The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-02-22


sit and watch Il just y day i dead:
YOu eannot press again, my VANISHED pet
IL pillow with your drowsy, gol1en hsad.
You CANNED rsseh your arm 70 get NJ kss,
ssSssr e ~ az ssHqs a sSs3 s.t s:;a saS fs
= tany night eu~nsd fairy. blitAs ands~sst-
Empty the homo where, frolic.oms and fair, .
Your precious presence made 60 bright part
Kmpty your lit le CRIB, your clothes. your chair
But emptiest Of al your mothers heart.
San Fs0actsc0 Neacs Letter.
MY MAD TENANT.
l am rather of an eccentric turn oi
mind--at least so all my friends say, and
perhaps they are correct. When say
ana eccentric, / do not mean that dress
in peculiarly cut clothes, let my hair fall
on my shoulders in matted locks, or st ow
an aversion for soap and water. On the
/ contrary, don't think you will find q
more tidy old bachelor in dress and per-
son than myself anywhere. My eccen.
tricity is shown in an inordinate love OF
| the mysterious. As boy / ruined my
eyesight by reading terrible tragedies,
horrible histories, hideous homicides and
strange stories. These would repeat to
my nurse, Janet Gruesome, plain and
simple-I might say very plain and sim
ple-country girl, holding her by my bed
side of night, shivering with cold and
terror as she listened.
Life was full of misfortune for me un-
til was turned forty, when mysterious
uncle of mine, who had left England
whilst was still a. baby, died in Austria.
liza, and left me the sole heir to his vast
wealth. instantly settled with my
creditors, and, taking my "nurse" and
my romances, started for the country. de-
termined to wander about and seek for
the marvellous.
One day / came across vast, gloomy
mansion that exactly suited my fancy. It
was weird and ghostly building, with
whispering voices in its ivy-clad walls,
doors that opened directly they were shut,
and shut directly they were opened. Long
corridors, lighted by narrow windows, led
| into recesses, SO that on moonlight nights
the shadows of the tall trees outside took
spectral shapes, and seemed pointing with
bOny fingers to spots where deeds of vio-
| lence had been done; whilst the withered
branches tapped eagerly against the win
dow -panes as ii they were houseless
ghosts, wishing to take up their abode in
this mysterious mansion. I was delight.
ed, and determined to take il at once.
| The agent was soon found, and the terms
agreed upon: but there was one clause in
| the lease which did not like; it was
even too mysterious to please me. By it
the sopesios landlord, NF. Hh0mas Hal
combe, held all rights over one room on
the first floor, small chamber, the shut
ters and door of which were closed and
securely fastened. / inquired the reason
of this, but the agent could give me no
| positive information. He believed the
room contained the family papers and
portraits, and that Mr.. Balcombe had
locked them up there for security.
But" said /. /" it is mysterious to
have q sort of Bluebeard chamber in your
house,"
81 quite agree with you, sir" replied
the agent, "and told Mr.. Balcombe SO,
but he is strange man, and will have his
own way. It's nearly twenty years now
since that room was locked up. At first
| il made great noise in the village, and
strange stories were circulated; but that
soon died out, and, except telling these
stories at Christmas time, or when a
stranger asks for them they are never
heard. Sometimes people come for pic
mic in the wood yonder, and go to see the
haunted house, as they call it, but
never let them in. l never heard it was
really haunted
We agreed eventually as to terms, and
in couple Of weeks arrived from Lon
don, bringing with me Janet Gruesome,
| two maid servants, and some fine old
plate and jewelry my uncle had left me.
| It was q dreary night when arrived at
the !. Yews," as my new abode was