The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-10-06


Anstrusher answered warmly that Polly
was decent, sober woman, and wouldn't
for the world, touch anything stronger
than tea.
Weeks passed by, and the household
was not troubled by overturned clothes
horses, displaced plans or mysterious
women, and the story became like
dream, when one morning early, upon
opening his bedroom door, MIR. Anstru-
ther found the housemaid lying outside in
a sort of faiDting fit. After some time,
and many restoratives, the woman was
brought back to her senses, and ineohe-
rently told her tale She had gone down
very late at night to the laundry to bring
up breakfast cap which she knew her
mistress would want next morning, and
heard faint rustling, like the moving Of
clothes. She thought it was the cat,
which might have got hold of one of the
towels, SO she opened the door and went
in; there she saw the shadowy figure of a
tall woman, sun>bonnet on her head,
with long, thin, CHASTITY fingers, and
drearily saying, "Not dry-oh, not dry
they chill-chill-chi me so.'' Then
she moved the horse rapidly and fiercely
nearer the fireplace, overturniug it, and
apparently disappeared under its folds and
clothes.
Mr.. Anstruther went Immediately to
| the laundry and there he found the over
| turned clothes, but not even the ghost of
a woman under them, nor in any corner
of any part of the house, for he searched
very thoroughly, TO quiet the nervous fear
of his wife and of the maids The poor
frightened housemaid irembled all day,
scarcely able TO stand. Mr.. Anstruther
himself had no faith in these spectre
stories, and women are always SO apt to
be nervous and frightened, he said but
that very night, when he and his wife
| were standing by the window, listening to
the swash of the waves on the beach, and
saying how cool and refreshing the sound
was on the heavy August night, the same
| cold, shivering breeze passed over their
faces as on that other night, and husky
voice said slowly: ''Oh l am so cold
so very cold! !" They grasped one
another convulsiveIy, but said nothing,
nor did they speak TO one an other Of
those strange, shivering words, but seemed
by mutual assent to avoid the subject
Perhaps Mr.. Anstruther thought the re-
membrance of them might pass more
quickly from his wife's memory if not
alluded to. Perhaps she thought so.
The next night he went at midnight to
the kitchen, looked carefully and cautious
ly in, and saw-the ghostly form of
woman, almost in the ashes, numerous
'sThey will never heat; Oh never
The bad master; he will kill me. No
dinner, no supper, no fire." Mr.. An
struther rushed suddenly toward the
woman, who, throwing her hands wild
above her head, melted away.
He said nothing of this to any one, and
went again the next night, but saw moths
ing down stairs. He went to bed. Soon
after midnight he was awake, the air of
the room became very chilly, like grave-
yard, and he heard from every corner of
the room a smothered voice, saying, 81
am SO cold oh, so cold 1t is so dark
under the stairs, so damp, take me out,
the cruel master ~ Still Mr. Anstruther
kept a wise silence, thinking that it was
sounds heard in the kitchen, laundry and
through the halls, cold, icy whispers from
the landing by the arched window on the
stairway, SO that the servants refused TO
90 to their work, until the morning was
well advanced, and Mr.. and Mrs. An
struther never stopped, now, on the pleas
ant stairway landing to look through tie
arched window at the moon or the stars,
or to hear the delicious swash of the sea.
She looked pale and frightened all the
time, and The servants nervous and scared.
They staid only for the love of the master
and mistress. As for Mr.. Anstruther, he
was very uneasy, yet hated to yield to
what he considered foolish, weak, super
natural fears still he was exceedingly
uncomfortable.
From the time the ghostly appearances
became almost incessant. At last friend
OF Mr.. Anstruther's came TO visit him,
and they determined to find the ghost, if
such there was. They went every night
at midnight throughout the house; once
they saw the shadowy woman almost IN
the ashes of the kitchen fire, apparently
trying to warm herself; she was blowing
at the dead Goals which seemed to become
only more dead under her cold breath.
Sometimes she seemed to be trying TO dry
the clothes in the laundry, but more fre>
quently they heard signs, and shivers,
and whispers of cold, and the wicked
master, and the cellar stairs.
Z ,Oncesthe face of the w was toward them
when they went into the kitchen. A fear
full cash was Oh one skeleton cheek her
hands were held tightly over her bosom,
as if to bring warmth into it again. Then
the spectre. the groans, the sighs, creased.
excepting from under the stairs, whence
came sounds as if Of one, supplicating, /
sol save me, SO deep SO dark, so damp.
Save me, save!''