Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-12-18
THE STORY or
A GRAY GHOST
With fhe Supernatural Element
Left Out.

1t was on Saturday evening that Tim
Bunker broke in upon the little group
at the grocery store, his big, solemn
eyes unnaturally distended, and his
breath coming in gasps. The little as
sembly temporarily abandoned it's
work as naval and military strategy
board, and regarded Tim with inter-
est.
Eyer shadder nearly ketched We,
hey?" said old Mr.. Radcliffe.
Tim said never a word, but sat
down and began munching at some
crackers that he took from an open
barrel. M. Perkins, the grocer, anxious
to divert him, now spoke.
What have you seen, Tim?"
The boyle was only seventeen
rose to his full six feet, and gazed i'm
pressively around him.
Il saw the Gray Ghost" he said.
Everybody laughed at this, including
Dan Creeble, who had a long and lone
~ walk, necessitating the passing of a
cemetery, before he reached his home;
he tried his best TO laugh the loudest
The solemnity of Tins countenance
was now wonderful
"All right" he said, laugh just as
much as you please. But you know as
well as I do that they say jockey
riding a gray horse was once killed out
at the old track, or pretty badly hurt,
SO that he died after they took him
away, anyhow; and you know there
have been stories about what's been
seen since. And tonight l saw it my
self"
Then Tim, paying no attention to
the questions and gibes that were sent
after him, stalked out of the store. The
conversation tagged somewhat, and
Dan Creeble, looking at his watch, said
he guessed he had better go, as his
folks would be locking for him-was
any one going out his way yet? No
one was, and he decided to wait a lit
tie longer
The following Monday morning sew
eral boys, who had heard Of the story,
approached Tim and asked him if he
really had seen anything out at the
old race course.
IF you don't believe it," he said, "go
Of
out together this evening OF course,
l don't say you'll surely see it; for it
isn't to be expected that ghost would
break other engagements he might
have just because you call on him, but
it won't do any harm to try, anyhow"
When it come to scooting, I'll be
away in the rear" said Cal Brown,
who was short and stout, and, withal,
very shrewd, but reckon I'll risk it."
So it was that the celebrated Tomp-
kinsville ghost hunt was organized.
That afternoon a number of the boys,
Tim included, went in swimming down
by ''the willows" Tim was unfortun-
ate; he limped all the way home, de-
claring that he had twisted his ankle
in a sunken root. Soon after supper
several of the boys came around to see
him about the nights expedition. He
showed them an ankle yellow with
iodine and bound with rags.
It's hard luck, boys, and of course
l can't go with you-noC this time,
anyhow. Maybe it was only my i'm
agination-but l can see it yet; the
gray horse, with the gray thing on
it, going silently along the track, and
then disappearing all of sudden
but you ought to have seen me dis
appear about the same time."
So they said they were sorry, and left
him to mourn his bad luck, promising
to come over early the next morning
and tell him all about it.
1t was a company of seven that left
the crossroads on the edge Of town
about o'clock that evening, bound for
the fair grounds, now seldom used,
where the track was situated. Nearly
all the boys looked upon the expedi-
ton as a lark, believing that if Tim
really thought he had seen something
strange he had been deceived by
shadow or a bush, perhaps, Cal Brown,
as usual, had his own theory about
the matter, but he kept his thought to
himself.
At first they whistled, sung and
joked about their trip. AS they ap-
preached their destination-the fair
grounds were a little more than mile
from town-they went more quietly
along the gloomy road. Some of them
in front turned to talk to those behind,
and incidentally fell into the rear.
The moon was still below the horizon.
There was silence, but for the tread of
seven pairs of feet upon the road.
Cal Brown and Jack Marston were
in the lead. Stumbling in the dark
ness, Jack fell against Cal, and his
hands struck something hard and