A REAL GHOST STORY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1137, 21 August 1883, Page 3

A REAL GHOST STORY.

In Linn County, of the State of lowa, there lived a well to-do farmer, whom we will call Mr G He was a Pennsylvanian by birth, but ho had married and reared a large family in Ohio, and when he emigrated to lowa the only child remaining at home was a daughter born to the farmer and his wife late in life, and just entering her teens when they moved to what was then the ‘ Far West.’ At the time of the occurrence I am about to relate, this daughter, who was my informant, was about 18 years of age. One evening in early summer the men and maids had gathered to milk the cows The farmer stood near feeding the pigs, and his daughter was helping the maids. Contrary to the usual custom, the cows had not been driven into their yard, hut stood outside and near the public road, which was not, however, in these early times much frequented. In was a peaceful pastoral scene upon which the declining sun threw his last beams, the mild eyed cows chewing their ends patiently, while red-cheeked Phyllis and stalwart Corydan relieved them of their milky treasure.

But suddenly a now. as of a heavy wag* g r a furiously drive;:, broke upon the siilltie-s. coming nearer and nearer, until the clattering of the horses’hoofs and the rattling of too wheels could he distinctly heard. Mr G ca'led out to the m fleers, ‘you had better get out of the road, I expect a runaway is coinin&r and with that, all withdrew to one side, though as yet nothing was to bo seen But there was no cessation of the noise, which approached with increasing velocity, and was by this time almost abreast of the startled hearers. And now the dumb creaturres began to show signs of unmistakeable terror : the cows flung their heads high, and with piteous bellowing rushed oft’ into the surrounding woods, while the pigs tore around their enclosure squealing in a most distracted manner. Only the human creatures stood their gound with staring eyes that saw nothing, and blanching cheeks that told their fear of this invisible being. Having arrived at that part of the road opposite the fence, the noise turned, passed thiough a ‘ stake-and-rider ’ fence, every rail of which seemed to fall, adding to the horrible confusion, though to the eye all remainei secure, traversed the cowyard, struck against the fence which constituted the pigpen, passing in so doing within a few feet of Mr G , who daggered back and fell to the ground, and then, as it its mission were accomplished, it turned off abruptly, ran through another fence, and striking into an unused wool-road, gradually died away. Meantime, attracted by the noise, Mrs G came out of the house, calling ‘Wat is the matter? Whose team is tunning away V When some one answered that they had seen nothing she grew pale, and exclaimed, ‘ Which one of us does it mean V It was her known belief that her family always received some warning of approaching death, though neither husband nor daughter shared in the superstition. As soon as she learned that the manifestation seemed directed specially against Mr G 1 she at once made up her mind that it was he who was called for. Nor did her fears mis lead her, as in ten days from that time the farmer, who was assisting in digging a well on his place, was overwhelmed by the earth caving in, and died from the injures received.