The Lake County star., 1876-06-08
AUNT ELIZA'S GHOST STORY.
BY ANONYMA,

The clock had struck eleven. We
were still sitting on the hearthrug, over
the remains of the wood fire that had
sparkled and cracked in the huge old
fireplace, filling the room with its light
and warmth, now reduced to few bright
Goals, casting occasional glimmerings OF
ftful light over the low ceiling of the
spacious room. We had begun our
"ante-bed talk, under the influence OF
the bright fire, and it had been gay and
frolicksome, so, under the influence OF
the dying fire, our conversation became
more subdued and sober.
There was slight tap at the door,
which startled us, and Aunt Eliza's
bright face peeped in.
"Why, girls, not in bed YETI?
"Oh, Aunt Eliza," we exclaimed
"come and tell us ghost story"
She came in and took her seat on the
rug in our midst.
a can't tell ghost story" she said,
"but / will tell you what happened to
me once, and you can call it what you
please but it is true, perfectly true"
We all knew Aunt Eliza; no truer
woman, in every sense of the word, lived
than she, and we know hers to be an
"o'er true tales if she says so.
"WeIl," she began boldly at first, but
with an earnest tremulousness in her
voice as she progressed that showed time
had not obliterated traces of the excite
ment her experience must have produced
in her at the moment, some twelve
years ago, your uncle had little con-
troversy about some land, in certain
country on the Mississippi river, which,
after much delay, it was agreed by the
parties, should be settled by arbitration.
The case compelled: your uncle to spend
some weeks in c., the county seat
of the county where the land lay. Ever
since our marriage l had kept your
uncle's papers and accounts for him, for
he was most careless man in his busi-
ness. So he insisted l could be of service
to him in c., in preparing and classi-
flying his memoranda for the hands OF
the umpire.
."WelJ, to make my story short, went
with him, leaving the house and the
children and the servants to take care o
themselves and each other. The day be
fore l left / rode into town to see Mrs.
D., an intimate friend, to tell her oi
my going, and to ask her to ride over to
the plantation once in while, and have
an eye to things there, which she
readily promised to do.
~ stayed whole week in c., in
miserable, dirty tavern, making mem
oranda and copying testimony, and help
ing all | could to get order. out of the
chaos of an old, unsettled, badly man.
aged partnership. Saturday night l lay
me down on hard, tavern bed, pretty
well worn out with the kind of work
distasteful to most women, and, just
then, doubly so to me.
Early Sunday morning-it was
scarcely light that snort December day
/ woke with an undefnable longing to &c
home right away on the first boat.
could listen to no persuasion from your
uncle. / felt like something was going
amiss at home.
$50 about ten o'clock, large boat
stopped at C., on her downward trip
The clerk, a hunchback, came ashore tC
receive some freight. Your uncle put me
under his charge, and we were soon off
There were few passengers, and l sat alone
all day; so, as night drew near, felt ex
ceedingly nervous and anxious. One by
one the passengers dropped off, until
was left sole occupant of the long dreary
looking saloon. A cabin boy passed
along, silently extihguishing all the
lights except one burner in each chande
lier. knew would reach home abou
midnight, 80 there was no use in goinl
to bed, even if / could have slept. On
one table was Bible; opened it, anC
vainly tried to read. The light was dim
and, besides, could not concentrate m,
F.thoughts.
az closed the book and locked up ant
down. There was not soul visible II
the long cabin of that boat, which seem
ed to me then, and seems to me still, tn,
longest boat ever was on. At the ex
treme bow end was piano between tn,
two doors that opened upon the guards
or the back way, i never knew which
There was Frank Leslie, or somethin,
of that sort, pictorial, lying upon th'
sofa. / tried To look at the pictures, ant
/ mechanically turned the leaves, but
literally saw nothing.
"At last, as last resort c0uldn'
sit still, / couldn't read, / couldn't sleeI
Il got up and walked the cabin some
distance up and down, and up again
when, beholdl standing in the doorway
on the left of the piano, was Mrs. D.
the same light dress upon her she wor'
the day we parted, the same sweetly sac
smile upon her face, and, with extended
hand, as though to greet me. i wa
perhaps twenty feet of, but my eye
rivetcd upon her. Iquickcned my step
my eye frightened, my lips were form
ing words of affection. ] put forth m,
hand-tOuchcd her. A thrill wen
through me like what would have beer
impaired by sudden contact with cold
FURNISHED brass. My hand touched th,
bolt of the door-the.s door was clos
shut-the cabin was emptyi