The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-07-05
The Cabnan S
Ghost
By F. A. Mitchell

"YO n1ggaS OOn DeueUe III uhnls.
Yo' dom kno nutten wha' 70 talkin'
bout"
The sneaker was one Of several COL
ored hack drivers waiting for the mid
night train to come in at station In
Tennessee. Some Of the group had so
far broken away from the supersti-
ton of their race as to doubt or pre-
tend to doubt the existence of ghosts.
"Wha' yo' know bout hants?' blus-
tered one of the doubters.
"Wha' know bout 'em? driv one
OBJ EN- onct."
"Yah, yah! Yo' driv liant! DID
he pay yo' in hant money!
"Yas."
"'Twan't no money at all"
"Wha' kind OBJ money was dotT'
"Yah, yah; you mean 'twan't no
hant at all. Mebbe it was beat"
"Yo shet up an I'll tell yo' all about
1t. One mighty da'k night l was sit
tin on de box waitin' TO fare. Fust
thing l knew felt somep'n jist LAX
somebody teched me on de knee with
an icicle. woke up. an dar standin'
on de sidewalk war young Teller look
in at me with de shiniest eyes | cher
see.
II neber see man dressed lax dat.
His hat war all fuzzy an was bigger
at de top dan at de bottom. an de
brim was all rolled up on de sides.
He had big white towel round his
neck an no shirt collar. De coat was
green, with brass buttons big as Sill
yer dollar. an it was spike tailed. De
pants was tight an strapped down
ober de foot He was might guar. |
tell yo'.
''He said he want me to drive him
up de road bit an he tell me VIVA
to stop. He git in de back. an driv
up de road. Purt' soon he sing out.
'Stopp an l 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 off. an. bein' de full. it was
light as day sot awhile wonderin'
who de young man war and what he
went into de wood TO-, an got Gurus.
so l got down often de box an follered
him
Oar l see standin' In de clearin' in
de light OBJ de moon de young Teller
talkin' to another young man. and in
anudder place was anudder man talk
in to anudder man, too. Dis was tall
man with lantern jaws. an be hair
stood right up on de top OBJ he head
lax grizzly bar. He was de mos de
terminated man I eber see He war
dressed lax de udder men dar. on'y he
hab a shirt collar standin' way up un-
der be years.
"Whiie | war loOkin' at 'em de two
udder men max some steps lax markin'
Off de groun. den dey put de two frs
men whOt | tole. 20 bout at de ends
OBJ de groun' dey marked off an hand
ed each one OBJ 'em a leetle pistol,
Den one OBJ de udder men STAN up an
he drop a hunshecuff an bof de men
shoot at each udder. One on 'em boil
his fire. den be tax long aim an he
shoot my fare so he fall down on de
groun'.
when l see 'em carryin' him outen
de wood says. says |. 'Dey gwine to
tax him to my hack. an l max tracks
TO- de hack. an when dey git dar
was settin on de box purtendin' to be
asleep.
"Den l started ag'in an dey put de
young man in de kerridge an tell me
to driv me home. | whip up de boss
an driv' back to de town. an cherry
once in awhile de young man put he
head out de winder an tell me which
way to go Onct when he put out he
head look down an see he white
face with de big black eyes lookin' at
me, an it seem 8 ii be been dead
hundred year. For de Lawd.
thought | gwine fall often de box.
was so Sceered-
when we got to de place he was go
in at | driv in de gate an up to de
house. been drivin' all about dat
kintry. an | neber see dat place befo'
Oar want no SIGH place on dat road
| nohow feel as If de debble got in
side O. me an was clutchin' at my
windpipe driv up de path to dat
any mo- dan de groun's. 1t war da'k
as coal hole. But de mint stop be-
TO- de steps Oh de verandah it was all
| lighted at once Some peoples come
out, one OBJ 'em young woman. who
TUX on when she see de young man in
de kerridge. an ! made up my mind
she war he wife. Dey carried him into
de house an left me waitin' outside.
II sot dar on de box waitin' TO some
body to bring me out ma fare. an arter
long time bigger KEN out an said
no 60 away. since might be wanted.
But he didn't say nothin bout nah
fare.
HE went into de house. an
waited an waited. an l got mighty
tired waitin' AFTER while l forgot
bout de queer eyes OBJ de young man
driv dat Worried ma, an TUX q nap.
When woke up wha 20 t'ink l wasp
"WhaY'
"Sleepin' on de box right in de town
wha I tarted at