, 1873-08-03

ncroaa tho room, md tho unaoon visitor would
Hen! hin,aolf in tt,o cl,nlr TINT usually stood op-
p9sIso to TINT Of t9 clergyman E m at tho 70 wrg
book with ntif paper leaves bos11g slowly turned
would '1Bually o,ianc. The 1nlnlHtor often nd.
droBaol Ibis invisible companion, but novor re-
coivsd nny reply 10 his 1uoBtions or nppeala
On ilenring theeo strange ntoros, Mrs. X-'s
fnthor determined upon trying to traco out tho
history Of tlo llouBo boforo It canc into ls poB-
session. Ho loaruod tint It had originally beon
low origin, who, being looked upon An pillar Of
tho Chnrcfl by the congregation to which he be-
longo1, intl boon entrusted witt, te task of col.
locting certain alms duo to it,-whethor acthal
income or subscriptions I do not now rocollect:
At all ovonta he never pRid over tho money, put
launched out into Blntlry oxtravagancos rather
unusual for Il nlan In hiB ntation Of life, amongst
which waB the erection Of this largo md hand
finished u blight sootacd to full upon Ills lie.
1io gavo mp oil ha religious and regular habits,
freqnentod OWL company, took to drinking, Atu |
finally, In ct Of taelirium trcmollst |
HANGED nIMsELr
In tho very garrot-room Of which 1nvo before
snokon, Tjo nconca at hfn funeral wore nnil to
bai1lo description. The corpao WAS lnid out in
tho kitohnn, md thither All Ills lato boon-coui.
panionH required anil turned tho sad ceremonial
Into hideous orgy. Among. otllor horrible
declB, they took tIo corpse from tho coffin,
rrorpod i lip iii chair, and poured whisky
| down Its throat.
Tho Incidents which llavo related happened
when Mrs. x was Child. md she Is now IN
| tito primo of womanhond. Whom eho finished
| hor story rccolloctca TINT scarce YoAr ago !
had road In a Philadelphia paper an extract
from ono OF tho journa!a Of the town
near which this house, stood, giving an
account Of an investigation which WAS
then taking p!nco Of the calso Of a,ntlry strange
disturbances occurring IN this very houae. rho
extract closed with tho history Of itb builder and
| llryt occupant tallyng exactly With what Bho re-
latod to mo, though with fowor details. SO, a.
tor nil theso yours, tho porturbod spirit REFUSES
| to rest.
Tho narrative with which shall conclude this
| chapter of ghuBtly experiences is ono for tho
| truth Of which am not prepared to vouch, ae I
VAS nelthor an actor in Ito scenes, nor Uas 1t re-
latol to mo by Quo WHO WaB. Yot woro the incl
dents of my other than q supernatural nature, I
Should conBittor tho authority from which I
| learnod thom aB unqucstonablo.
| A few ycaraago lady III quest Of summer lodg-
iuga forheraolf, hor Blatcr md hor children (,er
husband being abBont) was offered large, old
fashioned house in tho vicinity Of ono Of our sen
rhoro rosorts on highly advantageous terms. Hay-
iii good repair, sho ongagod it joyfully, and d
few woeks after tho dato Of her first negotiations
sho was Hottlod there with Aor family. For
eome tiule nothing occurred to mar tho ponce Of
soa-breozes, their pleasant sports on tho beach,
aud tho large airy rooms, whilo tho ladlea
:. sowod, and road, aud looked aftor household
mpttors, and took, long walks, after tho
|
Bon by tho eoas1o. Ono night, when the mother
WIS about to retro to roHt, ono Of hor younger
childro1l, a bright little boy, callod to hor from
his slcopinx-room. Fearing that ho was ILL., she
=" s1anma,' y ho aald, yory earnestly, II wish
you would tell
THAT STRANGE WOMAN
to koep out Of my roo1n."
HWlat woman, dear?" asked his mothor,
convinced that lie had been dreaming.
II don't know ller name. and can't BOO her
faco, because gho wenrB = big au,a-bonnot, but
sho comes and stands at the foot OF my bod, and
Bho frightenH me-"
"Well, noyor mind, doar. Go to sloop, and II
over sho troubles you again, como into my room,
and sleep with mo-" answered tho mother, still
thinking that tho child had been awakened by ar
and consoled, soon foil asleep, and slept sonndly
till morning. But d fcw nights afterward thc
child came running into bis mothor'e room at
dead Of night painting and terrified lie and ao': OK.
) agaiul" Ills mothor took him into her ar1nH,
and soon caressed away his fears, but, thinking
} that the chiid's uneasinoss WIS caused BY his
sleeping alono she Ind his bed moved into hol
mont AZ q guost-chambor: soon after this, tue
| servants begnn to complain of strange Bightt
! and sounds for which they cou11 not account
and ono burning July dny tho sister, who wa'
Bcatod by the parlor wil.dow, happened to say
"Oh, a1n 30 warm!" when voice,
> aEEM1Na1.y FROM THE CELLAR,
made anBwct, "And am SO coldln 6tr,1cl
! with amazement, Hlo called, but no ono replied
? was no one in tho collar ut that moment, no
: : could there have boou, aa its only door va
always kept lockod.
! / oannot now recall tho details Of varion
: strange occurrences which afterward took place
= but will pnss on to tho final one, which usay b
- considered ss tl1o donouolnent Of tho whole sto
ry. The lady Of tho house, q strong-mindod
:, practical woman, had always atornIy rejected th
131 s4,o$S ftnt In
: had any supernatural origin; 30, disregard
! tiiS tioSn 'nfA to ' an old '4S frieni Of her: hers
sos ss,s%sSn sesSs du1aodp to pyu uor hSf nvtaon via
8 accepted, and in duo timo her gueat arrived mi
I was put in possession Of the spare bed-room
. Night coming On, the whole household rctire
= to roat. Early in the morning the active hostos
y y entertainment OF her guest, whom gu going nv
Q Whist was her amazomont to find him ther
T. extended on the sofa, and looking worry i'll, .
though lie had passed o wretchcd night! I
anHwer to hor anxious questioning le stated tia
x on retiring to rost he bud fallen into profoun
= elumber, from which ho suddenly woke, and ea1
eoav ~eaFnG hoF a1sG ee ses e
y lA bed, thomoonlight which shone into tho rool
y rendering cyory detail Of her figure distinotl
u visible. Surprising that she was one OF tho se'
u wants, who had COMO to his room to 500 that h
!; was perfectly comfortable md wanted nothing
u ho spoke to her. What sho replied, or how Ii
~ ~ first became. convinced that the Thing befoE
80 him was no form Of flesh and Blood I cannt
! now romembcr; but Irecollect two particulars
10 tho Interview ono WAS. that hlo told him
Is look for her in tho cellar; the othor, that h
~ asked her why sllo wore u eMn~bonnot, and eh
y =, answered, "Decauao the limo haa spoilt III
"a face" At this hts failing senHes forsook hin
10 10 aud whom consciousness returned Ills ghostl
VI visitor had Disappeared.
4o His hostoaB heard him in silence. Aa soon I