Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1909-01-09


20 word the sounds was Certifying
Like the water washing around that
boat of yours, it was. dreamed about
being adrift in that awful boat all
night. About that and ghosts
Ghosts, hey? Did you dream of
ghosts?"
That 1 did 1 could ear 'em groan-
ing
Twas yourself that was groaning,"
says L. "A teller that took aboard the
cargo of supper that you did hadn't
ought to sleep on cornhusks-"
Il didn't sleep; not 'ealthy Chris
tan sleep, / didn't. I say, Pratt, did
you ever ear that this old 'ouse was
'aunted 90
Well" says I. 81 don't know as 1
ever heard that exactly. But old Mrs
Berry died in it and then Marcellus
lived here alone till he died. Seems to
me he died in that room of yours,
come to think of it, says 1, cheering
him up.
He turned pale, instead of the yell
low he'd been lately.
"'Oly Moses." says he. You can't
mean it,"
Il can mean more than that without
half trying" 1 says yes, I remem-
Der now. He did die there and they
say he died hard. Maybe that was on
| account of the bed, though"
He was mighty upset. Commenced
! to tell about a friend of his over in
''the old country who had been butler
at place that was haunted. l asked
| if his friend had ever seen any of the
| spooks-
NO. says he, sc never saw 'em
'imself, but it was tradition in the
| family. Everybody knew it. 1t was a
white lady, and she used to trip about
| the 'ouse and over the lawns nights,
| he says.
white, was she?' says l. well,
wouldn't have been able to see her in
| the night. Never heard of a colored
| ghost anyway, did your"
| 81 mean she was all dressed in
white he says, scornful. And they
say twas 'orrid to see her a-gliding
around over the grass
| Want to know,'' says I. We'll, if
you see old Marcellus gliding around
| the hummocks outside call me, will you?
I'd like to see how he manages to navi-
gate through the sand. That's a job
| for a strong, healthy man, let alone
| dead one"
1 guess he see I didn't take much
| stock in his ghost yarns, so he quit
| and went to getting the things on the
| breakfast table. But he was nervous
| and broke a dish and sprinkled forks
| and spoons over the floor like he was
sowing em. Pretty soon he had to
| stop and hustle upstairs, for the
Twins was shouting for their buds. For
grown men they was the most helpless
| critters; his lordship was a sort of
nurse to EN-, as you might say.
After a while he had 'em dressed
and ready and they come down to
| breakfast. Nate had brought over
feather beds for them, so they slept
| pretty well. Van Brunt was rugged up
special because he was going to East
| witch that forenoon to see his girl.
| I'd cooked whopping big breakfast,
| but twas only just enough. Van was
| regular famine breeder and Hartley
| want far astern of him. The Natural
Life was agreeing with both of 'em
| fine SO far. Martins cheeks was filling
out and him ami his chum was sun
| burned to brick red.
| After breakfast they went out for
| their usual promenade. By and by l
| heard 'em hailing me from the back
| of the house. When 1 reached 'em
1 they was standing by the barn, with
| their hands in their pockets, and look
| ing as happy and proud as if they'd
| discovered America.
Come here. skipper" says Van.
| do you see this?''
He was pointing at q kind of fiat
| place in the lee of the pi: sites. Twas
sort of small desert, as you might
| say: A bunch or two of beachgrass in
| the middle of it and the rest poverty
grass and sand.
| 4 don't see much, says T. What
do you mean?'
/ I mean the location, says he.
| / looked at him to see if he was
| joking But it appeared he want
"Garden?" says 1.
Sure he says Its an ideal spot
| Sun all day long
| You could make garden here,
couldn't you, Sol?' asks Hartley.
/ Maybe 1 could, says /, IF I dug
| through to Chiny and hit loan on
t'other side. Otherwise you couldn't
raise nothing in this sand but bis
| ters-'
..Scudder could bring us loan,' - says
Van. We've thought of that"
| Starting a garden in JULY" says /.
What do you callate to raise-Christ-
| mas trees p
Late vegetables, of course says
| Van. Martin and / intend to stay all
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