Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-01-30
For the Gazette
The Old Haunted Castle.

Situated ON n hill about Il quarter OF n mile |
from town was the Old Castle, which every one
believed 10 be haunted; no Que dared TO enter
there after five o'clock in the evening until eight
O'Clock in the morning. After these hours any
one might go and see 1t, the doors were alway
open. Ii was very curious old place, doors
oroned IN all directions; and one that was not
acquainted with it would be in great danger OF
getting lost. Tie house had been this way So
long that no one thought anything OF seeing
lights or strange figures at any time OF night.
Just beyond this place was large school, and
the children sometimes passed through the Castle
as they,were returning home from school. One
night as they were passing through, the larger
| ones taking The lead, TWO OF the children got lost
| from the rest, and were unable to find their way
| ont. They were not missed by the Others who
passed on from room 10 room and came 10 a
broad open space where, upon Large platform
covered with handsome carpet, was some beauti-
fn chalrssanfh two black sofsss; reclining upon
| one OF the sofas was something which had rhe
appearance OF stuffed iisure. and Just as one OF
the larger OF the party was going TO tell what II
was for and why 1t was there. they heard noise
| which sounded like eight horses would make go
| ing over bridge at one time, at which noise
they all started oil as fast as they could go, now
knowing that it was past the time tor visitors at
| the old Castle
When they got a sufficient distance from the
! house to think they were out OF danger they
| missed the two children, but they dared not go
ilack and hunt for them, SO they haaened oil to
the town and told their grandparents, who were
| so superstitious that they would not 20 even for
| their children until alter eight o'clock the next
morning. The children IN tue meantime were III
that Ola Castle alone, almost enough in the idea
10 Tighten any one to death. Night was fast OPP
preaching, aud they would be obliged to stay
there all night without any supper.
The children, whose names were Warren and
Maudepa, wondered what they should do they
were afraid to hunt their way out for fear OF meet
ing some OF those horrid chests, of which they
had so often heard.
| "Maudena,p said Warren, 4" let us get behind
that door and hide, perhaps the CHESTS will not
find us there"
every well,' whispered Maudona
So they both walked silently across the aoor
and hid behind the door, which was near chim
ney. Warren twelve and Maudena was ten
, years old; they were cousins; both lived With
, tse,r grandmother, they were orphans. They
bad not been there long when two men came in
! one carrying lamp, the other following will
writing material; the former put the lamp on
g, shelf, and then they both seated themselves on
bench. Maudena had fallen asleep, but Warrer
watched the two men, whom he saw were no
gkosts, or at least not dressed ghosts haC
been described to him. In the position he wa
sitting he had tall view OF them while the.
could not sec him.
| 1t entered Warren's mind that perhaps thes
? men might be CounteTfeiteis; he had otirn hear
and read of places that supposed to be harnt
ed and afterwards turned out to De inhabited b
| Counterfeiters He listened to the mems CONVEX
sation attentiyely, of them seemed to Elv
just come from foreign country. In stenin
IS Warren obtained tue information that they wer
d no less than he supposed, counterfeers, and thG
their chief place was 10 less than the old haunte
Castle, III which thcy now were, and that tn
stranger had heen passing great deal OF couptc
felt money in Sew \ orR, AMI had been found or
IS but had come home, to the Old Castle, without b'
. ing caught He had also been TO oher large citit
aud had got along finely until now. Warren no
knew that the Old Castle was not haunted. Abol
IL o'clock the men lett the room, and Ware
thought that he could sleep now without his hiC
ing place being discovered. When the school be
rang the next morning, for half past eight, Wa
reu thought /. would be safe Tor Them to 60 hom
IN they b. II artsc very tired and hungry, aud Wei
et a little doubtful whe ther they could md the
,e way out, bnt they did without any trouble, an
n | went home, Those counterfeiters had bee
m through many cities exchanging money, and ha
Is been found out, advertised and watched for, b
or had always escaped Warren had often heard ar
IN read OF the large rewards that offered to
one who would hnd them; now, thought he, CD
y | eughten them He was not long in doing th
n, = Some received the tdngs as iancies, but oths
Ie thought they would try 10 find them so they g
nc large number of men to watch for them. A
ne cordlngly, one night, they set watch for thel
he The counIerfeiters we're caught and sentenced
lie The Old Castle was set on fire, Tor there W
no other way of destroying the secret places whi
mt had been made by those men.
~ Warren and MIuicna weIe fully rewarded
H. staying one night III
ic-l THE OLD HAUNTED CASTLE.
us Claymont, January, 1874.