The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-10-29
THE HORROR IN THE HOUSE

PART 1.

touch it-feet il, grandpapa!'
NAY | trust not, my dear But come-you
shall have the story. One caution first. Since
have occnp pied this comfortable chair, as sur
prising story teller and Observation-Disclosures
~, have l ever enticed your young magma
lions beyond the limits of reason, and left them
there Have l exacted blind belief in
fairies Have detailed frightful experiences
of my own IL the matter Of conyersabe spec
treS-and then fObbed you off with an after
dinner dream Have not, on the contrary,
been fastidious 10 a fault-nay, sometimes
positively tiresome, in respect OF dates, names,
and even numbers! Don't You, in short, be-
Heve everything l have ever told you -
Every thing-everyt thing - was the reply.
"Except-except,n put in one of the party,"the
monster twelve feet high that you met, after
dark, walking in a back street in Brixton-be-
cause he was too shy to take exercise in the
day-t time
Eyes, yes-except the giant" cherused the
circle.
of you don't believe my giant-my own, my
only giaut-my truest of ALL said grandpapa
sensibly affected, aud hitching his chair lit
tie apart, There is an end of The matter. Car
re my snuff box and the paper"
~ believe him, grandpapa.' squeaked
small agitated voice: sit was only Sophy
that didn't.
NO, no, grandpapa-onIy Sophy!" echoed
the tickle mnlutude, throwing the popular
leader over without further ceremony. I'VE
believe everything you say"
"Humph, We-e-ell," said grandpapa,
grudgiugly accepting the rather liberal con-
cession, and but half-paclfied for his maligned
monster-s'now mark me. You will have to
attend carefully to what | am going to relate.
The circumstances are peculiar, and the string
OF events which form my story, though now
nearly forgotten-except by mo-attracted at
The time an amount OF Interest rarely centre
ing in any occurrence OF domestic lie.
"Now tor the ghoStn
"Y )u have already imagined the dwelling in
which 81 Mysterious Horror would naturally
fxits abode huge grey pile, half-a bandoned
substantial a.
palr-resonant and rotten-buried among old
bowling trees-chimneys choked with jack
daws-undergrcund passage from The beer
cellar filled up, terminus uncertaln-a west
ern cham Der nailed up for fifty years, haunt
ed, murderous, with remarkable stains-the
whole TO be let, with immediate possession, at
five pounds less than nothing, and thanks to
the plucky tenant. Do You recognize the pic
lure, Carrie -
"Yes-yes, beautiful, grandpapa!"
"Uismiss II, Such stereOty PED ghost-nurse-
ries have not brick III common with my man.
sion. No the house l am TO speak of was, and
still is the central one OF pleasant, chez rful,
breezy crescent of forty five sister tenements--
built upon a noble terrace overlooking park
like pleas ure- grounds, shaded with the wal
nut and horse-chestnut, tue poplar and the
pine, and within taste OF the salt-sweet breath
of that blue girdle of dancing waters, over
which our French friends propose, one of
these days, TO skip, in seven minutes and a
half, ana swallow us up, regulars, militia, and
ALL even before our rifleInen can form.
mo. % Gay land Terrace only differed from
the other numbers in being larger and more
commodious. Some years before my first re-
mem brance of The place, IL had passed into the
possession of Mr. ArchboId, "a wealthy mer-
ehaat and ship-owner OF Birkenhead, who
furnished ii in a style of SURPRISING magnifi-
cence, and adopted ii as his regular summer re-
sort. The death, however, OF Il widowed sister,
Mrs. Annesley, who resided with hlm-an
event which occurred in their second season.
gave him distaste to the spot; and placing
10 hpusn n hks ha
OF the nearest agent, The merchant returned to
his usual home. Sumptuous fittings and mod
crate rent insured constant occupation, and
In the seven years thPt succeeded Mr.. Arch
boid's departure. four families in turn inhabit-
ed the mansiop-tWo for a season each, one
for TWO, aud one for three successive years.
All these, especially the lateaa tenant, Mr.. Up
ton, quilted 1t with evident reluctance; that
gentleman even leaving With regret the man
sion which had witnessed The illness and death
of q beloved daughter.
"No. % was vacant when | first took cogni-
zance OF Gayland Terrace, but the notice to let
speedily disappeared-the chimneys smoked
the windows opened-hoWers blushed in the
balcony, while silver voices and laughter be-
1rayed the presence of fairer flowers within
lady, with five daughters, had taken the
house. The name was Calender. The hus-
band and father was captain and part owner
of an East Indiamap, had already realized O.
handsome independence, and was at this time
on his voyage home.
"a brighter group l never saw Mother
and children had all the same clear dark COM
piexion, nlght-black tresses, and brown lumin-
Gus eyes-glpsy- beauty refined-and what can
be loyelier Pleasant voices and silver laugh.
Ter! hear them still, as j hnger with my
hoop beneath their window, waiting inpa-
tientiy Tor my chosen lady of the band-Bud
May. Now there Is q snatch of merry music
as though some one had skipped to the piano
and been presently chased away-a silence a
whisper, and then a shower of rosebuds on nv
mead, ioreteliing Of my saucy May In truth,
y "A of hun ct,il "A
Tor the holidays mamma the leading play
inaIe through some neigh bors, L had got TO
know them and being of a hide-and-see6, bat
tledoor-and- uttIecock age, our acq uaintance
il lew days ripened into intimacy.
Rose, Lily, Violet (they were all named af-
ter howers,) Poppy, and May-eacb of them
was Charming, after her particular manner.
Bud Violet, think, was the greatest favorite;
Bud Rose was the tituIar belle Lilly and Pop
ply were darlings but the real queen of my
affections was, as l have limited, Bud May,
VINO was, besides, the merriest of the band.
An, me, my children! l must 20 out of
the sunshine, and take you with me- If you
WIN be content with sad tale, truly told.
w hat Is mat on your forehead, my sweet
may asked her mamma suddenly one
morning as my fayorite entered, and sat down
May passed her hand across her brow. and
looked up brightly
inc An ats gone" continued her mother, laugh
W nat was 1t, mammal A waspP
"A trown,my love, and such one as never
saG on any forehead yet least of all my MAYS,
es p,ea mrs Calender, with rather puzzled
MAY, on her part looked though,ful and
ho a. troubled, but quickly resumed
-, asuai dsmeanor; and nothing occurred
20 several days, till, one morning Nurse
ta,,s, ner wnne attending en- her mistresss
soie,, heInned and spoke Il beg yeur nardn,.
ma aLi' put nave You noticed Miss MAJ - oh'
N ohced hsri Especially, No. VIM do Won
inquire, nurseP w ~"
She grows Thin, ma'am, that's certain; bpt
hhe eats and drinks, and sleeps and plays as
usual. can't make out that tho dear child ia
ui-yet somehow, she's not herself. For DAYS
together she VIII seem much as usual, then,
again, ali In d moment
"Nurse stopped.
"'What do you meani'
There comes look upon her that makes me
gu''ef SAID nurse, with perceptble tremor
Il never see such thing never did .
bood Heavens, nuPseb exclaimed the
startled mother, recalling the frown al break
fast What can have affected her
lite odd, replied Nurse Goodies; ,but ahe
dsesa,t sasm 10 know IL herself! I wish.
@a'sm. yon would come and lock o! her soms.