Evening journal., 1912-06-26
The Cabman's S
Ghost
BY F. A. Mitchell


ored hack drivers waiting for the mid
night train TO come IN at a station In
Tennessee. Some OF the group had so
far broken away from the supersti-
ton of their race as 10 doubt or pre-
tend to doubt the existence Of ghosts.
"wha' yo' know bout hantsT blus-
tered one OF the doubters.
"Wha know bout emp l driv one
OBJ en- onct"
"Yah. YAH Yo' driv a hanti Did
he pay yo' in hant money!
"Yas"
"'Twan't no money at all"
"Wha' kind oh money was dot7'
"Yah. yah: you mean 'twan't no
hant at ALL Mebbe It was a beat"
"Yo' shet up an I'll tell yo' all about
It. One mighty da'k night I was sit
tin on de box waitin' 10 fare. Fust
thing | knew | felt somep'n jist lax
somebody teched me on de knee with
sn icicle. woke up. an dar standin'
on de sidewalk war young feller look
in' at me with de shiniest eyes eber
see
'T neber see man dressed lax dat.
His hat war all fuzzy an was bigger
brim was all rolled mp on de sides.
He had a big white towel round his
neck an no shirt collar De coat was
green. with brass buttons big as a sill
yer dollar. an It was spike tailed. De
pants was tight an strapped down
ober de foot He was might quar-.
tell yo'.
he said he want me to drive him
up de road a bit an be tell me wha'
to stop. He git in de back. an driv
up de road. Purt' soon he sing out.
'Stopr an ! stopped He got out an
tole me to stay wha' ! was. an he
went into de woods. BY de time de
clouds what war rollin ober de moon
rolled or an. bein' de full. Il was
light as day sot awhile wonderin'
who de young man war and what he
went into de wood TO. an got Gurus,
so got down often de box an follered
him.
Oar ! see standin' IN de clearin' in
de light oh de moon de young feller
tallxin' to another young man. and ir
anudder place was anudder man talk.
IN to anudder man. too. Dis was tall
man with lantern jaws. an he hair
stood right up on de top OBJ he head
lax a grizzly BAR He was de mos de.
terminated man l eber see. He wal
dressed lax de udder men dar, on'y he
hab shirt collar standin' way up un
der he years.
"while war looldn' at 'em de two
udder men max some steps lax markin
of de groun, den dey put de two frs
men whot 7 tole yo bout at de ends
OBJ de groun' dey marked of an hand
ed each one oh 'em a leetle pistol
Den one OBJ de udder men stan up an
he drop a hunshecuff an bof de mel
8 shoot at each udder. One on 'em no
! his fire. den he tax long aim an h
shoot my fare so he fall down on d.
groun'.
, when / see 'em carryin' him outel
de wood ! says says /, 'Dey gwine q
tax him 10 my hack an l max track
70 de hack. an when dey Git dar
= was settin on de box purtendin' TO b.
x asleep
F. Den started ag'in an dey put d
. young man in de kerridge an tell m'
! 10 driv me home whip up de hos
b an driv' back to de town. an eber
2 once in awhile de young man put b.
head out de winder an tell me whicl
way to go Onct when he put out HI
head look down an see he Whit
> face with de big black eyes loolSin a
i me. an It seem s II he been deaf
: a hundred year. For de Lawd.
A thought / gwine fall offen de box,
), was 80 sceered.
8 when we got 10 de place he was 60
in at ] driv in de gate an up 10 d.
house. ] been drivin' all about da
kintry, an l neber see dat place befo'
Oar want no sich place on dat roa'
nohow. l feel as II de debble got In
side O. me an was clutchin' at m,
windplpe. / driv up de path 10 da
house. an neber see de house befo
any mo- dan de groun's. II war da'l
? as a coal hole. But de mint l stop be
TO- de steps OBJ de verandah II was al
4 lighted. at once Some peoples com
out. one OBJ 'em a young woman. VIII
tux on when she see de young man II
de kerridge. an made up my min'
\ she war he wife. Dey carried him int
- de house an left me waitln' outside
+ Il sot dar on de box waitin 70 some
e body to bring me out ma fare. an arte
r long time niger KEN out an SAT-
. no go ava. since might be wanted
/; But he didn't say nothin' bout maj
fare
He went into de house. an
waited an waited. an / got might
q tired waitin'. Arter while l forgo
T. bout de queer eyes OBJ de young maj
/ driv dat worrited ma. an ] TUX naT
= When woke up wha 20 t'ink was?
I "WhaT
n "sleepin' on de box right in de tow
Il wha l started at"
3 The audience was so frightened a
, the recital that they showed signs o
running away. when the speaker con
q tinued
/ II driv a gentleman arter dat to d
/ Hermitage. an tell him bout d
n hants He tax me in de house an
u show me a pictur' or de owner lon
r time ago Fo' de Iawd dat pictur' wa
e de man wha' killed nah fare.
"'Who datT asked de gentleman.
"'Dat Gineral Jackson He kille
dat young man whose ghos' you saw
Are you interested in bushes
] ..