The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-24

also situated ut tue foot OF this lawn, and
the back windows Of these stables look,
ed out on the water. Mrs. X had
several brothers and sisters, oil Of whom
as well q herself, were sui children at
the period Of which she spoke.
One summer evening her parents &C.
cepled an invitation TO take tea with q
friend, aud went out, leaving tho chill
dren Ut play in the library, q room
which opened on the main hall on the
ground floor. The front door was openr
and as il grew dark large hanging lamp
which fully illuminated the hall was
lighted, so that every part OF II, as well
as the staircase, was fully illuminated
Late in the evening the children were dis
turbeu al their play in the library by the
sound OF heavy footsteps ascending the
outer steps and then pacing along the hall.
Imagining that 1t was their parents who
had returned earlier than they expected
they rushed 10 the door 10 greet them,
but TO their establishment they could see
no one, though the heavy steps were still
heard traversiDg the hall, ascending the
staircase, and finally resembling on the
floor of the room overhead. The children
summoned tho servants, who merely
laughed at their story, till one Of the
maids, who had been busy up stairs, came
down and said that her master and mis-
tress must surely have returned, as she
had heard them walking along the entry
and afterward entering one Of the rooms
Upon this, one of the man.serVants went
up stairs and made a careful search, but
without finding any oGe. In the midst
of the excitement the lady and gentleman
of the house returned home, md upon
hearing the story the gentleman himself
Instituted q second and moro vigorous
search, which, like the first, was wholly
without result.
Some time after this the children were
playing under their nurses care on the
lawn at the back OF the house one gray
dismal afternoon in the early autumn.
The attention Of the whole party was sud
denly attracted by the figure Of a man
passing slowly outside Of the stone wall
that stretched along the loot Of tho lawn,
and finally disappeared behind the
stable. As he did so tremendous uproar
arose among the horses in the stable,
and on examination one of them, o re.
markably fine and docile animal, whose
stall happened to DO next the window
that opened on the water, was found 10
be in perfect ecstasy ofterror, plunging,
rearing and struggling to get loose III
manner that rendered the task Of
releasing and removing him anything
but an easy or even q safe one. Alter the
horse was got out Of the stable and led
away, the question arose, What had fright.
eneG him! Could the man they had seen
passing behind the stable have done any
thing 10 terriGy him2 Then, for the first
time, II dawncd on the minds oil the whole
party that no human being could have
walked where they had seen the passing
figure, as the wall rose straight from the
verge of the water, and there was no
pathway between the wall and the stream
which in that spot was deep. though not
very wide. Strange 10 say, the horse
could never be induced 10 rGGntcr that
stable, but always manifested signs oil
wild alarm and excitement when brought
even 10 the door, though in all other res
poets he was perfectly gentle and trac-
table.
Owing to the size OF the family, ono Of
the large garretroOms had been fitted up
as bedroom for one Of the younger boys,
whoiprelerred having chamber Of his
own 10 sharing the apartment oil one oil
his brothers. He had not occupied 1t long
before he began to complain Of frightful
dreams, and moro than once he came
trembling down stairs and took refuge in
his mothers room, terrified by something
horrIble-tchdt, he could not define, but
something that came into his room at
night and reused him from his slumbers.
Thinking that the child was merely ncr-
yous and cxcitable, she changed the ar
rangements, put him TO sleep in the bed
room of one Of his brothers, and gave up
the apartment IN the garnet TO one Of the
servants. Butiin very short time the
complaints were renewed; tho girl could
not sleep on account Of that vague, strange
horror, which often drove her shrieking
and half awakened from her bed. So the
lady had the room dismantled, and used
it as lumber.room, and during the re-
naming years Of her occupancy oil the
house was troubled no more. -
As time passed on, the increasing ex-
igencies Of his growing family induced
Mrs. KS father TO purchase q house
in town, and he accordingly rented his
country.mansion 10 q childless pair, q
clergyman and his wife. The new resi-
dents had not been long installed when a
series Of ghostly disturbances began in
real earnest. l believe that nothing more
was ever seen, but the kitchen at night,
when all the family had retired, would at
times become the scat OF an appalling up.
roar OF inRrticulate voices and clashing
dishes and dragging furniture. II any
one was bold enough 10 venture down
stairs, the noise would suddenly cease,
and the kitchen itself never showed any
trace of these unGarthly revels, every
plate, dish, cup and chair remaining in
the same place. Then, TOO, the footsteps
OF the invisible intruder were heard again
and often while the minister was writing
in his study the steps would DO heard
coming through the door and across the
room, and the unseen visitor would scat
himself In the chair that usually stood OPP
posite TO that oil the Clergyman at the
writing table, when sound as Of the
pages Of a large book with stiff paper
leaves being slowly turned would usually
ensue. The minister often addressed his
invisible companion, but never received
any reply to his questions or his appeals
On hearing these strange stories, Mrs
Ks father determined upon trying tc
trace out the history Of the house before
Il came into his possession, He learned
that 1t had originally been occupied by
the person who built It, man Of low orl
gin, who, being looked upon as pillar o.
ihe church by the congregation 10 which
he belonged, had been intrusted with the
task OF collecting certain sums due oit-
whether actual income or subscriptions ]
do not now recollect. At all events, he
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