The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-09-17
The Haunted Inn.



passes of the Aleghanes, a smutty
faced, leather aproned fellow, was soon
engaged putting his feet in order 10 en-
counter the flinty roads of the noun
tains, when the operation was interrup-
ted in manner here related.
Pardon me, sir" cried middle-a-
ged traveller, riding up to the Smthy,
and throwing himself from his horse,
Just as the shagey-headcd vulcan, hav-
ing taken the heels of my nag in his
lap, was proceeding TO pare Off the hoof,
preparatory to fitting the shoe, which
he had wrought into shape and thrown
upon the black soil beside him: I" Par
don me-" repeated the stranger, raising
his broad brmmed beaver from head
remarkable for what some phrenologists
would term an uncommon development
Of Ideally" revealed by the locks
which parted over a pair Of melancholy
grey eyes; "maiters Of moment make
it most important for me to be dozen
miles hence before nighifall, and you
will place me, sir, under singular obi-
cations. by allowing this good fellow to
attend to my beast Immediately"
The confident, and not ungrace(ul
manner in which the stranger threw
himself upon my courtesy, sufficiently
marked him as a man Of breeding, and
!, of course, complied with his request.
by giving the necessary order to the
blacksmith. His horse was soon put in
travelling trim, and leaping actively into
the saddle, he regalned the highway at
bound checking his course then a
moment, he turned in his siirrups 10
thank me for the slight service | had
rendered him, end giving an address,
which | have now forgotten, he added
that if ever ] should enter - valley,
l might be sure of a most cordial wei
come from the proprietor
An hour afterwards | was pursuing
the same road, aud rapidly approaching
the end of my days journey. The i'm
mediate district through which | was
travelling, had been settled by German,
IN the eir'y days of Pennsylvana-a
scattered community that had been
thrown somewhat in advance of the
more slowly extended settlements. In
popnlousness and fertility it did not com.
pare with the regions on the eastern side
of the mountains; but the immense
stone bars. which though few and far be-
tween, occasionally met the eye, not less
than the language spoken around me,
indicated that the inhabitants were of
the same origin with the ign,riut but
industrious denizens Of the lower coun.
try, One of these stone buildings, an
enormous edllice, stood upon the h;Il
Immediately back of the Woliswald Ho-
tea miserable wooden hovel. where |
was to pass the highland while de-
scendIng the hill in the rear of the vii
lase, | had leisure to observe that il ire
Sen'ed somewhat different appearance
from the other agricultural establish
ments of the kind which had met with
during the day. The massive walls
winch were pierced here and there with
narrow windows, which looked like hooo
holes. and clumsy chimney had been
fitted up by some unskillful mechanic a.
gainst enc of the gables, with prodi,
gallty OF materials which made its lag.
ged old top show like some old turret
IN the growing twilight. The histor,
OF the groiesque mansion, as | subse,
quently learned it, was that of hun,
cred Others scattered over the country
and known generally in the neighbor
hood as " Smith" or "Thompson's fol.
| ly." 1t had been commenced upon an
ambitious scale, by person whose
means were inadequate to its completion
anG had been sacrificed at a public sale
when half finished, in order Ia liquidaie
the claims of the mechanics employed
upon it. After that il had been used as
granery for awhile, and subsequently,
being ruGely completed without any ref.
erence to the original plan, ii had been
occupied as hotel for few years. -
The rulnous inn had, however, for a
long period been abandoned, and now
enjoyed the general reputation in the
neighborhood of being haunted for the
gibbons are always sure TO take biz
house off loadlord's hands, when he
can get no other tenant.
We havt no room pfor mynheer, ;.
said mine host, Peter Scmidtson, laying
his hand on my bride as rode up to
the door of cabaret near this old bull.
ding while three or four wagoners,
smoking their pipes upon bench in
front of the house. gave grun, of con
firmatlon 10 the frank ayowal of Peter.
| was TO old stsger, however to be