The mountain Democrat., 1863-09-12

il, can not bear to live except 10 what |
call q gale Of wind. For my part;
should prefer that pretty looking house
at the foot Of the hill, which has quite
enough Of the sea breeze in front, and is
sheltered so well from the northerly winds
behind"
! 81 am surprised to hear you say so.
ma'am," replied the old lady; II you
were in that house, I don't doubt you
woulG soon oe glau TO get out OF IT,
"Wby pray ?" asked the other lady
and myself at the same moment.
"Oh!" she replied, "you are both
strangers here or you would not ask that
question:" then dropping her voice and
looking very solemn, she continued, that
house is haunted, they say"
GOOD heavens! haunted" l ex-
claimed.
{ Haunted! that's delightful!" said
the other lady, laughing, violently. "Of
all things, should like to live in it then;
| it would be so droll to see a ghost"
Droll?" repeated the elder lady, in
tone of grave rebnke ~ do not think
that word applicable to anything which
belongs to the other world"
" DO you believe in ghosts ?" asked the
blackeyed lady Of me, with a gay smile
and a Su; pressed sneer.
Il believe that nothing is impossible
with God" / replied.
"Well," said she. IL would as soon
expect to see these tables and chairs be.
gin to dance about, rs dead people to get
out of their graves to perambulate the
earth; but l should like vastly to see
what the ignorant and superstitious would
call ghost"
"Then ma'am," resumed the old lady,
"if you occupied the house you fancy so
much, you would be very likely to see
one"
felt annoyed at this intelligence, and
dare say turned pale, but the ancient
narrator of the ghost story was purblind
and neither needed this symptom of par
ticular interest on my part, nor the winks
and warning looks of Mrs. Graham who.
being prisoner at whist, could not come
to the rescue, nor succeed in stopping the
old lady rs unlucky communications. She
went on:
In that house fearful deed has been
done, a murder was committed there, and
that worst kind of murder, which leaves
no time for repentance, no hope of for
| giveness. The monster who deprivcs his
fellow being of life may repent of his
crime, and have his guilt washed out in
the blood Of his Redeener but the mis-
guided wretch who lays violent hands on
himself, and takes that life which God
has given him, rushing uncalPd for into
the presence Of his Eternal Judge, what
time has he to breathe one repentant
prayer to the Throne Of Grace What
right to hope for pardon of his guilty
deed? The late owner of that house
committed suicide; it is charity to hope
that his intellect was deranged, but there
is much reason to fear that his conscience
was bad, for he had led anything but a
correct life."
who was he?" asked the young lady.
" A Mr.. Norton, q man Of some proper
ty,although he had squandered the great
er part of his fortune in gambling and ex-
travagance. 1t is said that he had been a
sad profigate in his youth, and had been
quite devoted to pleasure, until series
Of disappointments and notifications dis
gusted him with the world, and changed
! him into amisanthropic recl9se. He was
a middle-aged man when he came here to
live. S. was not then so much fire..
quented as it is now, and only few fam
lilies came here for Sea.bathing occaSinally
in summer. He bought the house and
grounds at the foot of the hill, and built
an addition to the house, and there he
lived in the utmost seclusion. But he
was not quite alone, for two young ladies
lived with him who were said to be his
daughters, though they did not bear his
name. They were of course illegitimatc
children. Two fair, lovely girls they
were, but so dropping and sad-looking. -
They seemed to feel the disgrace of their
birth, and to shun all notice, never even
walking but in the most unfrequented
places. | have heard that their mother
was governcss to his sisters children he
persuaded her to elope with him, and az
terward kept an establishment for her at
a village near London, where he frequent
ly visited her. 1t seems he spared no ex-
pense on the daughters education, but
they were very unhappy, for, after their
mothers death, he took them to reside
with him, and he was to them the most
cruel Of tyrants. His temper was dread.
fol, and it became daily more moroSc and
more violent. No servant would have
remained with him, but for the enormous
ly high wages which he gave. Well, he
had been quite outrageous for some time,
and one night, as our friend there, DR..
Graham, was passing down the lane that
runs almost close to one side of the house,
going on visit to n patient, he was star
tied by seeing n figure all bloody at a
window in Mr.. Norton's house he tho't
it was fancy at first, but the moon was
shining brightly, and on looking atten.
lively he became convinced that he saw
human being covered with blood, and
holding up its hands apparently in sup.
plication to Heaven. He went to the
house, and with much difficulty aroused
the servants. When he described what
he had seen, and at which window the
bloody figure was standing, they said it
was the window of their masters cham.
Der, and that they dared not disturb him /;
but the Doctor insisted that Mr. Norton
might have burst blood vessel, or be i'll
in some way, and that he was determined
to inquire into the matter; SO man.serv-
ant and he proceeded to the room occu-
pied by Mr.. Norton. They knocked
No one answered. AS they stood waiting
at the door they heard deep groan with.
in, so they burst open the door, which
was Locked on the inside; and you may
imagine their horror when they found the
miserable man lying on the floor welter-
ing in his blood, at the foot of the win.
dow + There was = wide cash ia ais
throat, and surgical skill was of no avail.
He expired few moments after. But
should tell you that before he died he ex.