The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-04-04

"Oh, yaa. inIeni I do" cried Sue,
"A bad man is something tangible, and
a ghost isn't, you see"
We're III no danger from this one"
[ returned. But | believe, myself, that
if ever that fellow found 4 chance to
injure us. he would do it. And it was
more the recollection of his evil face
than any thought OF the ghost which
made me buy Sue the revolver.
The workmen had the house ready
for us very soon, and we went into our
new quarters quite merrily, despite the
ghost. For a few days nothing dis
turbed us. Then. II night. the lights
appeared and the noises began. We
saw flashes of light at several windows
and heard groans and cries; but the
most rapid and thorough search could
not discover their source.
One evening, as Sue and I came
home rather late, we distinctly saw a
white figure in the path before us; but
saw the same figure twice-Once at
| the front door, once at the corner of.
the woodshed; all three of us saw it
looking in the dining room window. as
we sat at supper one night; but, when
we rushed out, we were only greeted
by a hollow, hooking "Ha! ha" as if
the ghost were deriding u futile eff
forts to catch him.
I expected to hear Sue ask to 80
back to the city; but when I ventured
one day to say so to her, the plucky
| little woman declared that she was
| not going to be driven from a lovely
home by his ghostship; but, if he want
ed to wander about for amusement, he
had her permission to do so to his en-
tire content.
One evening, when matters had been
unusually quiet for several days, Sue
and I were chatting, seated in u
| coy sitting room, when she CHANGED
to remember some orders which she
had forgotten to give Sarah at supper
time.
Sarah was finishing her ironing in
| the laundry, a small building a short
| distance from the dwelling. Sue
| threw a zephyr scarf over her head
and ran across the yard without fear.
She had hardly been gone a moment
when I was startled by the report OF
a pistol, then a groan and a heavy
fall. I sprang up and rushed out, call
ing in alarm:
"Sue, Sue! Are you hurt? Where
are you?"
Here" promptly responded her clear
voice.
And I few toward her, just as Sarah
came running from the laundry with
a light.
"What is it, Sue? What has hap
pened?" I demanded, quickly.
Nothing; only I've shot the ghost"
exclaimed Sue, coolly. "It came upon
me, right in my face, as I was coming
back from the laundry, and I fired be-
fore I thought"
"You did just right" cried I. "Here,
Sarah-bring your light"
AS Sarah came near I stopped over
the white-robed figure lying at Sues
feet, pulled aside the Disgusting drap-
cry, and revealed the wicked face Of
our enemy-Joe HascomD!
We carried him to an upper room
and laid him on the bed; the two
women watched beside him. while 1
rode for a doctor. His wound did not
prove serious, but he had a tedious
fever, through which we nursed him
faithfully.
He rose from that bed a changed
man. He confessed himself the author
of all the late disturbances; being de-
termined that, if he lost the property,
we at least should not enjoy it.
Having his own keys and a perfect
knowledge of every nook and corner
Of his old home, a little ingenuity made
the rest easy to him. When he got
we'll. we offered him a thousand dollars
with which to begin a new life. He
thankfully accepted it, and went away.
We have never heard of him since, nor
had any disturbance about IL home;
so we conclude the "ghost' is laid"
forever.-Good Literature.