The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-01-12
THE GHOST THAT
-. BILLY SAW.
By Eben E. Rexford.



pass pleasantly.
BY the boys l mean Frank and Ros-
coe Wade and their hired man
whose name was Lakeland Billy Baker.
one of the boys who lived in the neigh
borhood.
Now Billy wasn't considered very
bright" A sickness through which he
had passed in infancy had left him
rather weak, mentally; but for all that
he wasn't fool by any means.
What he lacked in that direction ma
ture had made up to him in another, by
giving him the strength of a young
giant. The neighborhood boys dreaded
to provoke Billy's wrath, for they were
sure to get the worst of it if he got hold
of them.
He had given two or three ill-maT-
nered fellows such a "going-over" for
getting off their silly jokes at his eX-
pense that he felt quite sure they
wouldn't attempt anything of the kind
in future, and as he held himself in
readiness to resent any similar conduct
on the part of others. he was treated
with a certain kind of respect by the
boys.
Sometimes. you know, fear will make
persons behave themselves when gen
tlemanly instincts which would prompt
them to do so are lacking.
The conversation had turned on the
subject of ghosts.
do you believe there are any"
asked Billy. solemnly. of Jake.
Yes" answered Jake. "Of course
do. My fathers seen EN-"
At that Billy's eyes stuck out further
than ever. At last he had found if not
a man who had seen ghost one whose
father had. and that was the next best
thing to finding one who had seen one
for himself.
Coming so direct, the testimony to
the actual existence of ghosts seemed
convincing enough to satisfy any but
the most sceptical.
Whose ghost was 2" asked Billy, in
voice of awe.
"His mothers" replied Jake. 'He
saw it three times"
''Three times!" repeated Billy. in
whisper. "Oh. my! Wasn't he scared"
II s'pose So" said Jake. "IIc didn't
say. but of course he was
I'D like to see one" said Billy, pres
emily. "Most folks get scared, but l
don't believe | would. I'd holler at one
if saw it,"
"No you wouldn't" laughed Frank
''You'd run; know you would"
maybe" said Billy, thoughtfully;
''but | guess not"
81 don't believe anyone ever saw a
ghost" said Roscoe, They may think
they do, but Us something else
81 never saw one. but I believe in 'em
for all that" declared Jake.
80 do l." said Billy. 81 amt afraid
Of anything. I'd like to see one, to see
If I'd be afraid of that"
"Maybe you will see one sometime"
said Frank. with a wink at Roscoe. "If
you do you'll tell us how it looks, and
what it says to you, won't you?"
Yes. Billy would do that.
By-and-by. Jake went out to the
sheppard, and Billy went with him.
"Ill tell you how we can have some
fun" said Frank. Zone of us can dress
up like a ghost, and give Billy a good
scare. don't believe he's half as brave
as he pretends to be. He'd run, of
course, and then we could laugh at him
about getting scared when there wasn't
anything to get scared at. Let's try it.
What do you say?"
"I'm in for it," assented Roscoe.
"You be the ghost, and I'll hide ard see
the fun"
Hes going from here to the village,
and won't come back till evening" said
Frank. We'll wait for him down by
the forks of the road"
Now, as it happened, Billy had
changed his mind about going to the
sheep yard with Jake. and had stopped
just outside the barndoor; and. stand
ing there, he had heard every word the
boys said.
$50 they think they're going to
scare mel" chuckled Billy. Maybe |
would be scared if l saw a real ghost,
but III bat this one won't make me run.
I'll give 'em some fun, if that's what
they want, but perhaps it won't be as
much fun for them as il is for me, and
Billy chuckled again.
When Jake came back Billy came
with him, and the boys supposed he had
been with him all the while. Billy had
frequent spells of chuckling over some
thing which they did not understand,
but, as he was always queer" they
never once suspected the real cause of
his merriment.
When it was about time for them to
expect Billy back from the village, the
boys set out for the scene Of their an
ticipated fun. Frank had a sheet with
him, with which to carry out his ghost
- deception.
Roscoe hid himself behind a clump of
alder bushes. Frank crouched behind a
stump close TO the road, from whose