The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-01-12
THE WOODS GHOST.

@H& NNiA M1E#.si
Possibly General Fawncliffe WIS &C.
centric because he could not help it,
bat it is more probable that He dS1
things in a I'M entirely different
from anybody else because he wanted
10 be odd and wanted to make d sensa-
ton. He was a wealthy man, and there
fore he could do very nearly as he
liked. He was naughty, overbsaring
and irritable. / dways thought that If
he had been the car of Russia or the
shah of Persia he would have played
his role very well. He had built q fine
house ON the banks of the Delaware,
and at the verge of the Block woods,
of which he was the owner. He wal
not more than As years old and appear
ed to be entirely alone in the world; at
any rate, no one in Rockville ever
heard that he had any relations.
At the time of which / write I was a
young fellow of IS, of no sort of conse-
quence whatever, and my name was,
but Is not now, Pardon Sashwood,
though mother and everybody else call
ed me Pardy. My mother was a dress
maker in the town and did a big bust
ness. She never said anything about
my father, and I did not know anything
abont him, and I concluded that he had
been hanged, or otherwise nipped in the
bud, and ! did not press my inquiries in
regard to him. ] was a regular resi-
dent In Block Hall, as General Fawa-
cliffe called his elegant mansion, and
my first duty is to explain how / hap
pened to be a dweller beneath its
princely roof. / was very fond of fish
ing, and my mother was very fond of
eating fish, for | caught very nice ones
in the river. One day ! sat upon a rock
that projected out into the stream sjust
below the generals mansion. Above
me was a sandy beach, and while / sat
there the general drove down upon il
in his buggy, with a high spirited
horse. / wondered what he was doing
there with such a turnout.
The horse was full of spirit, and the
choleric driver seemed to be well sup
piled with spirits, though Of the arti-
fetal sort. The animal pranced and
capered on the sand, and did not APP
pear to have learned that his master
was as impatient as he was eccentric.
The horse had a way of his own, and
SO had the general, and as the two
ways did not run in the same direction
it created al unpleasantness between
them. At last the driver used his whiI
without the exercise of much discretion,
and the brute manifested himself in q
very decided manner. Then I decided
that he was trying to drive the horse
: into the water, where he was unwilling
to 60. But the general got the best oi
1t in the end and drove the obstinate
creature straight into the river, al
though he intended TO cross to the Other
side. In a few moments the ANNA
had to swim, but he struck ont brave
~, the general applying the lash all tn.
{ time; in fact, he seemed to be whip
I ping him for his own satisfaction. nov
that the brute had yielded the point.
, In another moment the buggy, which
t appeared to be floating, suddenly top
, pied over and spilled the occupant int
, the drink. He lost his hold upon 1t
and then / saw that he could not swim
Y The horse took a circle around Oh,
spot and swan ~leisurely to the shore
dragging the buggy after him. Jus
below the rock on which ] was seatet
was q bateau, and i lost no time ii
rushing to IL. l had some skill In til,
use OF the paddle, and I soon reache,
the general, who was fioundering abou
u in the water like q grounded whale
He was a large man, and / saw that !
would be impossible to get him into th
boat. ! asked him to take hold Of th
stern to support himself while ! pad
died to the beach. He used expletiye
, and insisted upon getting into the boat
| told him I would leave him to his fat
. il he did not do az / directed. Tn
threat carried him, and he held ON t
e the boat till his feet touched the bot
IS tom.
r. Il will kill that horse!'' he exclaim
ed when he reached the beach and ha
recovered his breath. He is the ne
q lest brute / ever drove"
g.. He liz not so much of a brute q
you are, general" / replied. "Yo
acted like a heather when you whippe
o him. and I had half . mind to let 20
l. drown"
a He looked at me in astonishmen1
Perhaps he thought I had earned th
70 right to speak my mind, but wheths
; | had or not / expressed myself I
! plainly rs though / had been the ger
eral and he had been Pardy Sashwoo<
u Doubtless IL was q new thing for an
one to speak mp to him.
a boy, ! want you to come and II,
with me" he said, and I was amaze
then.
II won't do At, I replied. II wonl
u not live under the same roof with auc
ne q porcupine as you ara for all W
money"
He actually teased me. and bio q:
!, pressed his obligations to me very han,
= so1nely, but 7 stuck to my text. I hdl]
~ Cd him right his hnggy, now tnat q
horse had cooled of, and be insistedse
driving me home, which I permfttt
him to do. Ny mother saw me wht
! got out Of the buggy. The gener
nd told me TO think Of his offer and con
80 "a n A%M 50 la - 49, =