The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-06-19
A GHOST IN THE CAB.

II was past midnight; the city streets
were deserted, and it was time 10 go /
home. So thought cabby No. II, shiver-
ing in his rusty overcoat. He had watch
ed the electric light ON the corner until
its ring Of rainbow needles seemed 10
stab his eyes and the big shadows ON the
street below it to shake with the cold
"Not fare this whole blasted nightv
he muttered, reaching down and pulling
the blanket from his horse.
As he did so he felt the carriage give
a great jar ON its springs He turned
quickly; some one had flung himself in
| to 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:
"Driye me to Judas Withers, and, in
the name of heaven, drive fast!
| "Judas Withers has been dead and his
soul with the devil this many year,
answered the cabman, staring behind
him.
lost my way. Go on, you fool!
The figure reached over, and catching
the whip from its place gave the horse
a lash. The old beast plunged forward
hanging and rafting down the street,
while the cursing cabman tried to clutch
at the reins, but hand, chilly ana
clinging as the belly OF snake, fasten-
ed ON his wrist, and the thick voice
came close to his ear:
"Now will you show me my way?'
The driver sank into his place again,
while the old cab rocked like ship.
On they rushed, past closed stores and
lampless blocks of houses, now ripping
and wrenching across the car tracks and
e now swinging along the deserted road'
ON and on, until the pavements had been
left behind and the frost looked bach
/, from the ruts like million little greer
: eyes. -
). At last came the command, "Stop,
see il nowr' and tho next instant th'
cab was empty.
"My farep' yelled the cabman. leap
ing down.
e There was no answer. He looket
l. about him. 1t was very dark where n
stood. but the waning moon, with IL
pnawed and crumbled edges, hung on
line with the fir tops. Before him rose
!. vague blackness, the house OF Juoa
d Withers. tenantless but for the old wife
8 who still chung like some pale lichen
n it's moldering stones. Perhaps she' tos
70 was dead. The cabby did not know. u
" did know, though, that Judas Withel
" had been q misery carcass, grudgin
O. the very skin that hung his bones q
ut gether.
r The house stood back from the roa
ne and was surrounded by garden, no
hit living gray and lonesome under u
us moon. As the cabby peered toward it
cd saw the figure Of man come INTO u
by moonshine. 1t sprang across the OPP
.ic space in soft leaps like great bIa'
hubble. its every movement full OF
a dreadful vitality. Then it was gone.
wv the driver himself turned to go, he 81
,er tiny red spark fash ont from {
IS. bouse before him, and one after the OF
by err the windows on the lower no
Of olowed red, as crawling blotch
sx- snarkles will eat across SCOT
ow The man was there-the man W
err owed him money-and all rear nea !,
ng the fear of loss. The cabby tied
er, horse and went creeping up the pa
vas upder cover of the hedges. When
.ily reacbed the house, he raised hims
bed gently and looked in at one OF the W
we'd dows Before him lay an empty roo
En- On the floor, thrown from vino
one opposite, was great checkered nag
fell Misunderstanding more, nothing
NO. those blue squares in the darkness.
one Suddenly the cabman ducked
ing head. for he saw that man had gii'
the into the room. He carried u candle n
red above his head, and his great pale
rich was bloated and loose as q curd.
still The cabman crouched low. A gus
rom wind set the fir trees whispering, an
Ear shutter slammed far away in the ho'
"Guess I'll get out Of this" he n
tered. rising. But he did not go, Tor
agure that stood in the candielight
trrred its back to the window and
OF digging among the bricks. ripping
to scratching like a leopard. while his
the shadow clawed ON the ceiling al
'io him. -.
$ on "Thiefr' said the cabman, betv
rbed his teeth, pressing his ear to the bre
rted names. ''There is treasure hidden q
rself -perhaps gold, perhaps just
: my the man inside gave q joyful grunt'
He lifted an iron box from the
had been digging. There was no
u TO in the lock, but at his touch the .
ng a few open, and out poured the COM
alto -blue, green and gold. like glitte
rove rush of water broken beneath the 81
rious The cabby's heart stopped beat
upoR .Diamondsl" he cried softly The
moral prasped at the window ledge, tor
creature gave howl Of anguish,
GOOD God, they give no ng
And the echoes chartered back
that light! No lightr' e
! was There was long silence. The NJ
nber- ON the floor rocked to and no. ms
warts buried in his thin hands
ives The moon had sunk and the sky
clear as dark glass A COCK OF