The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-07-03


She Had Tainted and keeled Over.
man with gray in her hair, and every
day they would give lingering looks at
each other through the window bars.
And they would be happy that-a-way.
Well, never took no stock in them
mournful ways Of being happy.
couldn't Of riz up to being night fur
Martha She expected too much OF
one thought it over fur little spell
without saying anything, and tried
to make myself believe would Of
liked all that night business But it
wasn't no use pretending. l knowed
would get tired of It,
So | changed the subject and asts
her why amt seen Miss Hampton
around the place none. Martha says
she has a bad sick headache and amt
been outside the house fur four or five
days. asts her why she don't wait
on her But she don't want her to-,
Martha says She's been staying in
the house ever since we been in town
and Jest wants to be let alone. |
thinks all that is kind of funny. and
then seen from the way Martha Is
answering my questions that she IS
holding back something she would like
to tell. but don't think she orter tell.
I leaves her alone.
ch,>
knoweG she would tell. Martha liked
having her friends help her to keep a
secret
II think Miss Hampton has seen a
| ghost she says finally, land that her
staying indoors has something to do
with that"
Then she tells me. The night of the
day after we camped there her and
Miss Hampton was out fur walk.
We didn't have any show that night.
/ they passed right by our camp. and
they seen us there by the fire, all
three of u.s. But they was in the road
in the dark, and we was all in the
| light, 80 none Of the three Of US seen
| them. Miss Hampton was kind Of
| scared of US first glance, fur she gasp
! ed and grabbed holt Of Martha's arm
all of a sudden so tight she pinched
| it. Which it was very natcheral that
| she would be startled, coming across
| three strange men all of sudden at
| night around turn in the road. They
| went along home. and Martha went
Esrhf I'D 10 h1t
Hampton fingered on the porch fur a
minute. Jest as she lit the lamp Mar
! tina hearn another little gasp or kind
of sigh from Miss Hampton out there
! on the porch. Then they was the
sound Of her falling down. Martha
| ran out with the lamp. and she was
laying there. She had tainted and
| keeled over. Martha said jest in the
minute she had left her alone on the
porch was when Miss Hampton must
| of seen the ghost. Martha brung her
| to, and she was looking puzzled and
widIike both to oncet. Martha asts
| her what is the ma tier.
| Nothing she says, rubbing her fin
gers over her forehead in a helpless
| kind Of way nothing
You look like you had seen q ghost
Martha tells her
Miss Hampton looks at Martha
| awful funny. and then she says mebby
she has seen a ghost and goes along
| upstairs to bed. And since then she
| amt been out of the house. She tells
Martha it is a sick headache, but Mar
tina says she knows it amt. She
thinks she is scared of something.
"Scared?' l says. She wouldn't see
no more ghosts in the daytime
Martha says how do | know she
wouldn't? She knows lot about
ghosts OF all kinds. Martha does.
Horses and dogs can see them easier
than humans. even in the daytime. and
it makes their hair stand up when they
do. But some humans that have tho
gift can see them in the daytime like
an animal And Martha astS me how
can tell but Miss Hampton is like
that?
well, then" says, 'she must be
witch. And if she is witch why Is
she scared Of them a-tall?'
But Martha says if you have second
sight you don't need to be witch to
see them in the daytime.
Well, with all the talking back and
| forth we done about them ghosts we
couldn't agree. That afternoon it SEEM
ed like we couldn't agree about any
thing. knowed we would be going
away from there before long. and
says to myself before go I'm going
to have that girl fur my girl. or else
know the reason why. Ne matter what
I was talking about, that idea was in
the back Of my head, and somehow it
kind of made me want to pick fusses
with her, too. We was setting on a
log, purity deep Into the woods. and
there como time when neither OF us
| had sald nofAing fur quite 4 spell. But
lftee aMAi1e I -: