The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-04-17


Miss brown must choose Tor hefsell,
Sam, he said. andsSam. went back 70
his work. secretly wondering how a.
young lady. gifted with ordinary sense.
could hesitate for a moment between
the captain and Fred Jones.
The night came-a perfect night for
sleighing expeditions and rustic love
making, the roads hard and well pack
ed, and a glorious moon shining down
whitley, as If a rain Of silver were
deluging the whole world.
Couldn't be better weather" said the
captain. sam, where are the sleigh
bells?"
Dunno said sam. There's them
old jlnglers in the garret that usedsto
belong 10 Deacon John Kendriek. that
was in the revolutionary war, and there
is the two cowbells that Mary Jane
might seour up with ashes"
"Pshawm said the captain. do you
take me for Rip Van WinkleG There's
pretty little string somewhere, for l
saw them when Mrs. Kendrick went
out day before yesterday
Il hain't seen nothin' on 'em," said
Sam. stolidiy.
"Come. come. Sam. don't make your
self out any stupider than you are by
nature. said the farmer, laughing nev-
ertheless. for the captains airs were
fast wearing out his welcome, and he
secretly sympathized with the much
abused Sam
Il guess they're out In the barn. You
had better go with him. captain, II you
expect 10 find 'em. Our Sam Is dread
ful thick-headed when be chooses TO
be-"
"Come along. my fne fellow" said
the captain. collaring Sam and march
ing him on IN the direction OF the old
red barn. eve don't need any lantern
10 this moonlight. that is one comfort. "
Where are the stairSf" demanded
the captain. as they entered the barn.
Amt none" said sam ITS q lad
der"
up with you, then said Logan. bUt
Sam shrInk hack
n wouldn't. NOT for $50 said sam.
cold John Kendrick hanged himself
from the middle beam fourteen years
ago. and folks say he stands up there
with a rope around his neck every
moonlight night"
~Stuff and nonsensei" cried the cap
tain. in accents 81 contempt you
cowardiy lout. stay where you are,
then. and I'll 90 myself.Y
lie sprang lightly up the rounds Of
the ladder and disappeared through the
stislB door =.
Where is IT," he called.
'The ghosts Right under the middle
beam by the windy WAS the place
where
gBloekheadl mean the string Of
bells"
Look for em yourself. said sam,
sulkily = don't know where they be,
and what's more. don't care"
an settle with you, my One fellow,
when / come down. said the captain,
threntehingiy. as be CROPPED about IN
the dim light which came through a
cobweb draped window at either end
Of the harm chnmber.
~Don't hurry yourself. cap'n.'~ :. reiQin-
I "a Sam, 81 jeering tone
A. the captain plunged into a cara
corner there was 2 jlugie. and ihe string
of bells suspended from a nail hit him
directly on the neck. - like the grasp
Of death-ct.d fingers thar he could but
start
'-Oh.- said the captain. nergously.
Here they are. Catch EN-. sam. Hello,
Where's the trap doors~
And II took the worthy captain fully
sixty seconds more 10 realize that the
trap door WINS closed and fastened on
the lower side. He rushed 10 the win
dow and threw "a up. only 20 see sam
speeding up the hill
~IIal-lo-o-af yelled Captain Logan.
/ Come hack. you sooundrei-you IN
conditioned lout you imp OF evil
sam turned around and executed
that peculiar gyration of the fingers in
connarfion with the nasal organ which
l. supposed 20 express the extremity Of
scorn.
-You'n fud the ladder on the barn
floor. cap'n.~ hooted the young rebel
"an' don't b. afraid of the ghost. its
very harmless n you LET il alone
-Buf, sam. sam. come back I'm 10
b. az Mr. Browns at haif-pasf Z
O'Clock
Don't worry hawled sam Miss
T Carrie went wait long before Nr
Frtdll be on hand
The captain danced up and down on
the floor IN an ecsiacy ~ rage as sam
& disappeared over the crest OF the hin.
lie knew VERY well II he possessed the
lungs of Boreas be could make no one
hear
He sat shisering down on the hay.
starting nervousiy af the sound Of
horses feet below. and thinking how
disagrpeable a bar Of moonlight which
streamed down from a crack in the
roof resemhled a tail white figure
standing under the center beam. He
could almost fancy the rope around his
neck pshaw, And the captain jump
ed up again. with starting dew on his