Kentucky Hauntings by Roberta Simpson Brown Page B

to their house to the country store to get whatever supplies the family needed. Barbara Jane enjoyed the walk, except for one spot. The path was narrow there and wound around rocks and stumps where sinister-looking shadows lurked. At this spot, the earth dropped sharply to a stream that flowed far below. Barbara Jane could see how easy it would be to lose her footing and plunge into the stream. It was the scariest part of the walk, so she made a point of being very careful there. She tried to avoid going into the woods at all after dark unless there was something the family absolutely had to have. She wasn't terribly frightened in the woods, but she had to admit to herself that the shadows spooked her a little when they looked so lifelike.
    One day when she and Aunt Lou were preparing supper, Barbara Jean said, “Do you ever see people shadows in the woods when you walk there?”
    â€œI haven't walked there in a long time, child,” her aunt answered. “I don't pay much attention to such things. I guess there are lots of animals in there that might make shadows.”
    â€œI don't think what I see are animal shadows,” said Barbara Jane. “Sometimes I think a shadow is following me, and it scares me a little. Do you avoid walking in the woods now because of shadows?”
    â€œIt's not shadows that keep me out,” replied Aunt Lou. “It's memories of better times there.”
    Barbara Jane remembered that Uncle Samuel had fallen off his horse in the woods. She figured that that was what Aunt Lou was talking about, so she let the subject drop.
    Barbara Jane continued to make trips through the woods to the store, and she often caught a glimpse of a shadow that seemed to be following her. She said nothing about it to her aunt and uncle. They often looked sad because it would soon be a year since their son had died. The fatal accident had happened at Christmastime, and the approaching Christmas season made them remember.
    As Christmas grew near, Aunt Lou began making her annual Christmas goodies for the family and neighbors. She needed extra flour, lard, sugar, and spices for baking cookies, cakes, and pies and for making candy. This meant more frequent trips to the store by Barbara Jane.
    On Christmas Eve, the house was full of wonderful smells, and the family ate heartily from the platter of ham, bowls of steaming vegetables, and special desserts. The family felt particularly blessed because Samuel was beginning to get his strength back. The two little girls were excited about Santa Claus coming, so it was hard to get them to bed. Finally, they wore themselves out and went to sleep.
    â€œBarbara Jane,” announced Aunt Lou, “it's time to get the presents we ordered for the girls.”
    â€œWhere are they?” inquired Barbara Jane, looking toward the closet and then the attic door. “I'll help you fill their stockings and put their presents under the tree.”
    â€œWhy, they're at the store, hon,” said Aunt Lou. “Didn't I tell you? We always leave the presents at Harmon's store until Christmas.”
    â€œWhy on earth do you do that?” asked Barbara Jane.
    â€œMost folks around here do that,” explained Aunt Lou. “There's no place to hide them at home. The Harmons don't mind keeping them so the little folks won't find them before Christmas. They live beside their store and it gives them a chance to visit with their neighbors on Christmas Eve when they come to pick up their purchases. Sometimes, it means an extra sale or two if people need something at the last minute. I filled the lantern for you. All you have to do is run there and back. It won't take long.”
    Barbara Jane felt her heart sink. Uncle Samuel had mentioned at supper that he heard on the radio that snow was coming in. She had not expected to be out tonight, but she couldn't let her little cousins down.
    She put on her coat, scarf, and boots and lit the lantern Aunt Lou had