Casco Bay breeze. [volume] (South Harpswell, Me.) 1901-1917, 1905-06-29

thousand cold sparkling icc mists cir.
cled around the retreat.ng shadows as
they lazily heightened and finally fad
ed away with the dying day.
And Jim. poor. old faithful blacS
Jim. raised hts weird dog voice and
howlsd Until the day shivered in its
passing. and Ike a thick cloud the
darkness chung around and above and
through the trees and then lowered
murkily over the winding road upon
which creakily travelled an old.fash.
lionel broad-seated phaeton containing
two OCCUPANTS
, II was the close o. a short winters
day in alabama, not bitterly cold, jus:
uncomfortably. dandy d sagreeaoie.
, and the two in the creaky old phaeton
were NO. inclined to be cheerful over
the prospects % a few miles farther
ride IN the chill nisnt.
Its all your fault. Mercedes, you
would stay gossiping with the gir,s
and told you We would be late"
Indeed. il rs not sail the girl.
You alwa.s blaze me TO- every
thing. You were Just as polk as
was. aid then that horrid old strap
broke end. on. deal do wish those
tees wouldn't shiver so'' And Mer-
cedes cudi,ed a tie closer to her
brothe-. who was the bravest. strong
est brother a girl ever had.
Never mind. don't let's quarrel
about IL. We shall soon be home and
then II will be all right" answered the
boy who even as he spoke braced him
self to meet the tightening of the rein
which he felt. as the horses suddenly
raised their heads.
Paul Morton and his sister had left
the town fo- their five-mile ride in
plenty Of time to reach home long be-
fore dark. but a DELAYED good-by w tn
some friends, break in the harness a
little late- an two constitutionaIly
weary old horses made an hour soon
slip out Of sight and use, so here they
were two miles from home and some:
thing was wrong.
Just what WIS :he matter Paul did
not vet know. but IN indefnable
something made hin feel as though
cold water was trickling up and down
his spinal Column. He was really
brave fellow. and was quite willing to
protect his sister with his life IL nee
essary. but he would prefer sacrificing
something else ~ IL was equally as
convenient.
-Oh, what is that. oh dear. oh dear.
i wish We were home. Aunt Sukey
said there were ghosts in this road.
and do look at Jim. he sees them too"
anu ble tt-IlHeu MS-CSOGS covered
with fear. a.; Jim. barking ard h.,N
ing with excited dog ecstacy. raced
arcui.'i and around the pha s;o1 and
finally jumped up on the seat between
herself and Paul.
'Oh, bCsh It's nothing: there's
no such thing as ghosts. Jim is half
crazy. ANYWAY. He only wanted 10
get ~ here by u.s. But in spite of
the attempt of the brave heart y;
really was awful. Paul felt his cour
| age oOzing away with the combined
| forces of Jim's mysteries. Mercedes
tears, and to cap the climax, the fat
absurd old horses were actually trying
TO stand on their hind legs and climb
| the trees.
There are times IN ones experience
VIXEN he is inclined 30 wonder IL his
senses arc reall.' TIE servants &C HIS
mind. ard the thing which met Paul
Morton's eyes as he raised them not
only cau-ed him To- do-bt his sanity.
but almost stilled the action OF his
manly boy heart. He had laughed at
Aunt Sukey's ghosts from the days of
his bat-'hood. Many timeS he had
| told Mercedes what he should do II
they ever encountered q ghost. and
here before thei- ve-y e-es was q
ghost. and not an imaginary one
| them and the sno-ting animals ahead
plainly proved.
IL this intrudin2, -ros. d'sagTeeabla
thing would only walk upon the earth
Paul could have endured IL better. But
IL Heated along at least yard
above. o-eat white swoon-
ing. shapeless thing. IL would
| not even stay in the middle of
the road. but peacefully wobbled from
one side TO the other as unconcerned-
~ as though the terrified ito on the
Bhaeton scat and The madde-ed. fran.
tic horses had never been heard OF.
To make the ghostlinsss mo-e
ghostlv. the-e was p light. . blinking.
winking. pickering light. uncanni!y
swinging in mid-ai-. And TIC poor
children with the tbrobbino, snorting
jim between them fully expected to bc
seized by some wei-d ancestor. and
called to stern account for their little
pitiful Jam stealing sins.
Onward rushed the frenzied horses.
They were actually running. that was
a miracle In itself. and every Iurch OF
their steaming bodies brought the
frightened group nearer 20 their aw.
full fate
Serenely the white vision gIided
along. AS family AMI as uncertainty
as the now fearfully appearing stars
cleaned pale s=d cold hickercd tre
mysterious light. The quivering trio
bracsd themselves TO- p tumble into
unutteTable d-ead,riness-whel sui
denly. ps suddenly as they were
aroused. the weary old horses dropve
again into their lazy trot. and Jim with
mort natural growl male n bound
from the carriage seat.
ParIs heat TOOK rs accustomed
position T. his st-ong Young boi
| and parl's voice took o, its accus.
toned CHEEKY tone.
Look. Mercedes. look ~ what Won
have been scared Of" And Mercedes
too relieved TO remi.d he- brother
that perhaps che hal not been. tire
only one scared" raised ter eyes to
meet the cause % their terrible cxpc-
Renee. Just dear, friendly Uncle
Ben. the con-adc ard friend Of the r
childhood. driving along in his little
two-wheeled cart. going home to Aunt
Sukey In theft little cabi, under the