American citizen., 1875-03-27
In A HAUNTED TOWER.


through the South of Ireland during the
past autumn was induced by the nat
ural beauties and scenic attractions OF
the neighborhood to spend a few days at
a picturesque little village in the county
of Kilkenny. The evening before l had
arranged To leave, the landlord of the
inn where l had stopped and adjourned
after dinner TO a snug little parlOr of
the bar to enjoy cigar and a glass OF
the native together.
Well" said he, "you will travel far
before you meet with such fine old ruins
as The Abbey"
"Yes," assented; "they are very in
teresting and well worth visit"
The tower" continued mine host
twas one of the strongholds of the
Danes and was built long before the
abbey. 1t serves as belfry to the parish
church, which is itself a comparatively
recent structure"
1.-THE belfry looks a dismal old Bas-
tile" ssid l "just such residence as a
solemn, melancholy ghost would choose
to tenant.
If ever place was haunted" said
the landlord, "that is; for many time
have 1 myself heard strange, uneartkly
noises from it at dead of night"
Although l had been through the ab-
bey, and examined the monuments and
relics of the olden times which it con-
tanned, had not been up in the tower,
but my curiosity was now excited, and l
determined to explore it before leaving.
About an hour afterward 1 sauntered
down the village. 1t was almost dark,
but the church-yard gate was still open
and some men were employed in digging
a grave. Going round to the rear of the
abbey l saw that the door of the tower
was open. and, ascending the rude flight
of stone steps outside, which led to the
entrance, gained access to the first floor
by dark, narrow passage, along which
/ cautiously groped my way. A more
gloomy, sdungeon-liKe apartment than
that in which found myself could not
be imagined. A moldy smell that almost
oyercame me permeated the place, and
the only sound that broke the death-lfke
silence was the signing of the autumn
wind through the ivy that nearly choked
up the narrow loopholes in the walls.
The story above this was in utter dark
ness, but l had no difficulty IN finding
the stairs that led still further up. On
the third floor could discoverno means
OF getting higher and L was reluctantly
obliged 10 return, resolved, however, to
pay another visit next day.
After considerable stumbling and scram-
bling and getting into wrong crevices /
succeeded in reaching the door, which, to
my alarm and chagrin, found locked
/ commenced to kick it with all my might
and 10 shout through the kcyhole, but
the only response l elected was dull
echo of every sound l made resounding
through the walls of the passages. Find
ing myself shut in alone in that ancient,
haunted belfry, with every prospect of
having to spend the night there, could
not overcome a certain vague fear that
took possession of me-
The great iron bolt of the lock was
shot into the stone groove and there ap-
peared no chance OF my getting out un-
less l could attract attention from the
outside. L renewed my attack on the
door, pausing every now and then to
listen, but all to no purpose. The wind,
which during the evening had been in
creasiDg in violence, now blew with the
force of a storm and drowned all my
efforts to make myself heard. / returned
to the first floor and shouted through the
loopholes, but my voice was lost in the
boisierous roaring of the tempest.
Hours passed away; the villagers, !
knew, were all in bed and ] began to
think the best thing could do would be
to find out sheltered corner in which
to pass the night. / accordingly select
ed a little arched nook in which ]
found large smooth stone that afforded
me a seat; and here / determined to stay
till morning. How long / sat there !
cannot tell, but l was awakened by a
deep breathing close to my ear as of
some person in heavy sleep. l listened
a moment: there could be no mistake.
The sound grew louder until it filled the
whole place.
With a sudden impulse l jumped to my
feet and called out:
Who is there?"
"Who is thereY" replied the echo, and
then all was still. Not feeling at all
comfortable in such close proximity to
my mysterious neighbor 1 mounted the
stairs leading to the next landing; but
on reaching the top the moonlight,
streaming through a window or fissure
revealed to me sight which made my
heart stand still and well nigh deprived
me of my faculties.
In the center of the floor stood a tall
female figure shrouded in white, stretch
ing her gaunt arm toward me in an ad
monitOry manner as if warning me back.
There was no imagination, or indiges-
ton, or dreaming about it. There was
the awful apparition glaring at me, the
face CHASTITY pale, and the form envel-
oped in the drapery of the grave. felt
myself choking; my mouth and tongue
became parched. With a desperate ef-
fort l cried out something in feeble
voice. cannot now remember what. In
an instant the apartment was in complete
darkness. Cropping for the wall behind