahgnly demanded that the
obstruction be removed at once, and
Livingstone, disdaining to make any
reply, the infuriated teamster drew a
knife and slashed at the rope, but the
blade met with no resistance, and while
the obstruction was palpable to his eye,
it was but an airy nothing to his touch.
1t was now the wagoners turn to be
amazed. He knew not whether to Of
fer an apology or not, and while he
was still pondering the matter, another
team arrived, and its driver went
through the same performance as the
other, with the same result. At length
Livingstone mildly suggested that they
should drive on regardless Of the in
tangible rope, and so they did, and
passed along without difficulty, attrlb-
uting their delusion, no doubt, to the
bad whiskey of the neighborhood.
Soon, however, other. teams arrived,
and again the spectral rope was in the
way, and again were repeated the per-
plexity and the profanity Of the first
encounter. Every new arrival brought
the luckless Livingstone fresh ours
ing, and 50 it kept up for several weeks.
COMMENCEMENT OF THE CLIPPING.
In the course of time the demon now
acknowledged to be around the place
adopted new method Of annoyance.
a sharp, clipping noise, as if from
pair of invisible shears, was heard all
through and around the house, and,
worse yet, all the clothes Of the family
their tablecloths, and bed coverings,
were cut and gashed, the Sits being
all in the shape of a crescent. Of
course the news of these unearthly do
ings soon spread, and people from all
directions crowded to see and hear
what was going on. There are still
in some families pocket
handkerchiefs that We're folded IN the
pockets of their owners when they VS.
tied the place, but yet were cut and
marked in this peculiar way by the De-
mon of the Scissors, that kept up his
cLp-clip around them while they were
with the afflicted family.
One lady visitor was complimenting
Mrs. Livingstone on a fine flock Of
ducks that were waddling through her
yard on their way, perhaps, to the
neighboring opequon, when clip-clip
went the weird and invisible shears,
and, one after another, the ducks were
all cleanly decapitated in broad day
light, before the very eyes of the ladies
and many other witnesses.
BROKE Up A PARTY.
At that time there lived in Middle
way a German tailor, who, though
fully imbued with the mysticism Of his
countrymen, yet regarded with con-
4, ,,,,,,+ III ,.,,lg,,r. s,,,,arctitione or what