The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-09-04
A GHOsT STORY.

Ssss A4NyVZ0e.
a lew years ago lady in quest Of !
summer lodgings for herself, her sister |
snd her children (ber husband being |
absent was offered large, old.fasbion.
ed house in the vicinity Of one of our
sea'hore resorts on highly advantage
GUS terms. Having inspected the
house and found it, though old, in good
repair, 'he engaged it joyfully, and
few weeks after the date of her 6rst ne
gotiatlons shs was settled there with
her family. For some tine uothing oc.
CURED to mar the peace of the house.
hold. The children enjoyed the fresh sea
breezes, their pleasant sports on the
beach, and the large, airy rooms, while
the ladies sewed, and read, and looked
after household matters, aud took long
walks after tho fashion of most people
during the summer season by the sea-
side. One night when the mother
"'' about to retire to rest, one Of ber
younger children, bright little boy,
called to her from bis sleeping room.
Fearing that he was i'll, she hastened
to him. -.':T 81 =,'f<" -
"Mamma," he said very earnestly,
Il wish you would tell that strange
woman to keep out of my room"
. "Hhat strange woman, dear 7" ask
cd his mother, eonvincsd that he had
been dreaming: -
- II don't know her name, ana 1 can't
see her face because she wears biz
sun'bonnet, but she comes and stands
At the foot Of my bed, and she fright
ems me-"
"Wsl1, never mind, dear. Go to
sleep, and if she troubles you again,
come into my room, aud sleep with me"
answered tho mother, still thinking
that the child had been awakened by
an uneasy dream. The little fellow,
thus soothed and consoled, soon fell
asleep, and slept seundly till morning.
But . few nights afterward the child
came running into his mothers room
at dead of night, painting and terrified,
and exclaiming, "Msma! mana! she
has come again !" His mother took
him in her arms, and soon cafessed
away his fears, but thinking that the
ohild's uneasinsss Was caused by his
sleeping alone, she had his bed moved
into her own chamber, and fitted up
the vacant apartment as guest-eham-
bef. Soon after ibis the servants be.
gan to complain Of strange sights and
sounds for which they could not ac-
count, and ono burning July day the
sister, who was seated by the p.rlor
window, happened to eay, "Oh, I am
so warm!" when a voice, seemingly
from the cellar, made answer, "And 1
am so cold p Struck by amazement,
she called but no one replied, aud sub
sequent Investigation proved that there
was no one in the cellar at that mo-
ment, nor could there have been, as
the only door was always kept lock-
ed.
cannot now recall the details of Va.
nous strange occurrences which after.
ward took place, but will pass on to the
final one, which may be considered as
the denouement of the whole story.
The lady of the house, a strong.mind-
ed, practical woman, had always stern
ly rejected tho theory that the odd
incidents that annoyed her had any
supernatural origin; 80, disregardiog
them wholly, she sent an invitation to
an old friend Of hers, a clergyman, to
pay her visit Of some week duration.
Her Invitation was accepted and in due
time her guest arrived, and was put in
possession of the spare bedroom.
Night coming on, tho whole household
retired to rest. Early in tho morning
the active hostess rose to see that all
was in order for tho further entertain.
ment OF her guest, when, on going in
to tho parlor 70 unfasten tho shutters,
what was her amaEsment to find him
there extended on the sofa, and looking
very i'll, ~. though hs had passed .
wretohed aightl In answer to her
anxious questioning he stated that on
retiring to rest he had fallen into 4
profound slumber, from which he sud.
denly. swoke, and saw = woman wear
ing large sun.bonnet, which com.
pletely concealed her face, standing
beside his bed, the moonlight which
shone into the room rendering every
detail of her figure distinctly visible.
Supposiug that she was one Of the ser.
wants who had come to his room to see
that he was perfectly comfortable and
wanted nothing, be spoke to her.
What she replied, Or how he first be.
oame convinced that the Thing before
him was no form Of flesh and blood, 1
cannot now remember !; oae was, that
she told him to look for her in the
cellar !; the other, that he asked her
why. she wore I sun. bonnet, and she
answered, .sBecause the lime has spoilt
my face" At this bic failing senses
| forsook him, and when consciousness
returned his ghostly visitor had disap-
pesrsd. a.. .."<....
The Bank Of England forgers
have been sentenced to penal servitude
for life. If their crime had been com.
united on this side of the Atlantic,
they would have probably given ball