The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1870-09-21
A California Ghost Story.
Once upon a time there .tood ,

Q mountain towns, q beautiful cottage, EN-
0 powered in vines and fruit trees. The pro
. prietor's name was William A.. He wa
) carpenter by trade. Having acquired
small fortune by mining; and being o bache
lor. he thought by building a cottage b,
would soon find a young lady who woult
consent to be his wife. and share his hom,
and fortune.
But, alas. like many human hopes. he wal
doomed to disappointment. After finishing
his building. and spending the rest of hi.
little fortune in furnishing the apartments
he found himself without dollar, and be
was compelled to let his abode to a rich
colonel, who. together with his wife and
daughter. was visiting at that time in the
town Of C for the purpose Of recruiting
his health.
am obliged to give short description Of
the cottage, because it is necessary to the
sequel of This story, On entering the cot
tage. the visitor is struck with the exquisite
taste with which the carpenter has fitted up
the interior. A passage ran the entire
length of the cottage. dividing it into two
compartments. the whole passage paneled
and painted in imitation of oak and laurel.
At the farthest end of the passage was an
oval window OF stained glass, about five feet
from the fioo". The cottage contained
parlor, kitchen and dining room, besides
two bedrooms, pantry and washroom.
The only entrance was through the front
door.
The colonel. together with his family and
servant girl, were the only inhabitants of
the cottage. and nothing seemed TO mar the
quietness of the family. Regularly, night
after night. they went 20 bed about nine
o'clock.
They had occupied the cottage about four
weeks. when. at about one O'Clock at night,
the colonel thought he heard low creakine
noise in the passage. Thinking it might be
robbers. the colonel softly opened the bed
room door. He was fearless man. believe
ing in neither ghosts nor hobgoblins. and for
other enemies he had a revolver in hand.
Peering in the darkness of the passage. |
he saw, by the faint light through the win
dow, black shadow seemingly disappear
through the wall. The same creakine was
heard, then everything was quiet.
The next morning. the colonel examined |
every nook and corner of the cottage, but |
discovered no secret outlet. Ho looked at
and tried all the fastenings of the doors and !
but all we're as secure as bolts and |
bars could make them.
The next night the inmates of the Gotta GO |
we're awakenec by the screams of the SER
want girl.
On entering the passage, the colonel found
her lying upon the floor in convulsions.
When becoming quiet. the girl stated. that
10 soon rs she had put things all right in the
kitchen. sue sat down to Tread a newspaper.
After reading a while. she felt very sleepy.
10 she lighted a candle, eytingg.;sd3,sa 666at
.SH, M, W, ~,.Aaa6lh aa6haYpd " S,,,sns on the !
de dashed from her hand. With scream,
,he fell to the floor and lost all conscious
ness.
The colonel found the key of her bedroom
on the floor of the passage. Telling the
girl not to say anything to her neighbors
Shout the affair, at least not until the mys-
tery was cleared up. he sent bis daughter
to sleep with the servant girl.
The rest of that night passed without any
occurrence.
On the following morning the colonel
went to the cabin of the carpenter and told
him about the mysterious noise and the
fright of the servant girl. The carpenter
said he never slept in the cottage, aud,
therefore, he did not know anything about
it.
The colonel returned home, and to quiet
the fears of his family. told them be had
found out the cause of the noise-it was
rats.
Several nights passed, and nothing was
seen nor heard, but on the fifth night. near
twelve O'Clock, the same creaking noise was
| repeated.
The colonel took his revulver in hand and
approached his bedroom door, against which
he mt his ear. He distinctly heard low
.huf7linp sound. as If a person was moving
towards the door. He stepped back few
paces and leveled his revolver at the door
ready to fire. ....
He heard key turned in the lock. and
soon the door opened. and on the threshold
stood the ignre of a man.
The colonel took careful aim and fired
With groan the figure fell backward on
the floor Of the passage.
The scresms of his wife and girls wer'
fearful. but the colonel. with loud voice
stopped their .outcry. Procuring light
the colonel went out into. the passage. and
ON removing a mask from the face Of tn
nrostrate man, he recognised. to bis aston
,nent the features Of the carpenter, Williar
A., his landlord.
ii On examination, it was found that Wi
liam was still alive. The bullet had pene
D trafed the arm, and. a. was afterwards az
Q certained, breaking only one OF the smo''t
9 ~ soon as vImsm wus- --.,-.--r..A. :
Z confessed to the colonel how he had entere
: the house. He said that the washstand in ii
7. kitchen was hung on two concealed hinge
2 a and 40 the back Of the washstand was a pal
: of the actual outside of the huuse, it toe
\ but slight push and would move from j
Q position. leaving an aperture large enoul
: for a man to crawl thro ugh into the kitche
% He had made concealed door merely +
e the purpose of trying if he could constru
= a secret means of egress from the hous
u AS he knew the colonel had a large sum
: money in his bedroom. he had made
!, his mind to rob him. Twice he had enter
e the house, but each time WAS scared ava
= first by the colonel. whom he saw as
d opened the door, and the second time by Il
!! girl.
'f And now, after his third attempt, he r
a ceived Just punishment, and he begged I
e e his knees for mercy.
= The Colonel told the carpenter that. as
- was already punished enough. he would n
n prosecute him for burglary, and the carpe
j. ter. htill ON his knees. thanked for his lenie
cy, and promised that as long as he lived
would never make another attempt at bu
re glary.
ed The next day, the colonel and his fami
ng returned to San Francisco.-Golden Era.
d.
d.
i, A long continued drouth in New Engla
l., recalls the story of minister of New Ham
81. shire. who prayed for rain in this fashio
yh 20. Lord we pray for rain! Not tear
90 driyin' rain, such as harrers up the face