Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-08-20

he had been talking Of.
"That place is going to be remem-
bered by me-" he said. 81 have been |
out here only once since the night l |
made a bet 1 was not afraid to sit on |
the bank here for an hour. They've |
got a good many stories of this place
in town. I had been drinking q little |
l don't do it steady, but once in a while |
1 get out. You've got to do it to keep
the house going happy. Give the wife
something to talk about. My wife
would rather scold me than eat and
she loves her food.
eve were at the White Pigeon, hav-
ing a good time but thinking of going
home, when some one started on this
Hartley house story. Everybody had
something to say, and said that there
was no ghost that could scare me, at
least no ghost that ever was within
hundred miles Of Hartley. That's
where 1 made a fool Of myself. I've
got to admit that's where 1 made a
fool of myself.
81 bet five dollars l would sit an
hour on the bank at this place. 1 for
got all about the dogs, or I'd not have
made the bet. Anyway, they didn't
bother me. We got an automobile and
drove out here. The fellows left me
at the pool and went a mile back.
They were going to take my word for
it. I was to stay an hour and then
start walking back. At the end Of an
hour they would start toward me and
pick me up. They had beer and sand
wiches. 1 had couple of bottles and
some cheese and crackers.
81 wasn't afraid of that place. I'm
not afraid of any place unless 1 get
to thinking about this one. 1t was
along in October. A hoot-owl was
somewhere back of me, and there was
a whippoorwill up toward the house.
"rm used to hoot-owls and whip
than half bottle of beer before even
these things began to sound different.
"The current of the river kept knock
ing az the big rock at the up end of
the pool, and you began to think that
things were reaching for you out of
the dark. I'd have given ten dollars to
quit, but got so that didn't want to
move. / felt safer sitting still.
"Then began to hear things that ]
don't suppose were making a noise at
all. 1t may be it was rabbits in the
bush. 1 nearly died when l heard q
cry about fifty feet back of me. I did
hear that. 1 guess a ferret had got a
/ rob rob
like a baby.
'T was sitting in the open, and
thought I'd feel better If got my back
up against something. So 1 crawled
over to some bushes and sat down be
hind them.
Maybe I had been there half ar
hour, feeling scary and uncomfortable
when 1 heard a regular yell. There
wasn't any fooling about that. Il
sounded like some one being hurt bu
: yelling not so much because of tn,
/ hurt as because he was mad.
you've heard fellows talking abou
their hair standing on end. 1 neve
knew what it really meant before, bu
] my hair Just stood right up. 1 fel
like some one was trying to scalp me
and I was gooseflesh all over.
! at had been dark on account o
S clouds, but just then the moon cam
}. out and lighted up the place. Ther
e was a man standing on the edge of tn
pool, just about where had been sit
e ting. He was leaning with both hand
n on a cane and standing perfectly still
G He didn't seem like man. He locke
S like one, but you had feeling that b
q wasn't one.
/ 81 don't want ever to be so scare
t again. 1 didn't know who had yellet
L but I thought this man had, and
e didn't think he was a man, though
!. he was a ghost. I'm not saying whs
h / think now, but if I had to, I'd sa
e that saw the ghost of this place
l. and anybody that wants. to laugh ca
l. laugh. He can come down here {
e night and get cured of laughing.
81 couldn't move for a while. II
?, man stood still, leaning on his can
G. 1 watched him until 1 began to fe
'e that ] could use my legs again.
f. don't know why was so scared, but
b. was. 1 crawled away through Il
u brush for a hundred feet or so. The
1t got up and ran. ~@'t'~-
'T heard that yell behind me agai
lie I'll bet nobody around here ever ran
ID mile as fast as 1 did. / scared Il
d fellows who were waiting for me. The
didn't poke any fun at me. The
d. looked at me and got that automobi
d started. paid the bet, but they didr
h have any laugh on me. There isr
a one of them would come down here
ly night now"
when was this?7 asked.
n- "Four or five years ago." said Il
D. plumber. "Some time in October"
S. We came to the house, and he we
IS into the laundry to fix the pipes.
le at doesn't look haunted aroul
lg here" he said as he perceived IL
m tangible joviality of the place, "b
a you've got to get me out before dark
Is That was virtually the complete su
as stance Of the Hartley house ghost
b. the picture of a man leaning on cal
r. by the edge of the river. Roman
s. had to be content with it.
ne
to One evening in late October, viii
IT. had turned chill and brought up hi
e. wind, OIr. Sidney produced a ne
phenomenon. He had a strange fla
IL of strength. When 1 went to his roc
er after dinner found him walking abo
without help. Ordinarily, If he walk
ed at all. Jed was his strength.
If Occasionally can do it, DOCTOR"
said. 1.-THE strength comes. I usu
ly pay for it next day, however"
de I'D be very careful, then," 1 ST
I'M gested.
1t Eyes, but you do not know ht
ar grateful it is to feel vigor once in
WHILE" he said, continuing to we
he forth and back in the room.
he sat down and watched him witho
an demonstrating. 1t was astonishing
lst see him so agile and strong but h
rs learned that timid prudence was ve
ed Ineffective. 1 had confessed my inat