The Washington times., 1901-08-04
Mar8e Bilu'8 Gh08'


| lambs an de goats outer dere grabes
Marse Biiiys wearin' de clothes OF right
eousness. washed white In de blood of de
lamb
Allen was very fond of preaching. and
these remarks being delivered in the
darky minister's style. sermon was sug-
gested. and he began to exhort an imagin-
AIRY congregation.
Yes, Marse BilIy's wearin' dem gar
ments, an how did he git UNI, an dat
sof' seat in Abraham's bosom. long wild
Noey an Lazarus an Isaac? Did he get
UNI by stealin' an lyin' an barin' false
witness against his neighbor man an'
neighbor woman? No. he got um by walk
in in de way DAT Abraham an Lazarus
an Noey pinted out to him Dey always
walked wild him. cloud in de daytime.
an pillar OBJ burnin' fire by night. Dcy
showed de had an narrer path, an Marse
Billy walked dar day an night. sleepin'
an wakin. Wen he come down in de
cawnfier an de cottonfiei, did he como
down dar by hisse'f? No. Lazarus an
Abraham an Noey wuz wild him An
Wen Christmas CONS roun' an de mig
gers say. Christmas gif', Marse Billy,
did his han go down in his pocket by hit
sef? No. Abraham an Nosy run dere
han down wild his. an hope bring up"
Here Becky's cabin was reached. and
Allen was Immediately enguifed In its
tre-lighted interior
The shutter of the small sauare Of un-
glazed window was open. and the young
man stepped up and looked in. Directly
opposite. trig and bolt upright sat Allen.
and near by was the tittering Becky, to
whom her suitor's airs were an endless
amusement. At the moment the ghost
white face appeared Allen chanced to be
looking up at the window, and with a
hoarse cry he started up. pointing with
shaking finger at the aperture.
What's de matter?' asked Becky.
whose eyes had followed the direction OF
his finger, and met only the calm, family
starred sky. rs you seein' Marse BiIiy's
ghos' fer sho?' with an explosion Of
laughter.
Aliens answer was a grasp of the hand,
hard with terror and anger.
Young Benton was not without a spice
of mischief. SO he readily took the role
that was thrust upon him, and again he
put his face into the window, this time
staring wide-eyed and soIemnly at Allen.
Becky saw him now. Furious with
fright she fell upon the luckless Allen
with heavy yellow fists.
Oats Marse Billy, an he wants dem
Clothes she yelled. Glib um ter him,
an let him go. too
Instantly the coat was wrenched off and
hurled through the window. Unminding
buttons and .galiuses,' waistcoat, and
breeches were striped off and followed,
and, himself a not-to-be-despised ghost in
his white underwear. Allen flung wide the
door and shot homeward
The next morning he was summoned by
his mistress, and confronted with the
torn and soiled uniform
These clothes We're found last night
near Beckey's cabin, Allen" she said.
How do you suppose they came here?''
Law, Miss Rachel. Dunno" replied
Allen. ashy, and shaking with the palsy
of superstitious fear. They's no tellin' q
what's ewine ter happen in dis wicked ole
wuld.''
TITS strange the mistress -ruminated
aloud for effect. Il don't know who
would have dared take them out OF the
chest. Anyhow. take them. and clean
them thoroughly, and bring them back to
me-"
Anxious to maintain wide distance be-
tween himself and that direfui uniform,
Allen retreated as Miss Rachel advanced.
Not less you uses fo'ee Miss Rachel.
II don't want ter teeeh dem clothes. 1
cont blieye Marse Billy likes me ter FOOL
wid dem anyhow, an no good cher comes
OBJ crossin' dead fc<s' wishes
Force was not used. and never again
could Allen be induced to enter the garret
alone, or tech dem clothes" And never
again did he cross Becky's threshold. Z
She jes' darded him ter come down
dar," she would say. with threa ming
mr. Of
ter have sperrets larnin de way down ter
her house, an folks dat had um folsowfn'
dem aroun' couldn't keep connpa ~ wild
her" And never again, 1t is perhaps need
less to say, was the plantation visited by
Marse Bflly's ghos.-Amelia Wofford in
the New York Commercial Advertiser.