New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-30
ss was perfectly proper it should to keep

i
be wanted to gain information as to the OK,
| act time certain person had been buriec
there some twenty years before: He had
| gone with me to the vaulte, found the
| coffin, with the date thereon, which ne was
| in search of, and had departed after giving
| me liberal tee: and remembered his o.
serving, that to all appearance the vaults
| we're rarely opened, to which had replied
| in the affirmative, and to substantiate my
words, calling his attention to the creakIng
of the iron door at the end OF the PASSAGE
| caused by disuse and the corroding oI the
hinges from rust.
| Unlocking the door that led into the pas-
sage, and shielding the light with my hand
J to prevent it being extinguished by the
! chilling drafts of air that came rushing
out, descended the steps and stood before
| the iron door, which, contrary to my expec-
tation, unlocked without difficulty, aud
| turned upon its hinges without sound,
while l was expecting to hear the noise
that in spite of myself, had startled me en-
the occasion OF nay last visit.
| The shadows caused by the rays OF the
lamp, chasing each other over the piles OF
furnished and decsyed collins that lay On
either side, looked CHASTITY enough, but
1 apart from this there was nothing to be-
| seen.
| Everything remained as it had done or
| the occasion Of my last visit, except 1t
seemed to me that in one place the cottins
| appeared to be placed differently from what
| had been accustomed to see them. might,
| however, De mistaken IN this, go seldom
| had nv visits been: and At last. satisfied
J that there was nothing out OF the way there.
| turned to Tetrace my steps. AS aid so
| saw something gittering upon the floor.
| stopped and picked it up, and saw that il
was a half dollar. bright and untarnished.
| as though it had just come from the mint.
i Al a
| unless it had been dropped there on my
| previous visit. l had not lost it now, as
had none of that denomination about me
| when came in. Wondering that it should
| have lain there six months without tarnish-
| ing, placed it in my pocket and thought
no more of the circumstance.
For two days and nights succeeding my
| visit Dothing was heard from the ghosts;
| but on the third night a man who had &C.
| within and heard q mutfied sound that
| seemed to come from the earth beneath his
| feet. He was o man that could be believed
| and the whole town was in an uproar again
| when his story came to Do known, as it
soon was by every man, woman and child
| in the place.
Our pastor came to me- and said it was
my duty to sift this matter to the bottom,
| az had the care of the church, and that
should devote my whole time to it. ! told
| him of what had done, and limited that
| thought it WAS as much his duty a. mine
| to lay evil spirits that were full Of unrest,
| and offered to watch with him that night in
+! the church; but as he was rather timid
| man, he would not agree to this, though
| telling me that it was my duty to do 81:
did, but to no purpose whatever. The
ghosts kept ont Of sight and the mystery
| was not solved.
The next day but one went into store
| 70 buy some small articles that l needed,
| and rendered the half dollar that l had
found in payment. The storekeeper bit it
| moment and tbre W it into the scales.
"A counterfeit half giving it back TO
| me. "Where did you get it,
Counterfeit, You must be mistaken" /
| said. giving no answer to his question.
Il am not. There are any quantity Of
| them in circulation in the town, and some
one has palmed this off on you. The pu-
lice have been trying to get q clue for some
| time and it is suspected that there is a nest
of counterfeitere in this town.
An idea at that moment entered my head,
suggested by the words of the storekeeper.
took up the rejected coin and glanced at
! it. and my suspicious were confirmed.
The coin was dated the present year. and
az it was only MAY, 1t could not have been
dropped by the stranger who with me- had
visited the. vaults six months before.
Some one unknown to me had entered
there since that time. Was not here cluel
went at once to headquarters of the
police, and told my story to the chief, and
showed the coin that had been pronounced
bogus. He listened eagerly to my story,
and, like the stOre-keeper, pronounced the
coin counterfeit.
He told me to say nothing to any one, but
to get quietly home, and tonight to watch
q Ain the church. He had clue that they
70 tou nm hat 1nh md ~
that resulted in nothing, they would accept
of mine, and help me solve the mystery of
the ghosts and the uncanny sounds that
had been heard.
By ten o'clock that night l was safely en-
scOnced in the church in q spot in the gal
lery where l could command an unob.
struoted view of the body Of the house and
where could hardly be seen. even by the
sharp eyes OF 9 ghOstly tenant of the place.
Did they make their appearance that
night they should not escape my glance,
unless they vanished into thin air the mo-
ment my presence should be detected.
heard the clock striking eleven, and all was
still about me-sO still that could plainly
hear the beating Of my own heart and the
nlbbIing of mouse in q pew below.
Now and then the signing Of the wind
through the evergreens without came to
my ears, awakening q spirit of loneliness
in spite of my Efforts to shake it off.
Another hour went slowly by, and
think Imust have fallen into doze, when l
was suddenly awakened by the iron tongue
of the bell.
casting glance down upon the floor below
me, saw sight which caused me for
moment to experience a decided sensation
of alarm.
figure in white, whose robes seemed to
trail On the floor, was moving along the
main aisle IN the deep gloom that pervaded
the place.
Slowly it went on, and at last disap-
peared in the direction OF the passage that
led to the vaults below. 1t vanished while
| stood rubbing my eyes, and fl Oxen as it
were to the spot.
Shaking off the fear that assaied me,
rose from the bench upon which had been
sitting, and took a step toward the stairs
that led below; but another sight arrested
my footsteps.
Another figure clad in white moved along
in the steps of the other; but this one had |
most uDghostike tread.
Ii walked with the sound of heavy per !
son wearing cloth slippers, and even no |
ticed by the kcutfling, that 1t appeared as |
though they were down at the heel.
Of one thing | Was assured; it was flesh |
and blood that had to deal with.
Standing there, l counted five of these |
White rOOeu Hgures Jnat one alter anOtner
disappeared in the direction that led to the |
vaults. |
Then, though l waited several minutes,
none appeared, and noiseiessly descended |
the stairs and moved along in the direction |
they had taken.
l had no need to light the lamp that |
had brought with me, for knew perfectly |
every inch of the way. and to have done |
SO would have only defeated the object for |
which had come.
As had expected, the first door leading |
to the vaults was unlocked, and readily |
Welded to my hand But q few days be- |