The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-05-30
aaernIng Star ano Catholic Messenger.
-sw eRAEAHs. SUNDAY. MAY 80 IT'S.

Lnen 0ot ABOUT CoA1iuR huut
into nay way of thinking. 1t was not at all
against her will that she completed the Pur-
chase at last. Afterwards, however. che liked
to think it was
In Mayit WAS all settled. The house was
filed with painters and paper gers. and all
through the long summer months they kept on
making mess within the wallis, and forbiddin &
us TO enter and enjoy the place in the full
glorious luxpriance of its summer beauty. At
last, on driving there one bright evening, l
found to my joy that the workmen had de-
camped, leaving the Thatcbed House clean and
fresh aud gay, ready for the reception of ne,
and our goods and chatteIs. ! sprang in
through one Of the open dining room windows
and began Waiting round the floor from sheer
delight. Pausing ut last for breath, saw
that the old woman who took care of the place
she WHO had on my frat visit opened the
nhutters for me and jingled her keys, had en-
tered the room while danced, and was stand
ing watching me from the doorway with q
queer expression on her wriukled face.
"Ah, ha! Nelly" / cried triumphantly,
"what do you think of the old house nowf"
Nelly shook her grey head, and shot me a
weird look out of her small black eyes. Then
she folded her arms slowly, and ga zed all round
the room musipgly, while she said:
LAY, Miss Lucy! wealth can do deal, but
there's things it can't do. ALI that the hand
of man may do TO make this place wholesome
10 live in has been done. Dance and sing II o W,
pretty lAdy-now, while you have the heart
and courage. The dayll come when you'd as
soon think of sleepin' all night on q tombstone
as of stapdin' this floor alone after sunset"
Nil 7 ;aJ I. pb,t 40
you meant Is it possible that there is any
thing-have You heard OF seem"
have heard and seen plenty" was Neiiy's
curt reply.
just then, van arriving with the first in
stallment of our household goods, the old
woman vanished and not another word could
l wiring that evening from her puckered lips.
Her words haunted me, and went home with
my mirth considerably sobered; and dreamed
all night of wandering up and down that long
dining-room in the dark, and seeing dimly
horrible faces grinnipg at me from the W alls.
This was only the first shadow of tho troub BILE
that came upon us in the Thatched House
1t came by degrees in mods and whispers,
end stories told in lowered tones by the fire.
Pide at night. The servants got possession of
q rumor, aud the rumor reached me- | shud-
dered in silence, and con trived for the first few
months to keep it jealous secret from my un-
saspecting aunt. For the house was ours, and
Aunt FeAtherstone was timorous; and the
ramor, very horrible, was this-the Thatched
House was haunted.
Haunted, it was said, by q footstep, which
every night. ut . certain hour, went down the
principal corridor, distinctly audible a. it
passed the doors, descended the staircase,
traversed the hail, aud ceased suddenly at the
diniDg-roOm door. 1t was q heavy, uushod
foot, and walked rather slowly. Ali the ser.
wants could describe it infinitely, thou Oh none
could avOw that they had positively heard it,
New editions of this story were constantly
coming ont, and found immediate circulation.
To each of these was added some fresh harrow.
ing sequel, illustrative of the manners and
oustoEns of u certain sbRdowy iphabitapt, who
was said to have occupied the ThRtched House
all through the dark days of its past emptiness
and desolation, and who resented fiercely the
unwelcome advent of Us hesh-and. blood in.
truders. The tradition of this lonely shade
was rs follows: The builder and first owner OF
the Thatohed House was an elderly man,
wealthy, wicked, and feared. He had married a
gentle young wife, whose heart ha d been broken
before she consented to give him her hand He
WAS cruel TO her, using her harshly, and leav-
Ing her solitary Ia the lonely house for Ions
winter weeks ard months together, till sh,
went mad with brooding over her sorrOws, aut
died maniac. Goaded with remorse, he hat
shut up the house and fed the country. Sine.
then different people had fancied the beau tiful
romantic old dwelling, and made an attempt t.
live IN IL; but they said that the sorrowfu
yonnG lady would not yield up her right to an,
newcomer. 1t had been her habit, whel
alive, to steal down staiss at night, when sh,
could not sleep for weeping, and to walk NJ
and down the dining room, wriDging he
hands, till the morning dawned; and now
though her cofan was nailed, aud her grav,
green, and though her tears ought to hav,
been long since blown from her eyes like rail-
on the wind, still the unhappy spirit woul,
not quit the scene of her former wretche ed ness
eut paced the passage, and trod the stairs, auc
traVersed the hall night after night, as of old
AT the dining room door the step was said L
pause; aud up aud down the drenrv ohaD,har