Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-03-25

uoAnb aAftAt IN tuAt AWhut 9oat III
night. About that and ghosts"
Ghosts. hey7 Did you dream OF
ghosts7"
"That did. could ear 'em ErOan.
ing"
Twas yourself that was groaning."
says I. "A Teller that took aboard the
cargo Of supper that you did hadn't
ought to sleep on cornhusks."
Il didn't sleep; not a 'salthy Chris
tan sleep. I didn't. say, Pratt, did
you ever ear that this old 'ouse was
'aunted8"
WELL" says I, Il don't know ~
ever heard that exactly. But old Mrs,
Berry died In II and then Marcelius
lived here alone TIL he died. Seems to
me he died in that room Of yours,
come to think Of IT," says I. cheering
him up.
He turned pale, instead OF the yel.
low he'd been lately.
"'oly Moses!" says he. You can't
mean IT,"
II can mean more than that without
half trying" I says. Yes. ! 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
60 tell about a friend Of his over in
"the old country" who had been butler
at a place that was haunted. asked
II his friend had ever seen any Of the
spookss
NO" says he. "'e never saw 'em
'lmself. but II was q tradition in the
family. Everybody knew II. II was
white lady, and she used to trip about
the 'ouse and over the lawns nights"
he says.
white, was she7" says l. well. /
suppose II she'd been black they
wouldn't have been able to see her in
the night Never heard Of colored
ghost anyway. did your
Il mean she was all dressed In
white" he says, scornful. And they
say twas 'orrid to see her a.glidiDg
around over the grass"
Want to know" says l. We'll. II
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 q Job
for n strong. healthy man, let alone
a dead one"
guess he see / 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 q 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 Il 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.
wich that forenoon to see his girl.
I'd cooked a whopping big breakfast,
but twas only Just enough. Van was
a regular famine breeder and Hartley
want far astern Of him. The Natural
Life was agreeing with both of EN-
fine so far. Martins cheeks was filling
out and him and his chum was sun.
burned to brick red.
After breakfast they went out for
their usual promenade. BY and by 1
heard 'em hailIng me from the back
Of the house. When l reached 'em
they was standing by the barn, with
their hands In their pockets. and look,
ing as happy and proud as II they'd
discovered America.
Come here. skipper" says Van
DO you see tiGs?"
He was pointing at a kind of iai
place in the lee of the pig sites. Twas
a 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.
Il don't see much" says l. "Whai
do you meant"
Il mean the location" says he
Here's where we'll have our garden
looked at him TO see II he wal
joking. But II appeared he want.
"Garden?" SAYS /.
Sure" ne says. IT'S an ideal spot
Sun all day long"
You could make a garden here
couldn't you. SOl?" asks Hartley.
Maybe could" says I, III dul
, through TO Chiny and hit loan OF
! t'other side. Otherwise you eouldn'
, raise nothing in this sand but Bills
, ters."
/ "scudder could bring us loam,," say
Van. We've thought OF that"
{ Starting garden in Julyl" says
. What do you cai'late to raise-ChriSI
|. mas trees9"
!, Late vegetables. OF course" say
r Ven. Martin and intend to stay al
4 through September. Think Of Il, MAJ
. tin: green corn from our own plants
ton. And cucumbers In the morning.
+ with the dew on EN-"
X "And tomatters already baked 1
I -