The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-11-05

gazing info the raa's a. iuieally 80 noe
old fg'ks.
Now when people gaze long u lhe dy
during Christians tide. especially when
lhe wiod is bowling down the chimney
as il was that night, they often hHhiuk
themselves az ghost stories. And so it
happened that grandfather Dexter was
prevailed upon, osiensibly much against
biz will, but really 90 the old geullemsn's
Inward delight, TO tcll q story aboul the
old place.
The lamps were draightway turned
down by the young men. ana ,ho ruddy
dreIight now master Of The situation
glowod and danced over the Interested
faces Of the three cousins, and made
mockery of Aunt Miyanda's primness by
shadoUiug her a. a leaping harlequin on
the opposite wall. Fer a full hour, since
grandhther's stories were Of The inter-
miusb'o sort, nothing was teard la the
room save the old geuteman's cracked
aud mouot1nous voice, the snapng Of
the logs. aud On occasional snote from
! Dexter pere.
The story was fnll of borrors,as it wa
T graudtaiEef's delight to make lis tales
a goyerness, during the revolution, had
been strangled by getting her neck be-
tween a door, which was brula.ly push
ed to and held there by an intoxicated
British dragoon, The poor woman, it
appeared, had ever since retained the
habit or walking about the houle at the
conventional hour, during holid,y nights
( especially. Moreover, she was not an
ordinary, harmless ghost, with lrocliyly
aud power 10 Tighten only. she was
( full strong endowed with super
humad muscle, and, worse lhat an, a
dire disposition 10 ,trangle with scr blue
and b0uy fingers all men whom he fell
! in with during her prowlngs. Being
evidently possessed, as grandfather ex-
( planned, with a natural desire to nete out
! the lex taliouis on some member OF the
sex by which she had been 50 batbarous-
I w choked. Moreover, grandfather
affirmed that she had once wished him
when he was q young man, that des-
perale struggle had ensued, that ho was
just despairing, when a fortunate cock
crow sent the ghostly old bedlanile up
the chimney, aud left him alive, indeed,
with but half broken neck. IN proof
Of this grandfather called attention to his
throat, which was certainly mcomely
enough 10 prove its having beel wrung
| by ghost In farther corroboration,
! the mysterious death Of coachnan Jones
in '73, was cited, the poor fellow having
/ been found dead in his bed In he attic,
with terrible blue bruises all down his
| throat. However, the ghosl was not yet
saliated, grandfather explained, in order
TO preclude any feeling OF relief on the
/ put of Ills listeners at the eoachman's 's
death Sne han disappeatcu Tor many
years twas true; but had Of late been
seen by the gardener. Aud as for his
part, grandfather was sure be had heard
her the night before, crawling down the
garret stairs. Here he paused and rub
! bed his neck omiuousiy.
Is that all? exclaimed Dick. Well,
/ IN allow that story might have scared
the wits out Of me when | was a boy,
grandfather; but now, bah! It's only
amusing. What say you, pretty Kate
there, so intent on those Goals? And
Tom? Why, look at Tom, he looks as
sad as though the old hobgoblin had him
by the throat at this very moment
Well, said Kate, slowly, and patting
the fender with her little feet, I'm glad
that I'm woman, and free from the
Old goyeucss's grudgo. I've heard that
story before Mats told il TO me half d
dozen times.
Here Tom stretched himself looking
intcuuy at the hte, aud grumbled out,
wish / had pipe.
II the dragoon had never smoked
,,.,'..-... ..,3 .h, ,,r,;nou,t. Ia n,i,t.,
......' ,..., l.,,., ,., ,,.,n ,,,,,,,,os.,.
,o,l. f., cha Iocr ,,d Iaues you'd boy,
Gea,, - t.lo o,1 man t,.3sy so,l.ino
,,l.sa., ,a,.3- a.. L,.;,l.ino and u,,. &. =,
,,a.I .,..,.,,.ro ~, ,,.l.a, ea,,o. o,i,
Spare me, guutie, mutlered Tom.
I nh 49,. 1a.r, aim, .r,.a Dinl. ,,al
ia,,,. ~. hin, ra,o rina rr,rfr
a.'ia, 100. ,,.,..,.. "a, ro,, n,,. ao,.g
in,,,, ,,.a,,Iar ,,.n,. ara ors,r,a,, O., H.,
,hnr,h, - h,,;,,o ~ .,con ,o.nioh, -,
no "a t,.,.. l.n,.,,,,,, ,,,1,nd. ..r
r.,. ,.a,, IT. +. 5...., a.1 s.,,,,.
now. don't Won?