The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1860-12-06
The old House by the Moor
OR,
." THE HAUNTED CHILD.
BY ROGER sTARBrCK.

have covered the sloping roof with
moss, dimmGl. the narrow window
paS1s, 0iid fuSted tile hinges Of the
'crcaking shutters. aou e,7b8t aA.
There is a strange story connect
ed with that old house-a, story
which causes the midnight wander
or to shuQder when lie passes its
gloomy walls. ...'.@
Fifteen years ago, on a dark, stor-
my night i'll winter, a physician
might have been seen hurrying
across the moor, which stretches
its broad, flat surface around the
building. IIewas returning to his
own residence from that of a pa
ticnt which he had left about Il
half an hour previously.
The night was one Of impcntra-
bic gloom. The wind swept howl
ing and shricking over the broad
waste, while the great drops OF
hail, with which it was laden, pat
tered furiously upon the ground
Owing to the intense darkness, the
traveller cosld not distinguish the
walls Of the lone tenement until he
was in y few yards Of them. An
involuntary shuddcr crcpt through
his frame when he found himself
so near to that house which even
then had become the subject Of q
strange gossip among the ignorant
and superatitious. Reports had
been freely circulated that thl
building was haunted. b. .... "
1t had remained untenantc,t fol
four years, when it was rented by {
female Of whom but little VIA,
known, save that she was childlc3s
and evidently u widow. 1t had cx
cited the wonder Of the goSaips tha
y solitary female should dare tC
take up her abode in u dreary ant
dcsolatc house which was said t
be the rendezvous Of ghosts an
yohlips
We have said that the physician
shuddered as lie was passing thit
gloomy abode; but the next mo
mcnt he shook off the vauge feel
ings Of terror which he had invol
unfarily cynericnced and mcntalI,
pronounced himself n fool toollow
inc them TO oct the hettcr Of Iii
scHsn and indomcnt SudIonl,
however he stonncd short Will,
an lev thrill ran tbronoL his wbol,
frame. for he heard issuino from
the building a strange Wild. I'm
earthly shriok-o crv 50 full Of ur
lony and pain that It fairlv curdI@,
the blood in his veins, Twice di,
the sound break upop the car O
the traveller; but the second tim,
it was more faint, and then h,
thought he could distinguish
stran~c rurrlino sound nroceodin,
; from the same direction. It con
tinucd for a few moments, ant
then all was still. save the noise O
the wintrv winds, and the lon,
natter of the hail. For a few mo
mcnts the physician stood like ON,
transfixcd to the spot, then pradu
ally shaking off the terror that ha,
seized him he advanced to the doc
and Knocked. D .;asr1
The summons was rcpeated fou
times ere it met with an answer
!. Then he heard light stems in tn
passage and prcsei,tly the bolts O
the door were drawn back, and i
was opene,l by a female anparcnt
Ily about twenty wears of arc. Sh,
held A lamD in ono hand. and n
the rays fell upon her features the,
revealed countenoncc Of rcmarka
bic beauty and half shaded by curl
Of Golden brown hair She wa
clad in a dressing gown, which wa
now partially concealed by n tlirl
shawl. There were no sicns Of 40
itation unon her face, as, in a ton,
of calm selt.possession She inouirc,
the doctors busincss. 'i"r',
wBev nordon madame " rcnlic,
the n6vsician, "but I heard