New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-24
THE HAUNTED CLOSET.
Prom scriuuer Monthly. for April


surf bathing prescribed for them after d
s,,Kly spring season. And she urged mt to
come 1T 0nre and JOIN them III tuelr new
uuude.
Qu1cr aud ui&-iashioned i!Iueen iuuuu
u-u iuulyl. OF brick and stone EnC timber
each room 81 which had the appearance II
having been built separately, 10y successive
owners, with regard only To pernonhi con
veuience and III open defiance VI al aichl-
tectural rules YET ] liked tins very irregu-
larIty and the odd hooks and corners "nch
were forever Unexpectedly turning up IL
thp most Ilrl,ruUitui. places. The halls were
large and airy and the rooms abunuHntly
supplied with closets, windows, ana duurs-
1i.. latter for the most part, opening upon
broad ,,laZZas Or queer nJtle porohes STUCK
her. and there. like eXcrescences upon tht
walls Very cold ana bleak IL winter, NO
doubt; but for summer residence uehSLt-
full.
Al the back of the main building pro
scted "a sort u long aud narrow wooden
gallery. consisting OF row o. three or
-four small roous-last used, IL appeared, as
stor.roous for grain and vegeta Oies-aL
ppening upon "a covered passagewav con
nec-ing with d brick office winch mad Tor
u.rly stood separate from the mouse.
THESE rooms ana the office were unused 10y
the family, Tor the gallery was not III very
youd repuir. and the office room. Is II was
called was quite too remote TO be deslra ole;
besides. there was plenty OF room IL the
main building.
Yet the first time visited sims little brick
office il Il: once took my fancy. 1t was d
good sized comfortable room, with ire
place Oh one side and queer little TRAN
yu!af closet or cupboard, III a corner. bear
iuc the marks Of books and lnkstalns on lis
shelves There was q door opening into
the gallery, aud another upon d quiet ana
secluded corner OF the garden. out u
sight OF the house and the TWO WINDOWS,
one looking toward the SEA and TIE
other over the large grassy lack yard.
were shaded from the sun by vines and
the long dropping branches u weep
ing willow " nicn cast green shadows and
breathed fresh oders throughout the apart
ment The very place, thought, Tor q
study: 4 charming nook IL winch 10 Aertad-
ing some interesting volume by DAY, or
apulety dreaming 10y night, away from Tue
noise of the children anu Tue screaming u
baby: 50 J d: once chose this little room
for NV owu-a bedroom and study IN one
and, after giving II i thorough purulcaciou
and airing, took possession
Ii proved quite as pheasant as had anti
cipattd Here. awakening III the morning,
! would open the windows and let IL Tie
fresu sea uie-ze. with the fragrance OF the
dewy vim. leaves thai clustered on the walls
without. here, III the suluy noou-uue- !
auzrl or dreamed away the huurs, YIN
upon the little lounge near the wlndow and
,-tancinp from t'ie book II ny hand upward
INTO the deep. Good recesses NJ the wI-I""
branches above; and, when evening c&lut,
] would SIT IL ny EilIe garden door I"uhlng
upon the neglected wilderness u beWtfI
shrubs aud Gtwy flowers. and retUice IL III.
h | r
Thus was sitting. about twilight. ID lew
DAYS after had moved into NY little her
1uitage a. ! called II. The air wac very
still scarce d rustic disturbed Inc praicit'e
of the willow. and The surt ripping 90 the
beach made uut d Tow lnurmuE Suddenly,
III the midst Of TINS siteuce, oecalHt d " al.
of d strange sound near me-a liant unce'-
tain sound, like the whispering q NOtcee ana
rustliug of garments. Fducylug that NY
sister ur the children had playtully stolen
upoE NE ID NV abstraction, looked &sounQ.
but. 70 NV surprise. there was nU one vlsiuit
I, must have been d fancy, Of course,
thought and turned once more 10 my book.
but hardly mao ! done 50 when again
heard the rustliug Of drapery. and what
sounded Ike football upon the t1ooc was
startled a.nd ei1t breathless, starring around
and listening. Once OF twice Z wis repeat
ed and then all was still as before
~ trUtt Lilnt NV AbONN mo W -t-el. '.s'Ai'-
pretended and credited ] must Iiof1n tie
reader that ! v as al tAls time Z wou.au o
four and twenty. had never II my LIE been
II ur nervous. Vfls IL iarthest possible from
pelng superStIIOusiy inclined. aid LAG oe' L
accustomed 10 regard with rIoIcule .aI SO
lies concerning ghosts, gouins, anu Utne' 50
called spiritual manifestations. Such bei,G
The cast i % nnt - pe supposed that tie
Circumstance lust uitrrated Should have
mad am deep or lasting IL prrssIuu Uu ;ut
On tie contrary, though regarding IL AZ Cs,-
taiIIy e,uguiar,I 80 i down dc one uf those
ODD and ti.ellns tuncIre Inch do eouetIiues
puZZIr and b.wiltgr even the most raUUuu
aud. a. such. thought 10 more II i IL liz
TIME.
bat o. tie following day, and again o.,
the next. the mysterious sounds wUicL
have descrIotG were repeated. !, 20 ~
actly as though some persUu O .erSgu-
were occupying the room with nl", muvirlg
with soft tur,eteps and speakluy Ill low
whispers a. # unwilling 10 b- heard Once
!; seemed de though some small article was
dralped upon the t1opr, with metallic
sound dulItd bv carpet, though hey. v az
none il the room; and then ] distinctly dis
.inguiehed d grating MOIST. ~ Of Z kel
turned IN d lock alter winch, iur Ia. rest q
the day, all was quiet
! sad mott hing 10 any ore au"at TEES
noises. though, by TINS time, Was a-lDos
convinced that they were not Tie eftcie 9
my in4 ~ ,n ,h.3r ,.cyrr. nee and to be ;ho,
~, n'1,,r1nn.d of their real existeuct "a
.o,', "0 r'vspIf 10 Laughter and Ri
,."I. Nv tTrf 50 i1nprobatIe . story.
=. ~. -,n, fnrg that | was kept il SCI
peIlse da1 or TWO after, about iou
O'clock il the afternoon, nost ID -1os
TX n,.ui 70" &c., - aId the uindov