Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-05-24
Her Mamma.
A GHOST STORY.

'DOn DeilcVc IN ghosts. Snc Salu
snarling at me in Il queer way. There
is some don't believe in Scripture, and
there's some don't believe in heaven,
and there's other some don't believe in
ghosts. YAH
She was 4 tall old woman, and she
stood in the door of her little house,
bush to bush, and spread upon the
grass, were clothes drying Within Il
fire burnt, and fiat irons were heating
upon little stove Old as she was.
she still earned her living by laundry
work, though she could no longer carry
home the baskets on her head. She
had cOndeSccndcd to do up certain
rufflcs of mine, and | had called with
them myself. A wonderful laundresS,
who seemed to have some secret for
Wilderness and SInoOthness, was she.
'Then you believe in ghosts" l
asked.
'Of course Didn't / live with Miss
Rose
WAS Miss Rose"
"NO. she wasn't ghost. Not by any
means. She was just the purtiest little
thing ever you saw. She was her
grandfathcrS pet, and hadn't another
relation on earth. | was her nurse.
I'd fetched her up, you may say. I'd
done uD every living thing she Wore
always. Sh" loved me. ! don't think
she loved any one better but him.
Her grandfIthCr?
"NO. him, Mr.. Collins. He was Il
E,.y+ fo i1r-. irh
some Fell in love with my Miss Rose
at Il ball. and she engaged herself to
marry him.
They was as fond of each other rs
turtlC-doveS, and all was going on beau
tiful. When they married | was going
to live with 'cm. l wouldn't have lived
anywhere else, not for any wages.
Well the time was coming fast. She
had lots OF new clothes. | did EN- up.
/ was just doing Il skirt with twelve
tucks in Il cluster and putting each side
when all of Il sudden | hears her give
Il little scream.
at was summer. and | had my iron
ing table under the grape vines, and
she was reading in the garden. A min
ute before she was sitting with her
book in her hand, quiet like. Now /
saw her jump up and run toward me.
oh, how you frightened me- she
said Charles, you ought to be ashamed
of Yourself
Mr. Collins amt come. has he,
miss asked i didn't see him..
"'NOW you are teasing me. too she
said. How silly. Charles. come here.
You saw him. He stood just here by
you. Charles
Miss Rose. Mr.. Collins has not been
here | couldn't have helped seeing
him if he had
"'You must be blind
Her face was pale, and her lips
trcmblcd. She ran away looking for
him, calling for him, pecping behind
bushes into the arbor. everywhere.
Then she came back and sat down.
81 won't speak 70 him when he
comes out Of his corner she said.
HE has frightened me-
But Mr. Collins did not come out
of any corner that day.
That evening she watched for him
I'm vain: and at II o'clock Ihat night
she came to me. She put her hands
on my shoulders and said, in voice
that | can remember yet
Nurse. wake up. | can't be alone
I am going mad. He is dead, nurse.
Charles is dead"
Il jumped up in n hurry and took
her poor cold little hands in mine and
set her down upon the bed.
Don't be silly | said. A gentle
man may stay away from his sweet
heart one evening and not be dead
Says she, looking ut me without n
tear:
"'It was not Charles that l saw to-
day. 1t was his spirit. He came to
me again just now. He stood by the
long window in the hall His face was
us white as snow. He pointed to his
breast. l saw blood upon it. He is
dead
''Then, without scream or even a
sigh, she just tainted away where she
lay. | knew that something had hap
pened myself. I'd heard of warnings
before"
l said nothing. but waited quietly
while the old woman unpinned an
apron from the line and sDrinkled it,
When she came back she found me
where she had left me and went on,
with Il shake of her Old head and a lift
ing of her two hands:
"Wcn, mum, she was right. The
news came the next day. Poor Mr.
some money. He rode there. His horse
came home without him. They search
ed for him, of course, but they never
found him.
He had been killed for his money,
everybody thought and so 1t was no
doubt. And the road ran along the
river Il good way, and probably, they
said, they had thrown the body into
it. Poor Miss Rose never had any
hope. She had Il long sickness and
when she came to herself her mind was
gone.
Miss Roses grandfather quite broke
down under it; he took to his bed and
grew childish. l had my hands full,
l can tell you; but l wouldn't have left
her: no | wouldn't, for any money.
And time went on and it was year
since Mr.. Chsrles was lost and the