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Show THE BARBER'S GHOST. ' (Written for The Intermountain Catholic Cath-olic by Nelly Condon, Pocatello, Ida.) The Miners' Resort was a two-story inn, kept by Peter Benson. The . first story contained a dining room, kitchen and saloon, and the second story consisted con-sisted of a long, narrow hallway, on either side of which were six small rooms, which were used as lodgings for those that put up at the inn. These rooms were always occupied except No. 12, which was said to be haunted by the ghost of a barber who had been found dead in that room some years before. Whether, he was the victim of an assassin or had died by his own hand was neve known.' Be that as it may, during the years that followed, any one who was daring enough to sleen in the room on stormy nights always heard what seemed to be a strange, hollow voice, repeating the suggestive words: "Get sha-a-aved!" But the ghost himself never appeared: though it was said that he had shown himself in the form of a tall, stooping man, holding a razor, which he repeatedly re-peatedly drew across his throat, saying, in a hollow, unearthly voice, "Get sha-a-aved!". Of course, this gruesome tale spread like wildfire, and, as such stories will, had become worse at every narrative, until no one could be hired to occupy the room, and travelers who had before been sent there knowing nothing .of the ! ghost, were how generally apprised of it immediately upon their arrival or even before, then they politely declined the honor of being "shaved" . by the obliging apparition. After considering the matter, the landlord and several miners offered a reward of $500 to any one who would spend a night in that room with the door locked and a guard of six men outside. out-side. Though this created some excite, ment at-first, it did not produce the desired effect, as no one could be prevailed pre-vailed upon to undertake the trial. Barney Finnig'an boarded and lodged with Mrs.', McEvoy,. a- widow with.iiv children: Her. husband had beeen killed in a mine explosion six years before, leaving her and the children almost destitute.: The 'generous miners donated, do-nated, a small sum at her husband'." death, but hls pould.not last long and soon, in order to support her children, she had to mortgage her home. This was soon gone also, and she had only the money from her few boarders and lodgers with which to keep the family and pay the interest on the mortgag-.-. which now would be due in a few days. The good woman told all her grievances to Mr. Finnigan, but being very poor himself, he found it all he could do to pay his board, and could do nothing for her. One night as he was trying to devise some plan ' . vhich he could assist her a happy th.i. ht occurred to him; why could he not spend a night in the haunted room' in the "Miners' Resort." and obtain the reward. That would help 'the widow McEvoy. Barney lay-awake lay-awake all night thinking of this plan. He was somewhat affected by fear of the ghost, but his generosity overcame his fear and he decided to try it. Accordingly Ac-cordingly the next evening as the miners min-ers were sitting around the gambling table in the "Miners' Resort" talking of the ghost, Barney announced: "Be ja-bers, ja-bers, an' it's meself that'll find out about that same ghost!" "What! Do you mean it. Barney? Will you try it?" cried the miners. "Of coorse,: said Barney, catching hold of his beard. "I'm in need of a grubbing meself, and if the honorable gintleman will do it for nothing, begorra, I'm the boy that's willin'." "You're a brick, Barney." exclaimed the landlord, delighted at having at last found one daring enough to occupy the room. Six of the strongest and boldest men the camp afforded were chosen to form the guard, and it was decided that the next night Barney Finnegan should sleep in the haunted room. The next evening on rising from the supper table, Barney said: "Mrs. McEvoy, I'm going down to the barber's to get shaved, so I won't be home till morning." "And wry not? Sure, you won't be all night getting shaved?" "No, but I'm going) to be shaved by the barber's ghost, so I'll not be home tonight." "No, nor tomorrow night or the next night, aither. if that's the case," she said. "Oh, wurra, wurra? what put such an idoa into your head, you omadhaun? Don't you know that if you go into that room you'll never come out alive?" "Now, Mrs. McEvy, acushla," said Barney, "act like the sensible woman that you are. You cannot believe all you hear about that ghost, an' I'm just going to see what it is that the crathur wants, that he bothers people as he does. Now, I'm off, an' be sure you have a good breakfast for me in the morning." As Barney entered the saloon, about 9 o'clock, he was greeted by a loud cheer, and after an hour or so of talking talk-ing the whole company ascended the stairs, Barney at the head, singing: "Oh, Brigid McSheehy, I Your eyes are the death o' me, And your laugh, like a fairy stroke, Knocks out the breath o' me." On reaching the door, Barney entered, leaving the others outside. The landlord land-lord then locked the door and gave the key to one of the guards. The company after seeing the guards in their places, went down stairs to play cards and await the result of Barney's venture. On being left alone, Barney examined every nook, and finding nothing wrong, went to bed. After sleeping a few-hours few-hours he awoke to find a great storm raging outside, and loud and shrill, above the sound of the wind he heard the words, "Get sha-a-aved!" Leaping wildly from the bed, he rushes to the door to find it locked. Turning he gazes around the room, but there is nothing to warrant his terror, except the repeated words, "Get sha-a-aved!" "Get sha-a-aved!" He springs to the window and opens it. A gust of wind extinguishes the light, leaving him in total darkness. He extends his hand out of the window and it is heavily struck by something which proves to be the branch of a large old tree bent to and fro by the force of the wind. Suddenly a smile breaks over his face as he draws in his bruised fingers. Nodding sagely, he takes a sheet from the bed and winds it about himself, saying: "Sure, I'll be the ghost meself." Then going to the door he knocks loudly on it, and the guards thinking that he has been frightened by the ghost, opened it, but when they see that it is the "ghost" himself, they rush headlong down the stairs, shouting, "The ghost! the ghost is after us! fly for your lives!" The company, panic-stricken, spring from the table and flee precipitately. Barney, coming into the room a few seconds later, found the room deserted and a shining heap of gold on the table. "Now," thought he, "there's that villun. Bill Barnes' gould, that he wronged McEvoy out of seven years ago, so I'll just take it and give it to the widow." Taking the gold, he went up to the room and slept soundly till morning. On going into the saloon the next morning, Barney found all the men talking excitedly of last night's occurrence. occur-rence. He was greeted with, "Well, ! Barney, what happened? Did you see ' the ghost?" ! "Did I?" said Barney, "faix. thin, ij did. After sleeping for a few hours j last night I woke to find the barber j measuring the length of me beard and J axing me, 'Did I want to get shaved?' ! 'God save your honor, says I, sitting ' up, 'I hope I find you well, sir.' (being, i you see, as I thought to meself. polite- ness marks the true gentleman), ! 'Whist.' says he, squeezing me hand so j hard that he bruised it into a mashed ' pratie, almost, 'Whist, spake aisy,' and then he made a bargain and told i me he would make me a present of t enough gold to carry me back to Oir-land, Oir-land, and that he would never be seen or heard again if I w-ould but shure I'll not be after telling you what I'm to do." "But will you do it, Barney?" asked the landlord. "I'm afther thinking I will for another an-other $500." Accordingly, the landlord after some hesitation, drew up an agreement, promising that if, after the night that Barney proposed to banish the ghost, it should not be heard again for thirty days, the reward of $500 was Barney's. The next night being a stormy one, Barney went up to the room to banish the ghost, who was very much in evidence evi-dence that night with his "Get sha-a-ved." The "exorcist" walked directly to the window and opened it, thus apostrophizing apostro-phizing the "ghost." "Oho, is this where you are? No wonder you were never found then, an' it's afther shaving shav-ing your last shave you are, I'm thinking; so, out of this with you." And Barney cut off a few branches from the top of the large tree under the window, which, shaken by The wind, rubbed its topmost branches against the casement, thus producing sounds not unlike the words "Get j sha-a-aved!" Of course, as the ghost was not heard again, even on the most stormy nights, Barney received the two rewards of $500 each, which he kept for himself, giving the gold which he took from the gambling table to Mrs. McEvoy, who, overcome by a woman's curiosity, would often ask: "Mr. Finnigan, where did you get that other money besides the rewards?' Did the ghost really give it to you?" "Woman, alive," he would answer, "isn't it enough for you to get the money without having to know where it came from?" "Now, childer, don't be curious like your mother, but come here and I'll sing you a song: "Oue Paddy Doyle lived In Killarney. He coorted a girl named Biddy Toole, I'm sure his tongue was tipped with blarney, For the same to Paddy, was a golden rule." |