Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-22
ALABAMA YARNS.

Not long ago we took supper with our
pastor and his wife. The moon came
over the mountain just as we went out
on the piazza and that reminded one
of the party of d good Iohe heard long
ago.
Well. you know how it goes. one good
story after another, all new to me, all
laughable or thrilling. So at the risk
OF dealing stale portions for some of
you who have heard them before, 1 am
going to tell you a few of those stories
The first one / am sure that you have
not heard, because the Farmer tells it on
himself. His sister was shaking with
chill, he was seven or eight years old,
and it was a hot day in summer He
alked around and around her, watched
her shiver and shake and finally said,
Are you honestly cold What do
you ask such a silly question for?" she
answered do, you think all this is for.
fun?" well" he replied. seems to me
I'd be glad to have a chill on 4 hot
day"
After that he, too, had his share of
chills and the family invariably asked
him if he was enjoying" himself. y.
The next story was about two men
who had stolen some corn. They had to
pass a cemetery and wen- in there 20
divide it. At the gate they dropped two
ears, but did not stop to pick them mp.
Implying the bag, they began to put the
ears of corn in two piles This ones
mine, that ones yours" they repeated
until all of the corn had been divided.
Two darkies going along the road heard
the voices and stopped at the gate to
listen. After the last ear had been
taken out of the sack one said, Then
there are two nice ones at the gate. You
Those poor listeners waited for notn-
ing else. They mad the idea that the
dead were. being divided and they had
been included.
Not unless you beat us ;unning,' they
said. and went off as fast as their feet
would take them.
The moonlight" story was about
young man who went to see the girl
that he was engaged to. He had to
pass a churchyard filled with cleaning
tombstones. The moon made things as
bright ~ daylight would, so this young
man, with a shiver along his spine, pick
ed up a piece of rail and laid il across
his shoulder. He naturally quickened
his pace as he neared the cemetery and
glanced over his shoulder. Imagine his
horror on perceiving some man follow
ing him with a gun on his shoulder.
Naturally he quickened his time to
little trot. He tried to speak to the
fellow" but his voice died in his throat.
He did not hear a sound from the man
behind him but the faster he got, the
more the other one also hurried. Always
when he looked behind him, never tak-
ing time to actually turn around, he
could see that black, silent shape with
the gun.
At last, almost breathless he reached
ha 70 nf ia loft nj
ly threw down the rail. He then found
that he had been running from his own
shadow. He had forgotten he had the
rail on his shoulder and thought a ghost
clothed in black was after him.
The next is also said to be true. A
man was buried late one afternoon, his
watch and gold buttons tempted a couple
of tramps to go after dark and dig for
the treasure. Just before the body was
taken up one of the tramps lost his
nerve" and fled. The other one finish
ed the job and even put back the tomb
stone. 1t was a cool night and he had
on an overcoat. In some way the edge
caught between the foundation stone
and the upper part. AS the man turned
to go he felt his coat pulled and in his
nervous tension imagined that the dead
man had caught him. He actually
dropped dead. The other one had fled
to place of safety and waited till al
most morning for his drawer companion.
Screwing his courage to a higher notch
he returned to see what kept him, or If
he had slipped away with all the booty.
Imagine his horror at finding the dead
body of his companion. He tried to
turn it over. but the coat held him fast
of course. And that other man ran un-
til he dropped in his tracks.
There were a number of others equal
ly as thrilling, but / won't tell all of
them this time. Let's hear from some
of the others.
Faithfully yours.
LIZZIE o. THOMAS.