The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-08-28
The Ghost
That Fled
By Margaret Taylor
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Z SEE the Chase girls are home"
observed Charlie, from the depths
b nf liz, u,odd,e Iort,ar oboir

observed CnaIIl0, ITOm the uepInS
of Jim Todd's barber chair.
Jim. the town barber for 80 years
or more, had adjourned to the back
room for bite of lunch. He had two
misunderstanding and whistling.
Charlie peered out of his little red
eyes at the Saturday night crowd
that filled the benches, and giggled.
'"He, he, he. 1 could tell you a story
about them girls, two on 'em. They
was mighty smart when they was
kids"
you've got the right of way,
Charlie remarked the local garage
man.
well, you remember the house
Harry built up on the Oxford road?"
you know there want no houses
between there and the village, bout
mile it was, and woods on both
sides. When they went up there to
live, the girls were from to Is
years old, should think. And they
was possessed to be chasing down to
the village nights with no fear at al
Harry and was working together at
the time in the shop, and he told me
about it.
Their mother was worried to
death. They'd have some excuse
about going to the library. and they'd
bring home book apiece, read them
the next day and be all ready to go
down the next night for more Harry
said he wished they'd get a good
scare some night"
well, SEE 1 I'll give 'em good
scare, I'll bet they won't come down
after tonight
$50, long about 8 o'clock it was
pretty dark, and / went up through
the woods and came out about half
way up on that stretch of road.
There was little clearing there, and
some pasture bars. 1 got over the
bars and waited.
Pretty soon | heard two on EN-
coming, and / made out by the size
on 'em that it was Jen and Dot, the
IL and 14-year-old ones. / pulled
my hat down on my head and kind
of squatted down and commenced to-
rub my hands together and make
sort of a chuckling noise. Ny idea
was to look like some kind of wild
animal, a baboon or gorilla.
They saw me, but the little cusses
wouldn't run. They stopped talking.
and edged over to the other side Of
tho road and never moved step
faster. but could see their eyes
glued on me every step.
II hadn't made no plans to chase
'em; didn't want to scare 'em too
much, so 1 let EN- go. Then l went
home through the woods and next
morning told Harry: L guess you
needn't worry about their coming
down for one while
"A couple of nights later was in
Giles store around o'clock, and
who should / see walking by, bound
for home, but them kids again! Well,
I hustled up through the woods to
get ahead Of them. This time SEE i
to myself, I'll chase 'em clean to
their doorstep 1t was awful dark
and I barely got there when heard
them coming up over the ledge,
hanging close together and stiff as
ramrods, they was, but bound they
wouldn't run.
az SEE to myself, I'll let them get
most by and then I'll take after en-
"All TIE time / was crouching
down as if l was ready to spring,
and making a noise good deal like
my old hound, whining and moaning
"They didn't go by. They made
one leap for me and I'll be blessed
if Dot didn't have pistol a foot long
and I don't know what the other one
had. cause went over them bars
head first. I was scairt, tell youl ]
went down over the hill and into the
woods a mile minute, and them
tikes after me yelling: Now we've
got you! Come back here and show
us who you are
81 heard Jen holler, Shoot him,
Dot, shoot the coward!'
"They most got me when fell
down, but 1 up and run for my life,
few over stonewall and into Print
Towards backyard.
Somebody been threatening you
with pistol, Charlie? Was 1t load
ed?' asked Jim Todd, emerging from
the back room and advancing on his
victim with brush full of lather.
That's the joke of it," quavered
Charlie through waves Of foam.
Harry laughed like good I'm when
/ told him That pistol had been hid
On the top shelf in the pantry for 10
years, and it never was loaded on ac-
count of the children.
II was telling them story about
the Chase girls, Jim. Say, it don't
seem possible, but them girls must