The Jennings daily record., 1902-12-06
II
81 Il
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- MY=-
HALLOWEEN GHOST


one VINO n8O seen IL, tnOuSn tneTe
were many ready to vouch for its noe
turnal visits. However. it did me
good turn, for which I could have
hugged it with reliSh-if l could
nave caught it.
The property had been in the pos
session of the Greary family for more
than a century, my great-grandsire
having settled there on large tract
Of land right after the Revolution. He
made 1t one of the show places of the
town, and left it fine heritage to
my father. There was a time when
1t would have brought $35, 900 or $40.-
900 Off hand; to-day, it would not
fetch the amount of the mortgage
$4,000.
l remember my grandfather-a tall,
gaunt man. leaning heavily on mas
sive hickory cane. l recall the stories
he told to us children about the battle
swaying back and forth over our
meadow, bodies lying like sheaves
of wheat, and blood ankle Deep" He
spent much of his time in the long
room-the classroom" we called it
in the southwest corner of the
house, surrounded by his Revolution
airy relics, of which he was very
proud. Especially did he prize can
non ball which his father had picked
up in the gulch back of the house
after the battle. "Ill leave it to you,
my lad" he'd say "Your ne'er-do-
well father'll not leave you as good
heritage" l attached no signifi-
canoe to his words, nor did l prize
the inheritance when it came to me.
My grandfather was very passion
ate man. He was fond of his son, and
proud of his fine physique and rather
commanding presence, but had little
patience with his dilatory habits.
They had quarreled that day, as they
frequently did, and my grandfather,
who was particularly incensed by
some new demonstration of my faith
ers slipshod farming, had shut him
self In his room early in the day My
mother sent me to bid him come
down for his afternoon grog to the
parlor. where fire had been kindled
In the big fireplace, and lights we're
already twinkling for the reception of
friends we had invited to keep Hal
loween with us.
l could neither open the door nor
get any answer from my grandfather.
My father forced the door and found
his sire lying dead in his chair, with
face burned and SCARED beyond rec
ognition. A suicide. the public pro-
nounced it. 1t is my opinion now
rs it was my fathers then-that
death was accidental. the result of a
chemical experiment in which my
grandfather was much interested.
The following spring my father
moved his family to the village, Civ
ing as reason that he hated the
place because his fathers presence
seemed to follow him on every foot
OF the premises. This gave the place
the name Of being haunted. Our first
tenant left inside of eight months.
He declared that he heard strange un.
earthly noises about the house at
night. and on Halloween night the
disturbance in the southwest room
was diabolical. Some one told some
one else, who had heard it from some
other person, that peculiar, lurid
lights had been noticed in the glass
room windows; and on Halloween
night, form clad in white, with it's
head enveloped in blue smoke had
appeared at the window facing the
road. After that, we could get no ten.
ant to stay in the house. The land
was let out to adjoining farmers. NV
father. to meet present necessities.
sold off portions of the estate. and
finally mortgaged what was left of it
to Mr. Breme.
After an absence of many years
from my native country, the first per.
son to greet me on my return was
Edgar Breme. | had had no news
from home for several months, and
was much surprised to hear of old
Mr.. Breme's death. Edgar now held
the mortgage on my old home. He
told me that the place was in de-
plorable state of dilapidation | could
readily imagine this, for the revenue
from the farm barely paid the taxes,
and ] had been unable to do more
than keep the interest paid I'D. Ed
gar said he could not let things run
on this way much longer. The prop-
erty was not worth the face of the
mortgage now, and was depreciating
all the time. He said he had great
difficulty in keeping the insurance on
the buildings good, and if something
was not done, and done quickly. he
should have to foreclose the mort
gage.
met Edgar at the farm the next
day. We went over the house togeth
er, but could come to no compromise
He was infiexible, and l was power
less. What little capital I had was
invested in my business. declined
Edgar'S invitation to go home with