The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-22

ships mails on account of the war, had
been intercepted and failed to be delivered.
A shadow fell on the little farming COM
munity around Bowers's Shore after the
hrst year. First came anxiety, and then
restless fear. as people said in little groups
by themselves, something must have hap
pened TO the LOuverture There were
mothers who used to go up to the green
nils overlooking the bay. and stand alone,
shading their eyes with their hands. Annie
used to go there; she heard the wild geese
so over IN the spring and come back again
in the fall, honking nonking. honking, usu-
ally very high in the blue sky, but the
sails of the L'Ouverture did not return in
the spring or in the fall.
On the third November after the ship
had gone, the widow lie Dot stood in the
down the old dinner horn. and was about
TO blow 1t, when she felt a touch on her
shoulder.
Have you heard something stranger"
Il don't know. There is something
Where. Annie?"
Down in the pasture. Listen
The widow lie Dot stood silent
Presently a loud cackle Of geese filled the
air. and with it bell-like sound of honk,
honk, honk. 1t was very joyous, trumpet
like sound
1T reminds me" She dropped the din
ner horn by her side and her apron flew
up TO her face.
I'll blow the horn when / am ready. /
shan't have any appetite to-day. but will
have to keep up heart
The girl did not move.
''Oh, Mother LIE Doit, for you have been
just like a mother to me. blow the horn"
What for, Annie?
For the geese"
You're daft, Annie What do want to
blow the horn for the geese for? If these
were not sorry times, 1 would have TO
laugh at you.
Just to see what effect it will have upon
them" said Annie.
You may blow it yourself"
No; that would not sound natural
Natural? What do you mean by that
Annie?"
''Oh something tells me that the pasture
is haunted-like; that something is about to
happen. Please blow, the horn, and let me
listen, and then will go about the dinner"
The widow lie Dot blew the horn. Lusty
sounds came echoing back from the hills
where the white gravestones shone in the
Something else came back on the clear.
mellow air. 1t caused the dinner horn to
drop at the widows side. 'Honk, honk,
"A wild goose" said the widow LIE Doit
I'VE haven't anyhow"
I'VE had one once" said Annie begin
ming to tremble.
The eyes OF the two met
the 6a sng %a tbe IN r ihe
''Oh Annie this is dreadful; and on this
day. TOO. Why did that wild goose down
you think that it really is a. wild goose, or
mething-happened?"
There is only one wild goose in all the
W
of that horn, or could answer 1t. Blow it
again. mother; once more"
it more violently than before, sending a
ringing peal over the hills. The two lis
tened; There was no response from the
laurel pasture, but dark form rose into
the clear, bright air, and came flying low
over the fields.
Annie. what is that?'
1T Is sign, mother, that Bel is dead.
That is a wild goose. and. oh. mother, it
will vanish soon. 1t is not good sign-it
is flying low"
But the wild goose did not vanish. on it
came like a flying fragment of cloud in
the sunlight, and with another trumpet
like honk, il alghted in the shadow of the
frost-smitten elm A young dog had been
brought to the place within year. a
fowler: He heard the honk. and rushed
wings and flew back to the pasture. beside
a long corn field full OF Indian summer
hazes.
The family and visitors were now an
swering the call of the horn. The sitting
room was full of guests. The parson had
arrived with his black suit. white stock
and collar. Squire Holmes was there, and
he ard the parson were observed TO be talk
ing very confidentially together. Annie
heard the Squire say:
You needn't say anything about II, Ell
der. IL l only believed in such things. L
should say that that ship went down, and
the corn field was haunted"
Geese don't have ghosts" said the tall
parson, solemnly. THE better thing for us
is 10 keep quiet, and show our wisdom
OlU LIT. DlgSS, as ne was calleQ-really.
DR.. Daggett-was there He was a natural
doctor. root and herb man, full of super
stition. 1t used to be said in the town: IF
any one wants to receive lift heaven
ward, let him go to DR.. Diggs; his RENE
dies never fail" He used to pull teeth with
a twister, "one for quarter and two for
instrument, and his dental chair, which
was the floor, was also an economy. He
between his knees. and apply the twister
to the aching tooth, and the result was
such as to generally make a lively impress
sion on susceptible women-folk, who usu-
ally started at the first cries for mercy for
the nearest doors with their fingers in their
ears. But the venerable doctor assured his
young patients that the twister was "a
sure thing, and that when ii was applied to
a molar, the tooth was sure to come" 1t
was.
The old doctor had heard the words
haunted" corn field" and he put them
together in manner calculated to excite
an alarming curiosity. He was about to
1.-The haunted corn field,'' when the parson
raped on a dinner plate with fork and
bending over the table. said: For all thai
we about to receive, o Lord make us
truly thankful, and may all OF the mys-
teries of life turn into mercies, and what
ever happens TO US may be for our good
and ny glory
1t was a quiet company that sat down
to the bountiful meal in that old farm
house on that Thanksgiving day. No one
was inclined to talk. Every ones thoughts
seemed to be wandering, as though there
was some nameleSS mystery in the air. The
widow twice left the table and went to the
porch door. Annie, having served the
course of roast turkey and game, went into
the yard hurriedly, and shut up the dog
Many OF the guests seemed to wish to ask
question, but hardly knew how to frame
IL in words. The heSitancy was at last brok-
en- by old DR.. Diggs, whose magma ton
had been growing, and had reached a point
where self-reStraint was no longer possible
Elder" said he, did you mean anything
| particular by that prayer Of yours?"
beg your pardon. beg your pardon,
said the Elder, in broad; clear voice. you
do not make yourself clear. my friend ;
your question lacks perspicuity."
Il refer to the mysterious mercies' Ell
mean TO suggest by that the haunted corn
| field. did you, Elder?'
Tie haunted corn field. Every guest
dropped his fork at the words. Old DIR. Diggs
had focused the imagination of the whole
company. Even Annie, the work girl who
was somewhat superstitious. stood as if
petrifed.
The widows cap border seemed to rise
| at the picture the words had made. hut
she at once checked her nervous tremor
and said:
Haunted corn field. did you say. DIR.
Digs? had not heard that there was any
such place"
The Doctor had not. either but he was
man TO make an imagination in an atmo-
| sphere for IL, and to cause that imagina-
| ton TO grow.
a little boy named Timothy Todd. who
now seemed to be all eyes. sat at the end
| of the table. He had a tongue that could
| not be restrained. and il came to the helm
| of the fanciful Doctor.
There's strange wild goose been seen
| there" said he. Father heard il honkinp
| in the night 1t hOnked sYSt like this he