Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-08-21
A GHOST IN THE CAB.

were deserted, and it was time TO 90
home. So thought cabby No. /, SILVER
ing in his rusty overcoat He had watch
ed the electric light on the corner until
its ring of rainbow needles seemed TO
stab his eyes and the big shadows on the
street below it To shake with the cold.
"Not fare this whole blasted night"
he muttorcd, reaching down and pulling
the blanket from his horse.
As he did so he felt the carriage give
great jar on its springs He turned
quickly; some one had flung himself in
70 the seat behind him.
"What do you WANT" said the cabby
roughly
There was pause, then voice came
through the darkness, thick and nasty
as a gurgle of black oil:
Drive me To Judas Withers', and, III
the name Cf heaven, drive fast!'
Judas Withers has been dead and his
soul with the devil this many year, -
answered the c4bman, staring behind
him.
THE house still stands, but l have
lost my way. Go on, you fool!'
The figure reached over, and catching
the whip from its place gave the horse
lash. The old beast plunged forward
banging and rafting down the street
while the cursing cabman tried 10 clutch
at the reins, but hand, chilly and
clingiug as the belly of snake, fasten-
ed on his wrist and the thick voice
came close 20 his car;
Nov will you show me my way?"
Tho driver sank into his place again,
while the old cab rocked like a ship.
On they rushed, past closed stores and
lamplcss blocks Of houses. now ripping
and wrenching across the car tracks and
now swinging along the deserted road,
on and On, until the pavemcnts had been
left behind and the frost looked back
from the ruts like a million little groeu
eyes.
At last came the command, "Stop, ]
see it now' and the next instant the
cab was empty.
MY fare yelled the cabman. leap
ing down.
There was no answer. He looked
about him. 1t was very dark where he
stood, but the waning moon, with its
gnawed and crumbled edges, hung on a
line with the fir tops Before him rose q
vague blackness, the house Of Judas
Withers. tenantless but for the old wife
who still chung like some pale lichen t.
ITS moldoring stones. Perhaps she, too,
was dead. The cabby did not know. Ii,
did know, though, that Judas Withers
had been niiserly carcass, grudging
the very skin that hung his bones to-
gether
The house stood back from the road
and was surrounded by "a garden, now
lying gray and lonesome under the
moon. As the cabby pecred toward it he
saw the figure OF man come into the
moonShine. 1t sprang across the open
space III soft leaps like "A great black
bubble, its every movement full of a
dreadful vitality. Then it was gone. A
the driver himself turned to 60, he saw
tiny red spark flash out from the
house before him, and one after the 9th
TT the windows on the lower floor
glowed red, rs a crawling blotch Of
sparkles will eat across SCOT.
The man was there-the man who
owed him money-and all fear fed but
the fear Of los. The cabby tied his
horse and went creeping up the path
under cover of the hedges When he
reached the house. he raised himself
gently and looked in at one of the win
dows. Before him lay an empty room.
On the floor, thrown from window
opposite, was "a great checkered flag Of
oonlight-nothing more, nothing but
chose blue squares III the darkness.
Suddenly the cabman ducked his
head, for he saw that "A man had glided
into the room. He carried candle high
above his head. and his great pale face
was bloatcd ai,G, loose rs IL curd.
The cabman crouched low. A gust OF
wind set the fir trees whispering, and a
shutter slammed far away in the house
Guess II get out of this, he NUT
tered, rising. Bat he did not go, for the
figure that stood III the candlelight had
turned its back 20 the window and was
digging among he bricks. ripping and
scratching like l. leopard, while his long
shadow clawed Jn the ceiling above
him.
Thief" said the cabman, between
his teeth. pressing his ear to the broken
panes. There is treasure hidden there
perhaps gold. perhaps" just ther
the man inside gave joyful grunt
tie lifted AZ iron box from tho bile