St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-07-19
AT another time hi, step, vou1d |

AT another time his steps wonld
be heard descending the stairs.
'Luenshy, let your master OUT would
be uttered in the calm tones of Mrs.
Garland, and the negress, as before,
with head turned away, opened and
closed the door on the departing
spirit of her dead master.
"After a time Mrs. Garland died,
Luenshy disappeared, and the house
was once more closed, only this time
it bore sign, For sale or to let
Family after family tried it and gave
it up. Finally my friend, as I have
said, bought it, and prepared to
rent 1t.
zone, two, three families moved
in and moved out. The last one only
waited one night, but that was the
night Of Jacob Garland's spiritual Wis
itation, and it apparently suff1ced.
my friend was in despair. He did
not know which way to turn, and
when young blacksmith of power
full frame and steady nerves offered
to stop in the house and try to lay
the ghost by fair means or foul, his
offer was accepted with delight and
gratitude.
1.-THE blacksmith, taking with him
lantern, unlighted, matches and an
AK and shotgun, shut himself into the
house, took his post in small room
on the second floor that commanded
both flights of stairs, the one to the
third floor and attic and the fight
leading down to the hall. Here he
waited patiently as the hours stole
by without sound.
Suddenly he is aroused by gen.
tie step coming from the short attic
fight to the third floor. It is the
tap of slippered heel, as had been
described by the many occupants. It
turns and starts down the second
fight toward his hiding place. Slow
" but steadily it descends, and
cold, creepy sensation felt for the
first time, takes possession of our
waiting blacksmith.
down, down, down, come the
steps. Will it enter his room? He
can not move hand or foot, and the
steps are getting nearer and nearer,
more and more distinct, down and
yet down, but he cannot stir. The
steps pass and commence on the low
er stairs. Now or never, he pulls
himself together by a supreme eff
fort and succeeds in scratching a
match.
ut is a small thing, but it brings
relief, and he lights his lantern,
seizes his gun, opens the door and
flashes the light out on to the stair
case. For a moment he sees nothing,
but the steps continue to go down.
He throws the light on to the stairs,
and there, half way down, his aston
ished eyes light on-what do you
think, gentlemen? Nothing more or
less than an enormous rattlesnake,
slowly making its way toward the
open door.
'Such was Jacob Garland's ghost,
and as such you may be sure it was
quickly laid. The nest was found
next morning in the attic, and sew
eral young ones followed their par
ent to another world. It had lived !
with its families for years up under
the caves, descending only at night,
it was said, for water.
"Now, landlord, fill up the glasses
again, and let us all drink to Jacob |
Garland's ghost, and then to bed,
for the hour is late. TO departed
spirits Good night, one and all,
good night
AT breakfast the storm had disap-
peared, and all nature smiled under
the warm autumn sun. Many were
the jokes and comments on Jacob
Garland's ghost, but Jacob Garland's
death remains, and probably will re-
main forever, unexplained.-Bosto
Globe.