Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-12-31

The early hours of the matchmaking
passed agrceably. We had ali gath
cred about the meeting house stove,
for the night was cloudy and bleak,
and after the usual hymn and opening
exercises we amused ourselves by re-
| ldting our good resolves for the New
Year. Many of these were admirable
and some very humorous. >Ir. Smith,
| the little shoemaker of the place,
whose wife was very large and strong
and active, rose to say, with twinkle
in his eye, that he had sadly neglected
his duty for the past twelve months,
but had now firmly resolved to beat
Mrs. Smith more frequently during
the year to come, to which Mrs. Smith
responded with breezy laugh, I'D
| like to see you beginn'
At about IL o'clock one of the
boys, who had been to the outer door,
returned to say that it was showing
fast and thick, and indeed, we could
family hear the icy fakes driving
against the window-panes One of the
young ladies was playing, on the or
gan, the accompaniment to a hymn
which many of the older people We're
singing.
Young Mr.. Reeves sat near me, with
a quiet smile on his face, pondering,
rs l fancied, something which he
meant to say after the music. Sud
denly l felt him start, and glanced at
his face. His eyes We're bent on some
object, but he turned at once.
Don't look" he whispered to me. ~
have seen that ghost. 1t is outside,
looking in at the opposite window.
Wait bit then cast your eye in that
direction"
| did so, and saw as distinctly as l
ever saw anything, a long white aw-
full face looking in. Much to my con-
sternation, it moved, and appeared to
nod several times.
Don't seem to notice it"' Mr..
Reeves whispered. "Sit quiet mo-
ment. When the people move back
from the organ, we will steal out and
see what we can discover"
Recovering myself In moment I
stepped quietly to the door, and few
moments later was Joined by Mr..
Reeves in the dark entry
We took our hats, and then without
waiting to put on our overcoats, opened
| the door carefully Snow was falling
fast and drove in our faces; several
inches had fallen; but we dashed out,
doubled the corner OF the house and
hurried toward the window.
A great, dim, indistinct object was
standing there which appeared to melt
away suddenly, with but the softest
possible sound. 1t disappeared round
the other corner OF the house With
out speaking, we ran after it,
We could hardly see anything on ac.
count of the driving snow and dark
ness, yet we again discerned, dimly,
the great, indistinct object moving to-
ward the highway.
/ confess | felt a shivery sensation,
for the spectral appearance made
hardly an audible sound; but l dashed
on side by side with Mr.. Reeves.
We were good runners, and made II
| dash to catch the thing. In the road,
a few hundred feet from the church,
we came so near ut one time that
reached out my hand in hope to lay
hold of the apparition, but it glided
away only the faster and | did not sue
ceed
And now we both heard a kind of
regular mufiied noise, as of great feet
| falling softly; and these audible evil
! dences of physical substance stimulat-
ed us to continue the chase.
run it down" Mr.. Reeves said. in
low voice. and I settled myself to
keep pace with him.
The snow hindered lis little, but not
| withstandlng our efforts the efrfgy
| drew away from us. We had lost sight
of it when we ran past the house of
| Mr.. Mulhall, the storckeeper. but in
the very moment of passing, we heard
| the large door of the stable creaking.
This, at that hour of the night, seemed
so strange that we both stopped short
and turned back.
Entering the yard we approached
the stable door but found it closed
| There were slight noises inside, how
ever, and soon n match cleaned
through the crack of the door, and a
lantern was lighted.
To our astonishment we now per-
ceived that the person inside was
| Dives Tranchard, clad in white gar
ment and white cap, and that he was
untyng what looked like snowy bags
from the feet of Mulhall's old white
mare. Having taken off these mutiiers,
! Dives next proceeded to withdraw Il
large, white. honnetlike structure
from the mares head
When these singular trappings were
removed, he put the beast in her stall,
stripped off his own white garment
and cap, and made the whole outfit
into bundle. Then he eXtinguished
the lantern, left the stable by Il side
door, and went to the house. which he