, 1877-05-11

-
etly raising from my seat. Mr.. Sellers
opened his ewes very wide, and lifted his
hammer in an interrogatiye manner, as
if he scarcely credited his sense of hear
ing.
No one bid higher, and Twas the own
er of the Haunted House.
Allow me to congratulate you, my
dear sir" said the legal gentleman, who
attended. "The ghost is all humbug,
Of course"
"Oh, is it?" broke in the company
generally, and the shabby genteel in
particular.
But it is amazing" continued the
lawyer, chow the name of its being
haunted has interfered with the sale of
this lot of the property; of course you
are aware it is part of the Langley Es-
tate ; I can assure you, you will find it
a most desirable, compact, and elegant
property, and at small outlay capable
of great improvement"
was a marked man at Ashley for the
rest of the day and if mine host had
had a Japanese ambassador staying at
his hotel, his smoking room, coffee-room,
and bar r-parlor, could not have been fill
ed with a more curious crowd. "Hell
rue it-he'll rue it p l heard whispered
again and again.
"Do you really mean, sir, begging
your pardon, sir, for axing a question,
sir, which might be mistook for imper-
tenence, leastways if not stated not to be
meant as such-do you mean, sir, to live
at the Old Manor ?" inquired the land
lord of the Three Trouts with his st
bow, and an apologetical cough.
Certainly" said I.
" But, sir, there be some fearsome
tales told about the place, enough to
make your hair stand on end and once,
sir, dissenting parson, and tn school
master we're nigh killed by the ghost"
''Served 'em right, for being such
fools!' hastily observed.
"Then you are not afraid of ghostes-
ses, sir ?" asked the landlady, who at
that moment entered my private room
with smoking cap on and divers other
good things.
"Oh, dear, no, not in the least" 1 re-
piled, with complacent smile.
"Lacks-adaisy-me!" !" exclaimed the
good woman, with little scream of sur
prise, and five minutes after l saw her
hurry over the way to Miss Pinchley's,
the dress-maker, no doubt to inform her
of my temerity.
After had made capital dinner,
mine host at my request joined me in
discussing bottle of his best port, over
which we talked over my purchase, and
he favored me with full and particular
account of the ghost and its doings.
Now I don't know exactly how it came
to pass, whether through the exhilarat-
ing effects of the wine, or the hosts
praises and commendations of my cour-
age, but about the time we had finished
the second bottle rather odd idea came
into my head-a decidedly odd idea to
creep into the bald head of q steady
going bachelor gentleman close upon
fifty, with his own peculiar ideas Of
warmth and comfort, and q wholesome
dread Of rheumatism, for suddenly de-
termined to spend the night in the
Haunted House, and apprised my COM
panion of my determination.
"You don't mean that, sir ?" said he,
looking rather more than surprised.
6 why, sir, this be Christmas Eve, the
very night that tn school-master aud tn
preacher we're scared a'most to death"
!" I dol I willr' I exclaimed, jumping
from my seat, and standing, with con-
seriousness of my immeasurable superb
ority to the Ashleyites, upon the hearth
rug, and triumphantly poking the fire I;
I will, by Jove Ill show you all what
fools you've been r
Expostulatinns were in vain so, about
ten o'clock started off for the Manor,
accompanied by the " Boots" carrying
sundry RUS aud q supply of fuel, while
the waiter brought up the rear with b
comfortable easy chair. carried a
double-barrel pistol in my pocket, in
case of an attack from any thing physi-
cal and a flask Of cognac to screw up my
courage in case felt nervous but there
was no fear of that, for felt as bold as
brass and il. excellent spirits. The snow
was falling heavily, and the wind sough-
ell monrbfully through the trees as we
traversed the lane leading to the old
mansion, which, in the struggle and
transient moonlight, loomed amid the
surrounding trees like spectre clothed
in white.
On arriving at a door in the garden
wall, my companions hung back, and it
was only by the promise of an extrava-
giant tip that the waiter could be forced
to follow me. On we went to the prin-
cipal entrance. where deposited the
burden OF which 1 had relieved the
cOwardly Boots, when the more cour-
ageous waiter scampered back to his
companion; the feat was certainly moth
ing extraordinary, but it gained him a
reputation for cool courage, which en-
dures in the village unto this day.
The massive door opened with clang-
ing, groaning sound. and my footsteps