Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-09-25
A GHOST
IN THE CAB

1t was past midnight. The city
streets were deserted, and it was
time to 90 home So thought cabby
No. II, shiyering in his rusty over
coat. He had watched the electric
light on the corner until its ring
of rainbow needles seemed to stab
his eyes and the big shadows on the
street below it to shake with the
cold.
Not a fare this whole blasted
night" he muttered, reaching down
and pulling the blanket from his
horse.
As he did so he felt the carriage
give a great jar on its springs. He
turned quickly. Some one had flung
himself into the seat behind him.
''What do you want?" said the
cabby roughly.
There was a pause; then voice
came through the darkness, thick
and nasty as a gurgle of black oil:
Drive me to Judas Withers',
and, in the name of heaven, drive
FAST"
"Judas Withers has been dead
and his soul with the devil this
many a year," answered the cab
man, staring behind him.
''The house still stands, but |
have lost my way Go on, you fool! p
The figure reached over and,
catching the whip from its place,
gave the horse lash. The old beast
plunged forward, banging and rat
ting down the street, while the
cursing cabman tried to clutch at
the reins, but a hand, chilly and
clinging as the belly of snake,
fastened on his wrist, and the thick
voice came close to his ear:
''Now will you show me my way p
The driver sank into his place
again, while the old cab rocked like
a ship.
On they rushed, past closed stores
and lampless blocks of houses, now
ripping and wrenching across the
car tracks and now swinging along
the deserted road, on and on, unit
the pavements had been left behlnc
and the frost looked back from the
ruts like a million little green eyes.
At last came the command
"Stop; l see it nown And the next
instant the cab was empty.
'FMy fare~ yelled the cabman
leaping down.
There was no answer. He looked
about him. It was very dark where
he stood, but the waning moon
with its gnawed and crumbled edges
hung on a line with the fir tops
Before him rose a vague blackness
the house of Judas Withers, tenant.
less but for the old wife, who still
chung like some pale ichen to its
moldering stones. Perhaps she, too
was dead. The cabby did not know
He did know, though, that Judas
Withers had been misery carcass
grudging the very skin that hung
his bones together.
The house stood back from The
road and was surrounded by a gar
den, now lying gray and lonesome
under the moon. As the cabby peer
ed toward it he saw the figure of ;
man come into the moonshine. l
sprang across the open space in sof
leaps like a great black bubble, it
every movement full of a dreadful
vitality. Then it was gone. As tn
driver himself turned to go he say
a tiny red spark flash out from tt
house before him, and one after tn
other the windows on the lower foo
glowed red, as a CRAWLING blotch 0
sparkles viii eat across SCOT.
The man was there-the man VIII
owed him money-and all fear fe
but the fear of loss. The cabby tie
his horse and went creeping up tn
path under cover of the hedges
When he reached the house he rails
ed himself gently and looked in q
one of the windows. Before him la
an empty room. On the floor, throw
from window opposite, was grea
checkered flag of moonlight-noth
ing more, nothing but those blu
squares In the darkness.
Suddenly the cabman ducked hi
head, for he saw that a man ha
= glided into the room. He carrie
a candle high above his head, an
his great pale face was bloated an
loose as a curd.
The cabman crouched low.
gust of wind set the fir trees whii
pering, and a shutter slammed fa
away in the house.
Guess I'll get out Of this" /
l muttered, rising. But he did ne
; go, for the figure that stood in tt
candlelight had turned its back
the window and was digging anon
: the bricks. ripping and scratchin