The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-10-27
q E w A r FL
A Creepy Halloween Tale
Suitable Only for Strong,
Brave and "Spook"-Lovlna
Adventures.

Ing the TACT mat 1 nave SLOppeC
writing, / just thought I would lei
you know / am still well and car
tell as big ones as ever, especially
for Halloween.
You see 1t was like this.
Last Halloween the teacher over
at our school happened to pick up a
hot poker, burning her pretty
fingers, and thusly we were given
holiday. See?
! went out to my cousin Johns
and we deided to 90 out hunting,
out by an old cemetery, In woods,
and on Halloween night!
It. was SO dark / couldn't see to
shake hands with myself, and my
knees had a most peculiar rattle to
them but / wasn't a bit scared.
When we got in that woods and
were ready for the coon hunt 1t
was SO black ! thought maybe some
one had left the lid. off the paint
can and / had fallen In, but !
wasn't scared.
After while John stopped by a
tree and said, Nov, the best thing
we can do is to separate. I'll 60
around by the fence and you 60
through the cemetery,-you know"
Yes, ! knew.
Not waiting for my answer, John
hurried off and left me alone. or
to one side / heard a screech owl
squeech. Right then ! decided /
wouldn't go through that grave
yard, III the path were paved with
gold. I'd sit right by that tree I'M
til dear cousin Jack came back, -
but Irwasn't scared, exactly.
| leaned back against the tree
and prepared for a long wait. But
II wasn't long until / heard some
one coming through the woods real
slowly. They'd take a step, and
then wait. Then they'd take an
other step. Closer and closer they
came Then ! could hear dog,
too, shifting and roofing around in
the leaves.
Closer and still closer they came.
Then they stopped. listened but
could not hear sound. wonder
ed II they were planning to sneak
up on me. Then suddenly some
thing clutched the back of my col
lar and ! was whisked on, down,
down. down into a deep black .tun1
mel. For hours, IL seemed that
fell, Then suddenly / came to a
room where fire was burning, and
by the fire were ghosts, big ones
and little ones.
To one side there were three
ghosts playing cards, only they did
not have any cards. They just
shuffled pure air. And they never
talked, either, or that is, couldn't
hear them saying anything, but
they kept their jaws moving all the
time.
AS ! came into the room they all
jumped up and rushed over to me.
One OF them pointed his long honey
finger at me and started to give me
a long lecture, moving his jaw up
and down and shaking his head at
me, but he didn't say a single word
out loud.
There are some little skeletons
there by the fire, too, little animal
skeletons. cats and dogs, guess,
because one Of them came over and
rubbed up against my leg.
Then they brought out a long
saw. and laid me on table which
] did not see. and began to saw the
top of my head on, Just as II 1t was
wood. / tried to scream, but my
mouth seemed to be gagged. Then
! tried to fight my way loose, and
Just as | was in the midst OF muss-
ing them up, heard John say,
Hey, look out who you're hitting.
What did you 60 to sleep for in
stead of helping get this bird OF 4 4
coon. You're some hunter, you are"
And say. Aunt Molly, that re-
minds me of tale about an Old
Maids Cemetery, where they put
all the old maids, SO here goes. It
was out by -. But no, l won't |
go on either. I'm feeling too good,
just now.
HENRY M'FARLONE. |