Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1899-01-12
THE GHOST THAT
-. BILLY SAW.
BY Eben E. Rexsord


IT WAS rainy afternoon. The boys
were in the barn telling stories. sing
ing songs and trying to make the time
pass pleasantly.
BY the boys I mean Frank and Ros-
coe Wade and their "hired man.
whose name was Jake-and 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 young
giant. The ueighborhood 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-man-
nered fellows such .".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 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.
eyes," answered Jake. "Of course I
do. My fathers seen 'em."
At that Billy's eyes stuck out further
than ever. At last he had found. if not
man who had seen ghost, one whose
father had, and that xfas the next best
t tai1 S|n to finding o2fwh0 had seen one
Coming SO. difect, the testimony to
the actual existence of ghosts seemed
convincing enough to satisfy any but
the most sceptical.
Whose ghost was it p asked Billy, in
A'voice Of awe.
Ellis mother's.' replied Jake. "He
saw it three times"
"Three times!" repeated Billy, in a
whisper. "Oh, my! Wasn't he scared p
II s'pose So" said Jake. "Hc didn't
say, but of course he was"
std like to see one," said Billy, pres
emily. "Most folks get scared, but I
don't believe I would. I'd boiler at one
If saw it"
"No you wouldn't laughed Frank.
You'd run; know you would"
Maybe" said Billy, thoughtfully;
sbut I guess not"
II don't believe anyone ever saw a
ghost" said Roscoe. "They may think
they do, but us something else.''
Il never saw one, but believe in 'em
for all that" declared Jake.
$50 do IT, said Billy. II amt afraid
of anything. I'd like to see one, to see
II I'd be afraid of that
maybe you will see one sometime -
said Frank, with a wink at Roscoe. eff
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.
"1'll 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.
aXou be the ghost, and I'll hide ard see
the fun"
~Ee.s going from here to the village,
and won't come back till evening"" said
Frank. ''We1l 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.
.s $50 they think they're going to
scare mel" chuckled Billy. maybe I
could be scared if saw real ghost,
but I'll bet 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 it 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
4 boys set out for the scene Of their an