Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-31
THE GHOST Of HALLOWEEN.

We'll AS far as l see, the prospects
are mighty poor for 4 halloween this
year" remarked Frank Elder. half
aloud. half to himself. as he stood
gazing ut the fields Of golden pump
kins which his father had raised
in fact. his father was the sole own
or. ITS shame! can't have but
just one little pumpkin (although he
was exaBgerating, for he had becn
| promised a large golden pumpkin to
be made into n Jack -o'-Lantern)
while the boys that know will have
ut least five or six. And I'd be
ashamed to go round with them with
just one little pumpkin, so I'd just
as we'll give UP the Halloween plan"
| ThouShtlcssly. he wandered down the
| lane, crossed the road. and took a
| path, which led him TO u negro house.
AS he neared the house he heard the
occupants of TO cottage talking.
Touring through window OF the
cottage he saw negro man and wo-
man Frank supposed them to bn
husband and wifa) conversing on the
subject Of gosts: Folks says they
, amt no scch things as ghosts. but
many a time" said the woman. he
| ginning to shake with fright
| Yeah" replied the man. IAN Use
shore gwinc TO Keep out their way in
7 u,
b'iicve me. Use rwine In trot."
Pleasant smiles crept over Franks
iacc as he listened TO the converse
ton. Why. OF course ne could have
| some surely good" fun with these
! negroes on halloween, And he felt
! that he could have even better time
| man the boys which he usually vent
! around with on Halloween night.
| Alter hearing the rest of the con-
vcrsa'i"n. he sped home like the
wind
And now he could think OF moth
! ing but Halloween. How slowly the
time went by.--every day seemed TO
/ have :incty-six hours,
/ FINALLY. the morning of Halloween
came The first thing Frank did,
after eating breakfast. was to 20
! Town to the pumpkin field. He look =
ed carefully over all the pumpk ns.
ana ~ last picked out "a large golden
ne-!nst me thing for a Jack Lam
( tern; He took the pumpkin home.
ana after an hour or SO Of careful
| work. carved II so skillfuiiy. that
there could hardly be room for i'm
That night, Frank put on sheet,
had white stockings tho shocs) on,
and in his hand carried a Jack o :
i1i;aanserm-ln other words; he looked
fully he walked to the negro house.
lie was afraid that the negroes
would ana him. recognize him. and
drive him away. But luck was his
the other side Of the house. Frank
| walked tstill slowly and carefully
I to the back OF the house, and sat his
/ JACK q Lantern on post near the
I back door. He then returned TO the
| 'front.'. and knocked at the door The
man came TO the door and opened IL:
! there Frank stood in ghost apparel.
The man gave one gasp. and-fcli
! back.
When he regained consciousness
| he CAV" yell Of ''IIab mercy on
! me-, which nearly made Frank hurst
| out laughing, but he tried TO con-
| troll himself. The mans wife and
! children. hearing his cry Of distress,
| rushed into the front room. When
they saw the ghost" they. too. gave
. "a yell. and the man, his wife and his
children started In n "trOt" TO the
| back door But when they saw the
Jack o'-I-antern. they thought it was
/ a second ghost. and they came NY
! Ing" back.
Tho little children were screaming
/ to the tops OF their voices: the man
/ ana woman were Shaking with ter
/ ror. Frank thought II cruel TO keep
them In suspencc, and so he, taking
| his Jack Lantern, silently lcf;
| To chow their terror. /, was n long
l time hcfor" they stopped trembling
/ How Franks friends laughed
( when he told them how he scared the
/ negroes. ami that they thought him
! the real Ghost az lIalloween!"
prt@luaD.
4 ROBERT EPES ZONES