Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-07-18
THE HAUNTED HOUSE.

"Only one passenger by the omnibus, said
the landlady of the Green Dragon as she turned
away from the window whore she had been
watching the vehicle that piled TO and from the
railroad, six miles OH.
ONLY one passenger-a tall, fresh looking girl,
with glossy black hair, and eye of liquid hazel.
Marian Ashley was pretty, in the real blooming
English style, and she WAS very self-possessed
witbal. a. she entered the little inn parlor.
"Can YOU furnish me with conveyance to
uoreton Grange :" she asked OF the landlady,
who hustled forward to meet her,
"To-night, Miss z"
'Yes, tonight"
..rhen YOU must be the young lady that is
coming as companion to Mrs Moreton Z
asked the hostess, with spice OF the curiosity
inherited from Mother Eve.
II am" said Marian, as independently as If
she waa Au helress. =,
"Its long drive, MISS said Mrs, Ducey,
.anl you'd better take a bit of supper while
Toms harneHsng the horses"
So Marian sat down to wait; and Mrs, Ducey
eyed her in a sidewise fashion as she spread the
table coyer.
.She's n nice looking gal,n thought Mrs Du-
cey. Mrs. Ducey was right. Marian looked like
Il
wiih the coronal of her jetty locks wreathed
about her marble fair brow.
Marian Ashley was thinking too-she wat
wondering hoW this new experiment OF hers, u
earn her own living, would end. She was slcl
mt heart of the bread of dependeI ; yet, just
now she felt bewildcred and strange, like {
child lost in the woods. The only clue she hae
to follow was brief advertisement in the news
papers, and that had led her hither
She turned suddenly to Mrs. Ducey, as tina
4 a. apl1 fntxfl NtT
said
is Moreton Grange very far away
-Four miles, Miss.
sit must be very lonely"
aIrs. Dncey shook her mead.
~ would not like to live there that's all Iy
got to say"
thrill of apprehension ran thro' Mariani
nerves.
why not?'
"Weil, Miss--there's no accounting for sucl
things but people do tell strange stories abou
the Grange being haunted"
"Hanntedl' Marian's clear, bell-like laug
rang through the room with all indescrlbable ac
cent of relief. What nonsense As il any on
in the possession of their senses should credi
such an idea"
supper is really, MISS said the landlady
pnmly.
The Grange, as Marian Ashley first saw it b
the light of faint spring moon, was glarln
red brick house, its northern end draped with iv.
conner "a fair pallid old lady, with silvery curl
and dress of pearl gray silk.
81 AN glad to see you, my dear" she said
''you must have had dreary ride" And Marif
Ashley knew that she should love her employe
1t was all 30 new and strange there. III
wide hall, with strips of Persian carpeting la
along their echoing corridors, where weird fac
stared down ut her from old family portraits I'll
light streaming down from stained glass cas-
ments and ollels, seeming to bar the floors wi
trp11 and Wiz ar xrbi
all the dWellers in the roomy mansion, exec
the servants, were Mrs. Moreton her son Ad,
bert, and herself
Adelbert Moreton The name was like
Knight OF romance, and 80 was its ownt
Mar!ans heart throbbed with singular sensati
az she ventured once or twice to CLAN
BILE.
81 nope you like your room Miss, said the
honse-keeper, as she glanced around the apa
ment
ut il beautiful room," said Marian
1t is large enough for half DOZEN
The whole house is large"
Tell me-" said Marian, drawing closes to
old woman, what is it hear about this hol
beng haunted ~
Mrs. Brett smiled.
People will talk, Miss" she said, "and it's
Use to try to stop em. And the truth is, straI
things have happened i'll this house, althou
II haunted by nothing worse than sad men
~
place. Master Adelbert is the last and young
oi three as noble boys as ever made an old pl
glad"
And what has become of the others ?"
The eldest is dead" Mrs. Brett answered
Whisper. "He hes in bloody grave, stricl
down by the hand of his brother, in sud-
Ill OF passion. Poor MIR. Hugh he fled
country to escape from justice, and died
France 1t nearly killed my mistress. an
Hush there's her bell now, and must CO."
And with hurried adiau. the old lOuSekee
fastened away
SO this was the history of Moreton Graz
Marian Ashley shuddered as she sat alone by
iiI9 tancylng the cry of n murdered man in
ely sigh Of the wind, and seeing the tuttei
shostly garments in the shadows that lurke'
tie end of tile huge room.
Yet, AZ the days went by the old Grange
sumed home-like look to her. Mrs More
was all gentle sweetness, and Adelberts CHI
nc kindness endeared him inexpressibly to
solitary girl She began to feel that she
found refuge. Butt was not destined to
dure for long
She was sitting at her window one moonl
night IN July, long after the family had rel
10 rest, when something white and spe
GUIDED across the luminous space on the
Moreton
She starts up with slight scream, and br
Nor lace IN the draperies in the window.
The ghostl" she gasped, almost maud
tho ghohtm
Nor did she rest until she had taken re
IN Mrs. Moreton's room.
The old lady listened to her tale in trem
silence
MY dear said she, "you are mistaken.
dwellers Of another world are never allow
come back to haunt this. You were aisle
you dreamed unconciously |" "Dear Mrs.
ton" persisted Marian, ~ was as wide a
as am now. l tell you saw it with my
open. 1t was tall and white and oh, how
She shuddered as she spoke Mrs. Mo-
toothed, explained, coaxed, but in vain.
ian would not even go back to her own
alone. so bad had been the shock.
II will go with you, my DEAR" said the o
dy at length.
She arose, threw on light flannel Dire