Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-03-01
MISC Ell l. A N Y.
THE HAUNTED HOUSE.
M nARYkrLE DALLAS.

ut HAht ~ Lh pshLs''
am sure IL had known that uncle in.
tended TO buy 9 haunted house ] never
would have promised to be his housekeeper.
No, that believe in such thins', you know :
but somehow. there is something terrible In
the very idea OF distmbodied spirit. and
cannot understand how any one Of uncle''
sense could purchase dwelling which bad
such reputation. People, whose ,craci'y
YOU could not doubt. had known other peo.
PIE. who were church members, Who had
known other people who belonged to the
| fret families who had secn. with their own
eyes. the spirit Of the last owner OF the
property. Who had shot himself. walking
through the empty house and looking out
Of the windows. oh. goodness gracious :
I .hudder ~ I write 1t. OF course they
mus, havo been mistaken but, still. !
would not have moved into that house for
any earthly consideration.
Ny name is Beulah lAurance, and | am
/ at this moment just seventeen years old.
A year ago I finished oa at the - Semin.
AIRY. and went home for good. | had four
flower pieces framed. coald play twelve
wal,Ic, aud four polkas. sing two Italian
songs. and talk french-,o the French
master. | could make .hcll.work. and had
embroidered an o,,olnan.coyer and bead
ard.ba.kci 50 ysu zee. my time had not
bcen wasted. Ani-wcll. please don't tell
any one-i think was pretty. The mu.
sic master told me 80 when be proposed TO
me. OF cour-c ! would no, haSo him
could not bear him bu, then hs must have
thought, | va. god looking, or he would
not have told me ~, you know. Poor fel.
low he .,ld he would shoe, him.cli II | did
no, say yc-, bu. he diin't. he elop"i Tho
next week with anoih~ scholar, whose faith
er was very wealthy. She was very us
. " girl. and OF very disagrecablc di.pO.i.
ton, hope did not dr'v, him To !, by
my refusal. Dear me where an wander.
/ ing TO, must come back ~ the point a,
a, once.
When I lefi school and went home, the
frs, new. which greeted inc "a. ,ha, Uncle
Rlehari-who had been travelling every.
whcr, ever since could rcmembcr-hai
come home. and was about 10 purchase a
house IN New YORK. and .e,lle down quiet.
" Tor the remainder Of his day-.
Thi. surprised me /; but, dear me, when
ma tod me iha, he insisted that | should
live with him, and b. hi. Lousckeeper, ]
wa. perfectly astoni'hsi. I keep house.
and ior such particular man as uncle !
WAS sure could never undertake such q
task. However. ma coaicd me into it
iirs,, by explaining TO the how much easier
IL was to give orders than 20 execute them,
and then by exciting my SYMPATHY ior un-
Gle. who hal no vile or daughter, or any
one but ins 10 live with him, and make lI'
home pleasant. 81, after all. I agreed to
the proposition. and really tel, quite noble
and masnanmou'.
" Poor uncle will sing those pieces
from Norma 10 him." | .ard to myself /;
"anl / n make all sorts Of gl,.piper ba,.
ke,. for his centre table. and embrOiier has
name ON all his pocke,handkerchiei'.
will DO everything 10 make hi. lilo happy,
., sure as my name is Beulah Laurence.
While was thinking thus. uncle arrived.
had no, scen him for years. and was no,
prepared to find him such an old. stern look.
IN: man. began to thiuk ,ha, he would
scarcely care to have hls name embroidered
en- his handkerehief.. or 20 look at the gilt
paper baskets, or to hear the piece. from
=" Norma !" and knew that IL he wanted
mo to read TO him i, would be from some
heavy ,ediou. work-hi',ory, perhap.-and
no, one Of the dear delicious noyels which
had 90 often .mugsled under my pillow,
and read all psh,. q, Madame B.'s school
Still, he was very kind. and took my hand
80 softly. and calle. !. me his little hou.ekeep-
er 10 80 gentle tone. that he quite won
my heart: and was sure, s ! looked into
his strange solemn eyes, that his history
had been a romantic one, and that in hl,
hear, were garnered up memories more
thrilling than even the enhancing pages y!
Bulwsr or Dumas.
had become very quiet and happy. when
suddenly, without preface, Uncle Richard
said.
You will not be afraid TO live in a
haunted house. " al you, Beulah'"
"a haunted house ?" said, inquiring.
'ly.
"Yes a haunted house." laughed uncle.
Z" Ours has that reputation. you must
know"
And then he told Us the whole story OF
the iormer owner. and repeated his que'-
ton.
OF course I laughed. and said that !
should like to see nm uPParition but be-
tween you and |. | was airaii that | should
ieel lonesome at night, no one near mo bu!
the black girl. cr~y. who ~a'goios with
me from home. Not. rs | SAID before that
believed such stories but the blood does
curdle. sometimes. aga,ns, our will and de-
iy the strongest mind in the universe to as'
.srt ,ha, !, Las never suecumbed to mo.
nsn,ary feeling OF surer'ti,'on.
"Of all things" sid to ma. don't
tell Cis.y ,l,a, you have heard any strange
stories about the house, or she will never go
with me, aud what should d. without
l.. 9s