Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-11-02
T he Last Laugh

Halloween!
You see. Roddy, Tommy and Bob
were in such state of excitement!
Halloween is always an exciting time
Roddy had a clown suit and Tommy
was going to blacken his face and Bob
was going to dress up like Charlie
Chaplin. 1t was going to be rlp-roar
ing fun to meet the other boys behind
the woodshed at half past eight, and
then maybe race past the grave yard!
But Just think of it! With all this on
hand, what should happen but that a
telegram should come from Kitty
Browns mother saying that Kitty was
coming to spend a week at the farm!
She was coming all the way in her
fathers automobile with the chauf-
feur! Kitty was little city cousin,
and the boys hardly ever saw her.
ooh jimminy crickets!" snickered
Tommy, who had red hair and freckles
and could think up more mischief IN
one minute than most boys would in
a week ESQ his mother and teacher
said). Cousin Kitty'll like our farm,
/ bet!" And he winked at Roddy as
if he had something up his sleeve.
Well, little Kitty Brown arrived in
time for dinner. She was seven years
old, sweet, shy, little lady, with such
blue eyes and soft brown curls that
even Tommy had to admit that she
wasn't so bad-looking."
After dinner the boys took Kitty
and showed her over the farm and
then Mother Ham said the little girl
must lie down a while, she had tray
eled a long way that day. Then the
boys slipped away to the barn.
Lets play a trick on Kitty!' said
Tommy "She's going to stay week.
Let's do something to give her big
scare! It's Halloween, you know"
They decided that it would be nice
to make a dreadful ghost. 1t would
have pumpkin head with eyes and
mouth cut out and candle inside to
give him a terrible expression. Then
his body would be made of broom
stick with sheet wrapped around it.
Then after supper they would hide in
the barn and when Kitty had gone to
bed they would make the pumpkin
head ghost peep in the window while
they themselves would boot like owls
and squall like cats, and they hoped
to give their little city cousin a real
bad scare.
Tommy made the head by himself,
and, being quite clever, he managed
to give the pumpkin such fierce ex-
preston that he was almost frightened
himself. After supper the boys made
some excuse and hid in the barn. They
put the pumpkin-head ghost together,
put the candle inside and lit it. Oh,
it was a sight! Bobbie trembled like
a leaf, for he was only six years old
but he was too proud to show his feel
ings.
Then the boys sat down. and Roddy
who read a good deal, told some ghost
stories in low, creepy voice, while
the other two huddled together. You
see, it was Halloween, so Mother
Ham let them all sit up, and they had
put on their Halloween suits.
I'll guess maybe l better go and
see if Kitty's in bed yet" whispered
Tommy, after Roddy had finished a
specially blood-curdling story.
He peeped out of the barn, and there
was still light in the spare room win
dow. So they sat down to wait. The
candle in the pumpkin head began to
sputter and sputter. Tommy got up
to fix it.
Lets blow her out" said Roddy.
"She does have mean look!'
mo, MOI" cried Bob, cause then
we'd be in the dark"
"That you would" said deem,
husky voice.
What was that!'' whispered all
M fol IN,
a heap and grabbed Roddy around the
waist.
Just then the Grandfather Turkey
began to gobble very fast and furious
ly.
"Shut up. will you. you old crazy"
cried Roddy. nervously.
"Sh-sh-sh." Kissed a ghostly voice,
and Tommy buried his head in
Roddy's jacket.
1t was the Pumpkinhead Ghost that
had spoken. They all heard the voice
coming right fror, that dire "tion.
"Ow-ow-ow-ow," cried the Ghost.
and Roddy curled up and hid his face
in the straw.
met" said the Ghost.
NOL DOy SIlIleu anu DoDple uCSdh
to sniffle.
Then he jabbed Tommy in the back
but Tommy only buried his head deep
er in Roddy's jacket
Then he jabbed Bobbie in the ribs
and Bob began to scream as loud AS
he could-which was pretty loud
"Ma-a-a-a-a, Ma-a-a-a-a!"
Come now. speak up.' said the
Ghost, stamping with his broomstick
leg.
The boys were still as death. as
they were too scared to speak up, and
Bob felt that he was going to have a
fit soon.
mo answer cried the Ghost
very we'll then. Take that
The boys looked up in time to see
the pumpkin come sailing right to-
wards them. 1t hit Tommy square on
the forehead and knocked him fiat
1t broke into fragments and scattered
over Roddy and Bob. The candle
went out.
It was pitch dark. Bob yelled and