The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-03-23
The Haunted Closet.

eyes, did believe in ghosts at one
time, but now know that the belief is q
humbug;" and the speaker, fine look
ing young man of about twenty-five
years of age, laughed heartily, as if
highly amused; then he said, Shall
tell you about it
OF course we all wanted to hear the
story. Who is not interested in ghost
story, no matter how soul stirring or hair
curling? So after all was quiet the
speaker commenced -
at was about the third night in last
May that my belief in ghosts was pretty
thoroughly shaken. 1t may happen in
this wise; you all know that the first day
of May is the day for all great moves
(housekeepers' moves mean.)
"This was the first move my wife and
l had had since our marriage, and we
did not admire the situation of affairs.
1t was the third night after moving into
our new home. My wife, you must know,
is very nervous woman, and from child
hood has been accustomed to sleep with a |
light in her room. OF course Igave way |
to this weakness
"On this particular night you can be-
lieve that we were tired. Although we
had been three days in our new home, we
had not explored all its hooks and cor
ners. My wife had told me of a very queer
looking closet, filed with number OF
old bottles, the floor of which was COW
cred with dark stains which looked like
blood. Being timid, she had, of course,
inquired of a neighbor-who, by the
| way, was light, frivolous woman, not
averse to experimentation the house,
and was told that an old man, with three
children, had occupied the house some
two years previous that foul play was
suspected, as the children, one by one,
sickened and died. At last the old
man himself left for parts unknown,
and since then the house has been unoc-
cupied.
"All this naturally troubled my wife,
who had been in a perpetual state OF
nervousness after hearing the story, ex-
pecting to see the murdered children rise
in their ghostly habilimentsan confront
her. Not liking to relate what she had
heard to me, for fear of my laughing at
her-although secretly had supersti-
tious belief in ghosts-she had said moth
ing about it.
"After retiring for the night, and
turning down the light, We prepared for
good nights sleep, and it was not long
before we were oblivious. / was dream
ing Of housekeeping and moving bills,
ETC., when l was awakened by u shrill
shrek that iroze my very blood. Jump
ing to my feet, found my wife tremb-
ling and unable to utter syllable. At
last she told me that having just awak-
ened, she had heard horrible groans and
shrieks coming from the direction of the
strange closet, and that she was unable to
suppress cry.
"Of course laughed at her, but all to
no purpose. ! told her it was all dream,
still she persisted in her belief that the
noise came from the closet. To please
her went and examined the closet but
: ! was about going to bed again when an
unearthly yell or shrek rent the air.
Never shall forget the sensation that
, came upon me for the moment as shrek
: after shrek and groan after groan rent
the air. CHANGING at my wife, | saw that
she was as thoroughly frightened as my
self. Not wanting to show my timidity,
l admonished her, in as calm manner
.. as could command, to be quiet, saying
would try to determine wnere the noise
, came from. Butmy search was useless, as
the noise soon ceased entirely.
CATER searching our room and the one
adjoining where our children slept, to see
if they had been disturbed, and finding
them asleep, in blissful ignorance of their
parents trcpidation, we tried to resume
our broken slumber; but hardly were we
! tolerably composed, when again the most
dreadful noises imaginable commenced.
| was now thoroughly frightened, so,
telling my wife to remain in her room,
proceeded to discover where all the noise
, came from.
"Partly guided by the groans which
now only occurred at intervals, l had
|, made my way toward the strange closet
when, horror / felt hand grasp my arm
tightly. Almost fainting, turned and
saw my wife who had been too fright
: ened to remain alone in her room. Only
!, those who have been in similar situa-
ton can imagine the feeling of relief that
took possession of me. Nothing daunted
now, proceeded, in company with my
wife, toward the fatal closet, to which we
at length arrived, when, suddenly,
the full fury of the horrible noises burst
upon us.
&c need not say we were both nearly
dead with fright; in fact my hand
trembled so that / found it impossible To
turn the handle of the door. But having
, come thus far, was determined to un'
ravel the mystery, whatever the conse-
quences; so, bursting open the door, we
gathered sufficient courage to peer about
with the aid of the light, and, would you
believe it? discovered something
, which l had overlooked before-the
!, cause of all our fright and the unearthly
noises.
cit was this: there was speaking-tube
leading from the closet to the garrett
which | suppose was placed there by the
"old man" before mentioned to call the
children up in the morning, and thus
avoid the trouble of running up three
flights of stairs. This tube was broken
at the mouth-piece, and being near the
window, was so situated as to convey the
air in strong current to the tube, which,
! being cOrroded, aided the wind in max.
ing the horrible noises that had SO dis.
turbed us.
, $50 the cause of our fright was dis.
covered, and, l must say. my faith in
ghosts was very much shaken. To make
a long story short, after stopping the
mouth of the tube we quickly returned
to our room, and calmly resumed ouI
slumber.
, The Ancient Cities OF Mexico.
In Mexico the Spaniards found all
, that deserved the name of civilization on
the northern continent. There was or.
! ganized power; there were homes to
: fight for; there were the wealth, distinc.
| L.. &C .a.Ia I;.xlI.. Ioralaxal 70