The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-24
CHAPTER II.

Few houses were better adapted for
the accommodation of ghosts than the
old Billop homestead. Two miShthy
trees cast a shadow over 1t even At
MONDAY: and its cavernous cellar and
paedalain garret seemed ideal stamp
fairgrounds spectres. The activity On
which the house stood-the sits had
been chosen with an eye To its defensi-
bility in Indian times-sloped gently
down in front but fell away quite
abruptly behind and at the sides. ON
the right side. almost beneath the roots
OF the butternut tree, a small natural
cave entered the rocky soil; it had been
artiicially enlarged So as to shelter the
wagons and tools when the barn was
ovcrfull of produce. The barn STOOD
further down the slope. near the mea-
dow. and was itself a delightfully."- mys-
tcrious ard scary place; both the cave
ana the barn had been highly priced
by generations of Billop children, as
well as by their mothers when, in rainy
weather, they wanted to have some
peace in the house. May we play in
rhe barn. or the cave. mother? was 4
request seldom refused Sometimes. no
doubt, the children played ghosts. till
they We're ready to expire with delight
full Creeps and horrors, and thus con-
firmed among themselves the weird
ltllStnuS WnlCn came uOWu tipill Stiitl-
alton 10 generation.
When Tom Linton. aged eleven, took
up his abode AT the house. Nellie Brent
was q mere baby, just able to walk and
uttera few Orpric words: 50 he had
10 do the most Of his playing by him
self. But he was boy Of unusual re-
sources and genius: and as his tenacy
of the premises was. unfortunately,
brief, and his fate grievous. we must
make him as distinct as possible while
he lasts. He had the energy and vi
talty of a whole school at noon recess.
and was as sensational as indomitable
in his manifestations as We're Robin
Hood and his merry men in Sherwood
forest. He neither feared ghosts nor
believed in them; but his noises and
surprises We're more terrible than a bat
talon of tha diSincarnate. He was on
the jump from morning till night.
arms. legs. lungs and brains in full
function: he was the clevcrest pupil in
the school, though of none of them did
the master have less hope of evolving
a sober and useful citizen. He was in
eV,tahly the center of all mischief as
the hub is the center of the wheel; and
though nobody could help liking the
young rascal. he was so good-tempercd
amusing. and $50 to say contagious
yet all shook their heads over him. and
opined that his future looked omn-
Gus. Nancy only. who suffered most
from his outrageousness. not merely
loved him with all her heart, but had
faith in his final triumph over all evil
she continued To believe in him. in the
teeth of all evidence, when his misfor-
tune came upon him: and, when, at
last the poor little drowned body was
picked out of the river she thanked the
Lord, on her knees, through her sobs.
that she had never harbored an un-
charitable thought towards him.-This
is how it came about.
There was one person in the parish
with whom Tom was at open war
Lawyer Corvin. His aversion from
him, instructive at first. was confirmed
by what he heard and credited as to his
shady conduct toward his deceased un-
Gle. Tom expected. in due season. to
become the master of Billop's: and then
he. meant TO take it out of Lawyer Cor
win! Meanwhile. Corvin had a son,
Peter, about Toms size; Peter was a