American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-07-10
A Haunted Castle.

In one of the baronial castles of the
north, which had boon uninhabited for
years, there were heard at times such ex-
uaortlinery noises as to confirm the opin-
ion among the country people that the
place was haunted. In the western tower
an old couple were permitted to live, who
had been in the service of the former
lord, but so imbued were they with the SUI
perstitions of the country that they never
went to bed without expecting to hear the
cries of the disturbed spirits of the man.
sion. An old story was current that an
heir-apparent had been murdered by an
uncle, that he might possess the estate,
who, however, after enjoying it for time,
was so annoyed by the sounds in the castle
that he retired, with an uneasy conscience,
from the domain and died in France.
Not many years ago the property de-
scended to branch of the female line
one of the heroes of Watcrloo-who,
nothing daunted, was determined to make
this castle his place of residence. AS the
noises were subject of real terror to his
tenaniry, he resolved to sleep in the castle
on the night he took possession. in order
to do away with these superstitious fears.
Not habitable room could be found ex-
cept the one occupied by the old gardener
and his wife, in the western turret, and he
ordered his campbell to be set up
autumn, at night-fall, that he re-
paired to the gloomy abode, leaving
his servant, to his no small comfort, at the
village inn and after having found every
thing comfortably provided, turned the
large, old, rusted key upon the antiquated
pair, who took leave of him TO lodge at
farm hard by. 1t was one of those nights
which are checkered with occasional
CLEANS of moonshine and darkness, when
the clouds are riding in high wind. He
slept we'll for the two first hours, and was
then awakened by low, mournful sound
that ran through the apartments. This
warned him to be up and accoutered. He
descended the turret stairs with brilliant
light, which, on coming to the ground
floor, cast gigantic shadow of himself
upon the high, embattlcd walls. Here he
stood and listened; when presently hOl-
low moan ran through the long corridor,
and died away. This was followed by
one of a higher key, sort of scream,
which directed his footsteps with more
certainty to- the spot. Pursuing the
sounds, he found himself in the great hall
of his ancestors, and vaulting up on the
large oakentable heset down his lamp, and,
folding his cloak about him, determined
to wait for all that was terrible. The
night, which had been stormy, suddenly
became still; the dark, fitting clouds had
sunk beneath the horizon, and the moon
insinuated her silvery light through
the chinks of the moldering pile. As
our hero had spent the morning in
the chase, Morpheus came unbiddcn, and
he fell asleep upon the table. His dream
was short, for close upon him issued forth
the horrid groan; amazed, he started up
and sprang ut the unseen voice, fixing
with powerful blow his Toledo steel in
the arras The blade was fast, and held
him to the spot. At this moment. the
moon shot ray that illuminated the hall,
and showed that behind the waving folds
there lay the cause concealed. He left his
sword and retraced his steps to the turret.
When morning came, a welcome crowd,
greeting him, asked if he had met the
ghost. Oh, yes!n replied the knight,
"dead as a door-nail behind the screen he
lies, where my sword has pinned him
fast; bring the wrenching-bar, and we'll
haul the disturber QUIT With such a
leader, and broad day to boot, the valiant
throng tore down the screen where the
sword was fixed when lol in recess lay
the fragments of a chapel organ, and the
square, woodened trunks made for hal
lowed sounds were used as props to stay
the work when the hall was coated round
with oak. The wondering clowns laughed
aloud at the mysterious voice. It was the
northern blast that found its way through
the crannies of the wall to the groaning
pipes that had alarmed the country round
for century past