Connecticut western news., 1894-04-19
THE WOODS GHOST.


 from anybody else because he wanted to be odd and wanted to make a sensa- tion. He was a wealthy man, and there fore he could do very nearly as he liked. He was naughty, overbearing and irritable. always thought that If he had been the czar of Russia or the shah of Persia he would have played his role very we'll. He had built a fine house on the banks of the Delaware, and at the verge of the Block woods, of which he was the owner. He was not more than 45 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 16, 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 big busi- ness. She never said anything about my father, and did not know anything about him, and concluded that he had been hanged, or otherwise nipped in the bud, and did not press my inquiries in regard to him. I was regular resi- dent in Block Hall, as General Pawn 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 rock that projected out into the stream just below the generals mansion. Above me was a sandy beach, and while sat there the general drove down upon it in his buggy, with high spirited horse. I wondered what he was doing there with such turnout.
 The horse was full of spirit, and the choleric driver seemed to be we'll sup piled with spirits, though of the arti- ficial sort. The animal pranced and capered on the sand, ard did not ap- pear to have learned that his master was as impatient as he was eccentric. The horse had way of his own, and so had the general, and as the two ways did not run in the same direction it created an unpleasantness between them. At last the driver used his whip without the exercise of much discretion, and the brute manifested himself in a very decided manner. Then I decided that he was trying to drive the horse into the water, where he was unwilling to go. But the general got the best of it in the end and drove the obstinate creature straight into the river, as though he intended to cross to the other side. In a few moments the animal had to swim, but he struck out brave ly, the general applying the lash all the time; in fact, he seemed to be whip ping him for his own satisfaction. now that the brute had yielded the point. In another moment the buggy, which appeared to be floating, suddenly top pied over and spilled the occupant into the drink. He lost his hold upon it, and then saw that he could not swim. The horse took a circle around the spot and swam leisurely to the shore, dragging the buggy after him. Just below the rock on which I was seated was bateau, and I lost no time in rushing to it. I had some skill in the
 
 the general, who was foundering about in the water like grounded whale. He was large man, and saw that it would be impossible to get him into the boat. asked him to take hold of the stern to support himself while pad dled to the beach. He used explosives and insisted upon getting into the boat. I told him I would leave him to his fate if he did not do as I directed. The threat carried him, and he held on to the boat till his feet touched the bot | tom.
 ''I will kill that horsei'' he exclaim- ed when he reached the beach and had recovered his breath. "He is the ug- | Hest brute I ever drove.''
 "He is not so much of brute as you are, general" I replied. "You acted like heathen when you whipped him, and had half mind to let you ! drown.''
 He looked at me in astonishment Perhaps he thought had earned the right to speak my mind, but whether l had or not I expressed myself as | plainly as though I had been the gen. eral and he had been Pardy Sashwood Doubtless it was new thing for any | one to ''speak up'' to him.
 | Boy, want you to come and live with me-" he said, and was amazed l then.
 ''I won't do it, replied. "I would not live under the same roof with sucf l porcupine as you are for all youl money.''
 | He actually teased me. and he ex pressed his obligations to me very hand somely, but stuck to my text. help ed him right his buggy, now that tho horse had cooled off, and he insisted or driving me home, which I permitted him to do. My mother saw me wher I got out of the buggy. The general told me to think of his offer and come to his house if l decided to accept it. My mother, after she had heard all about the affair in the river, insisted that I should accept the offer. I argued against it for long time, but finally yielded to her wishes. The next day belonged to the generals household and Mrs. Cashley gave me hearty wei | come.
 General Fawncliffe treated me with degree of consideration accorded tc no other person. l helped him about his accounts and papers, though 1 was permitted 10 attend the academy. really came to like him after awhile, and know that I improved his man. ners and morals to some extent. His narrow escape from drowning had strongly impressed him, discovered He was victim to that malady of sed entary and lazy people, insomnia. He had been in the habit of drinking more whisky than was good for him as { remedy. He told me he could not sleel until he had drunk at least six glasses J rsasonsd with him. <.lkinE fstly ant