, 1877-05-11
THE HAUNTED HOUSE.

All Ashley said the house was haunted;
and as all Ashley said so, according to
the Ashley mind there could be no rea-
sonable doubt about the matter. Some
few favored individuals had seen the
ghost, others believed they had seen it,
and those who had neither seen nor be-
lieved they had seen it, implicitly be-
lieyed those who had. But the excite
meut eliminated, and unbelevers were
aWed into silence, when the village school
master and an itinerant preacher, who
had on Christmas Eve volunteered to
clay" Il. returned after q few hours
soiourn in the old mansion, with pallid
faces and shaking limbs to the village
inn. where an expectant crowd awaited
them. They had seen it, and had igno-
miniously turned their respective coat
tails and fed. The house was haunted
there was nodoubt boutthat; it would
notlet it would not sell and at length
Mr.. Pompington's agent grew tired Of
keeping It in tenantable repair so the
roof grew leaky, and its shattered case
ment stared yacantly across the tangled
lawn.
Yet It was as pretty place as ever I
saw. It was built in the Elizabethan
style, with richly carved gables and twist
ed stacks Of chimneys, on gentle acliv-
ity rising from winding river, and was
backed by waving woods and a range of
hills, which, looming in dark blue out
line in the distance, formed a fitting
frame to most lovely scene.
The house, or manor" as ii was
usually called, looked deserted, but by
no means out Of place in the sunny land
scape it was only on close inspection
that its adaptations became visible
for It was built of small, bright yellow
and red Dntch-looking bricks, and the
grounds we're kept in pretty good order.
Such was saspect one Summer, when,
having decided to spend fortnight's
holiday after the manner Of rare old
Izaak Walton, I lodged at the "Three
Trouts," the only inn in the village of
Ashley. One day, when the fish would
not bite, made q sketch Of the manor.
It had belonged to good old family
and / learned many particulars concern
ing them from q garrulous old lady who
lived in pretty little rustic cottage, not
an arrows fight from the forsaken Hall.
She was never tired of talking Of the
Langleys, but her favorite topic was the
handsome face and manly virtues Of its
last representative.
aAh ! what brave boy" she would
say, was Master Percy / see none
like him nowadays. But he would be a
soldier, like all his race, for, mind you,
the Langleys we're always spirited,
fighting family. How merry, and gen.
erous, and free-hearted was the bonny
ladl Az, it was black day, and l
thought my heart would burst, when the
news came that he was dead-killed on
the field Of battle. Oh, dreary, dreary
letters came as said how brayely he'd
fought, and how he'd wished to be re-
membered to his old nurse, and all at
Ashley-bht that was no comfort! And
the rector preached beautiful sermon
about him, and there wasn't dry eye, 1
warrant you, in the church I; and, ali /
there was one poor lassie, lady bred
and born, as never looked up again, and
Is God in His mercy took her reason
from" And the old dame would softly
smooth the jetty locks of careworn,
vaoant-looking lady, apparently of about
thirty five years of age, who occupied a
seat by her freside.
Henrietta Selwyn, it appeared, had
been engaged to the gallant and unfor-
tunate Percy Langley, and had loved
him with all the earnestneSs and deyo-.
ton of truthful and afectionate nature.
How did she bear the news of his death?
Whose was the mournful duty to COM
municate to her the fearful news? Alas |
the tale is q sad one. A domestic, with
that strange desire to be the first to an
nounce bad news, rushed unthinkingly
into the presence of the gentle girl, and