American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-03-30
VOL. NH.

OF my imagination, yet decided 10 wait
to watch for their recurrence, and to be
thoroughly convinced of their real eX
istence before exposing myself to laughter
and ridicule by relating so improbable !;
story.
1t was not long that l was kept in sus
pense. A day or two after, about foul
O'Clock in the afternoon-a most un
ghostlike hour-I was reclining on my
lounge between the door and the window
reading The Woman IN White, then just
out. Suddenly, as l turned leaf, heard
a faint grating sound, as of key, Just
behind me, and then a voice speaking il
a low, indistinct murmur, inexpressibly
hollow and sepulchral
/ did not stir. | arrested the hand
which was about to turn the page, and
holding my breath, listened with deliber
ate eagerness. l would now be certain
that this was no fancy playing me fantas
tic tricks.
For an instant only came the indistinct
murmur, and then silence. The sun
light was streaming down in slender, gold
en- threads through the gently-swaying
branches of the willows; out on the lawn
| saw the gardener at work, and on the
beach heard the merry voices of the chill
dren: l felt courageous. Rising
searched around the room, under the bed
and lounge, and in the triangular cup.
| IL
| a person could be concealed. Not liv-
ing thing was to be seen, and l was about
closing the closet-dOOr when L heard dis
tinctly a low, faint laugh, close in my ear,
and then moaning sigh or groan, which
seemed to die away into infinite distance.
l confess that at this instant my nerves
did fail me, and cold shiver ran curdling
through my veins. 1 hastily closed the
closet door, and, without waiting even to
| snatch aInnp
to the other part of the house.
Should tell my sister and brother-in-
law? No; still shrank from the thought
| of their laughter. Should l return to the
room which appeared haunted by some
invisible presence, and sleep there again
alone? l must confess that l did not like
| the idea; yet what good reason could /
| give for SO suddenly changing my apart
ment? Finally-and the reader will
credit me with the possession of almost
more than feminine courage in so doing
| l resolved to keep silence for the present,
and spend the night, as usual, in my little
office-room.
The first few hours passed away quiet
ly, and 1 was just falling into doze,
when | was aroused by the door of the
corner closet slowly creaking. A faint
moonlight illumined the room sufficiently
| to enable me to perceive that this door
stood ajar, though 1 distinctly recollected
having closed it before retiring. 1t had
neither lock nor bolt by which it could be
secured.
sat up in bed, watching the closet and
looking halffcarfully around the room
and as l looked, with my eyes fixed upon
the halfopen door, heard within jingle
of glasses and phials. 1t was sound not
to be mistaken, and almost at the same
instant voice said near me, in hoarse
whisper:
Bring a light"
/ started up, trembling, and, with a
cold perspiration breaking out on my
forehead, reached for match and the
lamp and tried to strike light, but in
vain. l had but one or two matches left,
and as I dropped the last in despair l
heard the voice which had before spoken
say, slowly and distinctly
'sPoison!"
My first impulse now was to flee from
this haunted room; but, as l arose for
that purpose, feeling such as l had never
before known-a feeling of superstitious
fear and horror-overcame me, and, had
my life depended upon it, 1 could not
have passed that closet and sped through
that long deserted gallery alone. l sank
back upon my pillow and drew the sheets
about my head, and remained thus until
daybreak.
1t was now no longer question with
me as to whether l should or should not
inform my relatives of what had occur
red. 1 told them the whole, and, as
expected, was met with laughter and
badinage.
TRY it yourself !" was all I could
say in answer; and on that night my
brother-in-law, Mr.. Walton, agreed to oc-
cupy the office-room, remaining with my
sister.
"Well, Richard, did you see or hear
anything of Louisa's ghost." inquired my
sister, playfully, on our meeting at the
breakfast-table in the morning.
Il saw nothing" he answered, rather
thoughtfully but really, Emma, it did
appear as though, more than once during
the night, 1 heard some unaccountable
sounds-the turning of key IN lock; a
sort of moaning and sobbing child's
voice, and very distinctly the shutting of
small door, And this last sound" he
added, decidedly, certainly came from
the closet or cupboard in the corner of
the room"
Emma opened her eyes and looked
frightened.
"Good gracious, Richard! you don't
really think that you heard these sounds
in that room, with no one there but your
self"
at is very unaccountable at present, 1
| admit; but you know that l do not be-
lieve in the supernatural. We must ex-
anime more fully into this matter"
For some days he kept sole possession
of the room, reporting once or twice that
he had again heard the mysterious noises,
and in especial the grating of rusty key,
as in the lock of the corner cupboard,
was very distinctly audible. Three times,
he said, he had heard this sound,
and yet, as we all knew, there
was neither lock nor key to the closet
there. He had examined all the doors
| and windows, had searched the whole
room infinitely, but without discovering
the slightest clew to the mystery There
was no room adjoining, no cellar below or
garnet above whence the sounds could
have proceeded, and the whole thing was
most singular and unaccountable And
once he even hesitatingly suggested,
Could it be possible, after ALL that there
were in reality such things as spiritual
manifestations? My own mind echoed
the inquiry.
/ Our nearest neighbor was a farmer
who lived about a mile distant, and of
| himself and his wife we made inquiries
in regard to the former occupants of the
house.
1t had for twenty years within his
memory, Mr.. Grover said, belonged to a
small planter, an illiterate but good sort
of man, who had finally sold out in lots
and purchased better place farther
south. Then the house, with IA part of
the land adjoining, had been taken by an
Englishman, who was known as Doctor
Mather and was understood to be a very
learned man and n writer. Mr..