Connecticut western news., 1921-02-03


 senger, who brought an invitation tr a quilting frolic" that evening at Var Tassel's.
 Promptly dismissing school, Ichabot l furbished up his only suit of rust, black, and soon rode forth-a ga1lan, cavalier to this bidding of his ladl fair.
 Gunpowder, the bony old blow horse borrowed from the farmer with whom Ichabod vas domiclled, was suitable steed for his long, gaunt frame.
 Jogging slowly along, 1t was after sundown when he reached Van Tas. sells, where were gathered the farmer folk of the surrounding country.
 However, 1t was not the buxom lasses which held Ichabod enthralled, 1t was the sumptuous abundance of the supper table. Such luscious ham and chicken, and heaped platters of doughnuts, crullers and ginger cakes
 Ichabod's rapacious appetite dId ample justice to this repast, while he gloated over the opulence of which some day he might be master. oOOh ltl6 SOuuu VI uuulluk Udu6 HI to dance. With Katrina as his part ner, smiling graciously at his amorous oglings, the lank, but agile, Ichabod clattered triumphantly about While Brom Bones, sourly smitten with 1eal- ousy, kept broodingly aloof.
 Later, Ichabod joined the sager folk who sat smoking and spinning tales of ghosts and apparitions and of the headless horseman. that nightly teth- cred his steed among the churchyard graves.
 Most terrifying were the adventures of those who, on dark nights had met the gruesome specter. Even Brom testified that once, overtaken by tho midnight trooper, he had raced with him to the church bridge. where the horseman had vanished in a flash of | fire.
 When at a late hour the revel broke up, Ichabod fingered for the custom ary lovers talk. What passed at that interview with the heiress was never known, but when he finally sallied forth 1t was with a dejected, chop fallen air.
 Had Katrina's encouragement been only a coquettish trick to secure her conquest of his rival2
 It was near the witching midnight hour that the crestfallen Ichabod pur- sued his solitary travel homeward. All the stories of ghosts and goblins told that evening crowded hauntingly upon him.
 The night grew deeper and darker as he approached the lonely church yard-sombrous scene of many of the tales. Suddenly through the leaf stirred stiffness came the chatter of hoofs Something huge and misshapen loomed above the crouching shadows.
 In quaking terror Ichabod dashed ahead, but the unknown followed close. Then the moonlight, through rifting cloud, revealed the headless horsemanl More ghastly still, his head rested on the pommel of his sad : dlel
 ; Away they flew, Ichabod madly spurring Gunpowder, while the sinis- ter horseman came galloping after.
 AS luSy ICuNllCu llC IOohf turning off to Sleepy Hollow, the girth of Ichabod's saddle broke. Gripping his steed around the neck, as the sad dle slipped beneath him, Le still plunged on, with the ghostly rider pur- suing.
 The church bridge, where in Brom Bones tale the specter had vanished, | 31,c% oh ArnAhny- old Gunpowder was laundering over the resounding blanks.
 Here Ichabod, casting a backward glance, saw the goblin rising in his stirrups and in the very act of hurl- ing his head.
 The horrible missile crashed against Ichabods cranium and he plunged headlong into the road-while Gunpowder and the ghostly horseman swept on.
 
 The next morning the old horse was found saddleless, grazing at hhs mas ter's gate. But no Ichabodl
 In the road by the church was found the saddle. Farther on was the trampled hat of the unfortunate ped agogue-and close beside it a shat tered pumpkin
 The whole neighborhood was aroused. Brom Bones story and all the other weird tales were called to mind, and the good folk sagely concluded that Ichabod had been carried of by the headless horseman. Soon the school was removed to a less haunted sector. Another peda- gogue reigned, and Ichabod became only legend.
 It is true that several years later an old farmer, returning from New ! York, brought news that Ichabod was still alive; that fear of the goblin, and chagrin at his dismissal by the heir ess. had caused his night; that in an other part of the country De had taught school, studied law, and be-