The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-25

He had TO be driven to bed and
hauled out by the legs i'm the morning,
and. I'M fact. he was never even a lit
tie bit good except when he was sick.
Then he thought ne was going TO die
and was sorry. but when he got well
again ne was as bad as ever.
Whenever this boy was reproVed and
told that some day he would be pun
ished I'm some awful manner for his
badness he would laugh carelessly and
say. Jaw. that's only ghost story,
and it don't fool Oscar Wagstat for n
cent. see?" So 70 was quite natural
and proper that he really should have
a ghost story all TO himself, he was so
fond of speaking about them.
one of the things that he was always
doing was eating strange fruits and
berries that he found. regardless Of the
fact that many of these are poisonous
and hurtful. but as he had never yet
been poisoned ne felt quite sure that
people had been deCeiving him. and
that he could eat anything that grew.
This habit was what caused the re-
markabIe occurrences about which 1
viii tell you. for after awhile Oscar ate
ghost berries one day and that finished
him.
You may have seen these berries
growing along the edge of swamp
some time yourself. and been warned
by your parents or governess not 10
touch them. They come on a low bush.
and are of a pale. sickly white color
like wax. a dead sort of color that
would warn even a small boy to keep
away from them. and that should have
warned Oscar Wagstaff but he thought
he knew 1T all, you see. If you eat
some of these berries when the wind is
fin the east and blowing on your back
just at sunset you viii turn into a
spook as quick as "a wink, and no one
viii ever see you again unless you can
manage to get changed back again as
Oscar did. by good luck more than
anything else.
Wind Blew Through Him.
He was walking along field play
ing hockey one day late in the after
noon, and came upon ghost-berry
bush. AS soon as me saw the berries ne
resolved 70 try them. although little
red bird sat there and seemed TO warn
him TO keep away by its cries, but, said
Oscar:
ria. that bird has a nest there. I'll
see if ii hasn't.
He searched for the nest while the
bird hoped around and twittered Wild
eat the berries as the sun wenJ down
and the wind blew like everything right
on his back for he felt it through his
thin shirt
Then an of a sudden ne felt tine wind
blowing right through his whole body
He turned around and IL blew through
him the other way. This alarmed him
immensely. for. Of course, he knew tna'
he was too solid 90 have such tnng
as that happen.
Gee" ne exclaimed; Il feel like q
wire screen in q window A strong
gust of wind waited him along severa
feet and he came TO a little pool bU
instead OF stopping at its edge, as ht
tried TO do. he just sailed along over
it's calm surface, and, looking down
ne saw himself reflected in the cleal
water below, and saw that he looked
like a figure made Of smoke or mist
shapeless and all twisted by the breeze
he tried 10 cry out but his voice wa
gone, of course. for without a sole
throat or vocal chords one can't tall
or veil: and you must never believe an.
story you hear Of ghosts talking L
people. therefore, because they can
talk without vocal chords. OF cOurs
they can talk together. but that's
different kind of talk They Just thinl
the words. and the others understand
Oscar blew along like a thistledow
through the woods and toward IN
home and after q while he began {
wriggle and twist Pretty soon n
found that he could steer himself along
and then. by continued efforts, he fOun
that he could move a little in any direc
ton he desired But by the time n
learned to direct his movements
was miles and miles from mis- hOm'
and still going in the wrong direction
while night had come and he could nc
see more than q few yards. so he al
lowed himself TO drift along. He ono
tried 10 Weep. but the tears wOuldn
come, for he had none inside at all j
felt dreadfully cold. although it wa
warm summer night. This was b
cause ne had no blood 10 warm h
body j you could call it q body whe