Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-22

dim up himself. like any man would
that want too lazy to take OF his
coat when ne ct, 1t ant no wonder
they believed what the Wilder Bruce
tole EN- more'n year ago."
He paused here and clicked . ny
from the horses neck with dex-
ferrous cast OF his whip.
What did the Widow Bruce tell
them?" asked anxiously, fearing that
his communicative mood would leave
him.
oval, she come over here from Eng
land with her boy 'baout the time ole
| Carney was a-buildin' his haouse, an
she seq, as soon as she seen 1t, that
| 1t was goin' to be Jest like them places
over in England where them docks
an sech fellers live, that sooner or
later someone 'ud die W'lent death
there, an then the place 'ud be ha'nt-
ed same's the docks places mostly is.
20 course, we didn't pay no special
attention to her.
when her boy went up to the place
| to work, 'baout year ago, she took
on terrible, an allus said no good 'ud
come OF it, an that sonlethin' would
surely happen. But they want no
other way out OF It, fur they didn't
have a bite to eat nor rag to wear,
an IL the boy hadn't decided to accom-
modate Carneys folks guess they'd
| ha' starved.
Eye see," he continued, In explana-
ton. "old Carney wouldn't never give
a cent to anybody that was able to
earn It, an when the parson come to
him an asst him to help the wilder. all
he SEE was, Send that big hulk of a
boy up here an I'll give him job an
| good pay so'z he kin support his
| mother like man, he seq, but l
won't give her damn penny SO long
| as he's able to work an earn It, he
seq"
But you haven't explained yet why
the men left" persisted, for we were
nearing our destination and my time
| was growing short.
I'm a-gittin' to that" he replied
I'VE see, Carney was such a mean,
! stingy cuss that, what with his drink.
In an gamblin' an other vices, the
! wilder allus claimed he'd never rest
| easy in his grave. When the boy was
| killed she carried on Ike . crazy wom-
| an, an swore the place would allus be
ha'nted less the estate did the honest
thing by her an give her enough to
| pay her fur the loss of her son. That
| night, more fur fun than anything
else, lot of the fellers that was a.
| settin' daown to Hoskins' went up by
| the haouse 'raound midnight. but they
| didn't see nuthin'. The mex night
| that's after you come--they all went
up again, an l tell you they all come
back a-hyin'."
what did they see?" asked. with
renewed interest, rs . sudden idea en-
| tered my head.
That's more'n I know" said the
man, turning and looking me squarely
| in the face, but they said they seen
| two ghosts, one fur the old man, an
| one fur the boy, aout under the trees
| in front OF the haouse right where ole
| Carney fell on his boss! Every one
| OF 'em seen the same thing, an when
1 nine men agrees to dot on a thing O.
this kind It's pretty hard, even fur q
church member, not to believe 1t.
They'll all tell We the same story.
The boy was a-swayin' back an forth,
Jest as he did after the boss kicked
him, an the ole man kind O hoverin'
an bendin' over him like he was in
4 the saddle a-cussin' him again. The
| figgers was perfectly plain, all in
white, but them that stayed to look
long enough said We could see the
trunks o the trees an other things
| right through 'em, too"
Il suppose they all came back to
| Hoskins' after seeing this wonderful
sight" remarked.
i "You bet they did, an they come q
runnin', too" said the man. Il never
seen a scarder lot o. men In my life. !"
Made pretty good business for Hos
kins that night, eh?" ventured.
oval, l guess it did" he rejoined,
| with a grin. can It'll keep right on
maxim good business fur him, too!
Them fellers won't git over tallxin' O
| that fur month o. Sundays"
| How did they get home that
night?" continued persuasively.
His grin broadened as he chuckled.
"Them as couldn't walk had to ride
| home in this ERE rig. Haow ever
| piled SO many in is more'n kin tell!
| and he laughed immoderately ct the
thought.
$50 when business is good with
Hoskins it's likely to be good with
you, too, eh?" I went on.
Most ginerally," he replied Most
ginerally: less Hoskins gifts all their
money fore they're ready fur me an
their credit amt no good"
And when the men aren't working
at Carney.s they spend good deal OF
time at Hoskins', don't they" asked
YES, an good deal o money. too,
he rejoined. cole Carney allus paid
'em we'll; nobody can't deny that"
$50 it's good thing for Hoskins
and good thing for you, to get them
away from the place every little
while" suggested warily.
II s'pose it is, an s'pose We can't
neither of us help 1t If they want to
4 leave" he returned sullenly and with
sudden suspicion as he pulled his
horse up sharply at the station plat
| form.