Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1860-11-07
EDRNSBURG. PA. WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER I. 1860.
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE HAUNTED HOUSE:
Or,
THE SECRET PANEL,
BY a. Z. GREY.

| had just returned from boarding. school
to my native village of s., in England
congratulating myself on the prospect OF
roaming once more beneath its shady trees,
and resting under the time-worn roof of the
old family mansion. My mother had died in
my ohildheod, and / was left to the care OF
my father.>76.ao paid very little attention tc
me, 1ptil my thirteenth year, when | was
sent of to Nine Loncnd's school, some three
hundred miles from home Tt was very sell
dom that heard from our village; indeed. q
| letter was strange thing to me, and if by
chance L received one from my father. and
opened it, expecting 70 realize rich feast out
of It's contents, [ found it filed up with such
! sentences rs these: "Be q good Girl. and
learn your lessons" and ''Be careful aud not
make a fool of yourself among the we'll edu-
Gated girls who attend with you" Not one
! word of kindness or love.
l never returned home during the holidays;
SO when | first caught sight of my birth place,
after leaving school, was seventeen years OF
age; fearless girl. possessing but little beau
| ty. but. ] must say, good education.
Oh how every thing was changed at home.
The old house had been partly torn down and
rebuilt, and the old tree that used TO stand
| by the side of the house. and shelter nv little
room from the glare Of the sun, had been cut
down, and either conveyed away or burnt for
fre-wood. The grounds had been renovated;
anG lawn laid ont before the house; and
what was the cause OF all this change? 7
soon found out, my father had married during
my absence.
His second partner was widow of some
personal beouty, not quite past the meridian
! of life, possessing no property whatever.
She had come to the village some two years
after | had left, bearing upon her person her
credentials of widowhood in the shape of
black dress and shawl; also a bonnet and
very long veil of the same sombre hue. |
know nothing Of the courtship or cause of my
father uniting himself to strange woman,
but l DO know that found her installed with
IN my fathers house, and that had step
mother. She welcomed me very coldly, and
l was not backward in following suit.
My father greeted me more cordially than
l had expected. He looked haggard and care
worn. What was the matter? Had he
failed ia busincss?" L asked, with solicitudc,
Ghough knew the latter was almost impos-
sibIe, as he was possessed of some means, and
never speculated.) Before he had time to
answer, my stepmother spoke: ''Ol be has
been very unwell, for some days, with Sc
we're cold" After talking awhile longer l
arose and went out upon the lawn. l then
walked q few steps down upon the shrubber-
les. where L observed Al old man at work,
whom | thought recognized as q man Of all
work, who used to be about the place when L
left home / had not forgotten his name, SO
called to him:
''Peterl Peter!" Tho old man turned
slowly around. ''Don't you know me? l
am little Alice" said l.
He gazed upon me for I few moments, and
then be stretched out his brown and withered
hands, and grasping mine, he said:
Eyes, indeed, thou art little Alice, who
used to play around the grounds some four
years ago, if | mistake me not. Thou art
ike thy mother" Here tear-drop fell from
the old mans eyes upon the grass.
Did you ever see my mother| / asked.
Eyes, yes; she was too good for this world;
but yet her spirit does not rest
What do you meanP questioned /.
The old man said not word, but taking
me by the hand, he led me around the side of
the mansion which had been inhabited by my
mother when alive, but which was now and
had been shut up for some time, and pointing
up to the windows, which were closed, he
said, in trembling voice:
at those windows, every night, at eleven
o'clock, a glimmering light appears al the
middle window. Do you see 1t thereF
Great heavens, it was the very room IN
which my mother breathed her last; had
often thought of its gloomy hangings and the
large panels set within the walls, for our house
was of ancient build Evening was drawing
to close, so I bado the old man good night,
with my mind made up but to one purpose,
which was to spend the night in the room
where my mother died.
[ was bold girl, unlike many others OF
my sex; had never known fear, at least the
fear of ghosts, spectre lights. &c, &c. In
fact, I considered these things an egrigeous
humbug.
/ crossed the lawn and entered the house,
and was soon seated at the tea table. where l
broached the subject. and asked them to pre-
pare the room, my stepmother demurred q
little, but at last seeing that was bent upon
having my own way, she consented. Ny
father said nothing, which did not surprise
mo, as he was always taciturn. Bed time
came, took in Ely hand candle and pro-
ceeded slowly up stairs and entered the
ROOM bright fire was burning in the CRATE,
and as it cast its bright rays upon the black
hangings Of the bed and furniture, it would
seem to disordered imagination, as If q
thousand demons were dancing within the
chamber.
1 laid down upon the bed without disrObing
aud before l knew it. / was locked in slum-
Der.
was awakened by the noise of footsteps
in the room; lay es still as..death; could it
be possible. thought 20 myself can it be
true? does the spirit of my dear mother visit
the earth; q faintness came oyer ne, bat With