Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-25
HORROR AT THE OLD STONE
HOUSE.


From the New Orleans Picayune.
There is an old stone house fal
back in the old Faubourg Marigny
with ruined gables and moss-coY-
cred roof The wild vines creeE
up the gray walls, and the mildeW
clings to the arches. The soft twi-
light gathers round the pillars and
arcades, while the summer night
wind nestles among the clinging
ivy. Long-ago memories blend
with the legend that haunts the
place. Silent and still the old
house stands, a relic of other
times. Its glory and magnifcenee
have fled; the feet of the spoiler
have trampled down its splendors,
but even in decay it showed how
grand it once had been.
Now, as the moonbeams gleam
around its quaint mosaics, lighting
up ITS sculptured arches and broken
statuary, mOurnful beauty fingers
on the scene. 1t was such a night
as this, not many years ago, that
the horror was revealed that made
1t desolate. 1t was then the resi-
dence of merchant, who had DUR
chased it from the last defendant of
the Spanish founders. He had not
disturbed the old furniture nor dis
placed the adornments of the grand
old rooms. AS he found it, so had
the house remained. The super
stitiOns of the place were even re-
spected, and the closed room far
back in the wing of the mansion
endured no intrusion. The old
servants looked upon this room
with a nameless dread; why, they
could scarcely tell-but it was
haunted. From children they had
grown up to look upon it with
horror. Generations had passed
away since the room was closed,
but the legend that chung to it was
fresh in their memories and the
fears il had created were still vivid.
1t was said that many years ago
an old Spaniard had condemned his
beautiful daughter to imprison.
ment in that cellrlike vault, and
that she had died there of want.
Often the old servants said of
stormy nights, when the winds
screamed through the ruined ga
bles and the broken arches, a young
girls cries for help, mingled with
the echoes of the storm, and the
means of one in distress, were
sometimes heard in the silent cor
ridors. 1t was said, too, that in |
that room were stored the Jewels
and wealth of a bucaneer; but if |
this were so, no treasure could be
moro securely guarded. The story
of the haunted room kept far away
intrusive footsteps and prying eyes.
So time went on and the mildew
gathered on the crusted marbles
and the graceful arches Of the old
stone house. Silent and still re-
NAMED the darkened room, and the
old legend became q tale told with
trembling lips and superstitious
awe.
But timein its fight had brought
a change to its inhabitants. A few
years ago new claimants of the
property appeared upon the scene.
The father of the last owner had
two sons. The eldest had died in
Spain; the youngest succeeded to
the estate, and being wild and reck-
less soon squandered his revenues,
and at last sold it to the merchant
who resided in it. But before the
fathers death he made a will. He
never believed his eldest son was
dead To him the old stone house
was left. In case his death withS
out heirs was proved, then it de-
scended to his younger son. These
new claimants were the son and
daughter of the exiled heir. Al
though the will was probated and
its provisions understood, there yet
remained some papers necessary to
establish their identity. These
papers could nowhere be found.
Many claimed that none such ex-
listed, and laughed to scorn the pre-.
tensions of the young people who
had crossed the sea To claim the
dead heirs Inheritance. Suit had
been commenced and the day of
trial was approaching. For many
months we had been employed i'll
looking up evidence and searching
the records of the family. We were
not lawyers, it is true-only de-
tectives; but we felt vivid inter
est in the case, and when we were
sent for to assist in the search our
whole hearts were given to the work.
1t was evident the papers sought
for once had an existence. But had
they been destro yed / thought
not. There were many secret re-
cesses in the old building, and in
one of them | felt sure the papers
had been placed. We had acted
on this supposition, and had ran
sacked the old mansion high and
low-all but the haunted room.
And now we determined to search
there. -....-.-...
/ confess q strange uneasiness
as | approached the door. What
it was feared it would have been
difficult to explain. l had heard
the old legend often repeated, and
it is possible some trace of super
stition is yet in my nature. But L
did not let it Interfere with the
work | had in hand.
The door was forced open. At
the sight that met our eyes the
strongest frame trembled The
room was in wild disorder. The
dust of century covered the walls,
and a green mould had settled on
the furniture. The carpet crumbled
like dust beneath our feet. The
room had been library, and worm
eaten books, dusty and mouldy,
showed through the glass cases
But that which most appalled, us
was a human skeleton, stretched on
the floor. Jewels. glittered on the
feshless arms and a cluster of bril-
liants famed on, the bony finger
A mass of dark brown hair lay in
a heap on the floor, and q sapphire