The Morning herald., 1877-06-09
l. Ghosts Of w Waterfurd's s
| Clearing Il N
BY G. 4. o.
BY G. A. Q.

BY G. AS.
hove the village Of L., q small lax
ches back among the hills to the fox
he high, spruce clad mountains to th
e R. range. Upon the easter
An elevated ridge extends along tn
I, heavily wooded save in one spo'
rs q smallish opening and within
Id log house overlook the lake beneath
opening is plainly visible from tn
o,te side Of the water, which is lov
studded with farmhouses and als'
the village on the outlet below. A
lime to which l refer, it was known a
,te.ford's Clearing" and had rather .
uIar history.
any years before, a man calling him.
Waterford went up. there, feIled the
and built the log house. He must
been born poet to have selected q
80 romantic and beautiful. Nobody
I much about him, however. But q
said to have been unusually fair, ac-
panied hin; and the people on the
side used frequently to see them at
linz, walking together in front OF their
larry cabin.
Thstever become Of them was y mys.
They disappeared suddenly. Some
ght they we're murdered by Indians, a
' Of whom used occasionally to visit
village. But however that might
been, their distant, though easily OBJ
|snt neigRbors, suddenly missed them
the clearing, and a visit to the place
(aled nothing. They had gone, leav>
their house to silence and desolation.
% one cared to 80 there; and in due
the place came to be ''haunted," and
its position among the local supersti-
/. And thus year after year passed,
ging no change to the little, deserted
ring, till the time Of my story, when
atemporary resident at the village-or,
piher words, boy at school there,
besick, and otherwise disaffected. Then,
4, a rumor began to spread, that some
bg singular was going on nights up at
|oIl log house in "Walerford's Clear.
= Lights had been seen dancing about
|plaoe for nearly a fortnight.
!! first it had been thought to be some
|deling hunter spending the night
Fe; and little notice was taken of the
|umstance. But, after seeing the light
te regularly for a week, people began
|hink that some one had gone there to
; Yet during the day, everything
but looked as lonely as ever; and one
going and climbing up to the "clear-
" reported no signs Of human habita-
J, This last report greatly quickened
'|ic curiosity, and many eyes were now
bed to the clearing" every night. Not
'aln, either, for the light, or lights-for
Ee were now several-continued to be
3, now flashing out at different points,
paling and darkening, to burst forth
IN with renewed brightness. In short,
I whole concourse of ghosts were at
II orgies, while now and then a fash Of
It high over the place, shone out as If
ghost had, for a moment,
ned his BULLS eye" to take view of
premises ere alighting.
o say that this luminous display caused
e a sensation in town, would but faint
esctlbe the actual excitement. The
'e was now receiving daily visits from
Cd parties; but search as they might,
could discover nothiug-not eyen a
Of tallow from the ghostly candles,
le The succeeding night was sure 10
ess still brighter display. Curiosity
Superstition grew rampant; and it
now rumorcd that the town aulhori-
We were going to investigate the matter
That one Of the select men, the sheriff,
"a! strong party were to proceed against
lights" the next night. And if, as
ecs'ed, such lights should turn out to
oeen displayed by any person or per-
) with intent to frighten and disturb
peace Of the tswn, such persons were to
dealt with. But it, as some
shIy believed, said display should
. TO be supernatural and spiritual, the
lc would be duly notified. r, ..,
'rectly after the promulgation Of this
lclpal ukase, up at the tavern, youth
sixteen, or thcreabout, might have
seen heeling it down the village street
making n a bee.line for the students
uing-house. Racing up the stairs, he
ea INTO No. IL, and hastily closing the
exclaimed in an eager whisper:
say, Jed, old Ames, and the sheriff,
.o,,g crew are going up there to.mor-
night. What's to be done now? Shall
y it on them ?"
was my worthy chum and schoolmate,
Mathews. He's an Hon. now, from |
'li'h District. And in further ex.
''ion | may say, that we were both
o'ng the L-Academy at the same
e next day was Saturday; we devoted
PREPARATION. Among Toms heredi-
treasures was a speaking-trumpet,