The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-04-04
THE HAUNTED CLOSET.

THE HAUNTED CLOSET.
NV sister wrote me that she had taken |
a house for the summer, queer oid-
fashioned house" away down on the lone
~ Georgian coast, where the children
,yould have the benefit of the seabreeze
and the surf bathing prescribed tor them
after sckly spring season. And she
pr.,ed me to come at once and JOIN them
in their new abode. "
Oneer and old fashioned indeed found
II -, tumble of brick and stone ana
timber. each room of which had the ap-
naarance of having been built separately,
Inv successive owners, with regard only
~ narsonaI convenience, and in open de-
4 ,nce of all architectural rules. Yet l
liked this very irregularity and the odd
naoks and corners which were forever
nnaxnectedIy turning up" III the most
;mnr6bable places. The halls were large
| and airy. and the rooms abundantly sup
| nliad with closets, windows, and doors
! the latter, for the most part, opening
upon broad piazz4s, or queer little porches
| stu.k here and there, like excrescences
upon the walls Very cold and bleak III
winter. no doubt; but for summer resi-
dence delightful.
At the back of the main building pro
iected sort of long and narrow WOODEN
Gallery. consisting of row OF three or
f,ur small rooms--last used it appeared,
as store-rooms for grain and vegetables,
all opening upon covered passage
wav connecting with brick office which
had formerly stood separate from the
honsa These rooms and the Office were
unused by the family; for the gallery
was not in very good repair, and the othc'
room as it was called, was quite too re
mote to be desirable; besides, there wa
plenty of room in the main building:
} Y ct the first time l visited this llttI'
brick office it at once took my fancy. L
was a good sized, comfortable room, VIII
t a fire place on one side, and aqueer lltti
, triangular closet, or cupboard, IN cor
ner. bearing the marks of books and lnk
; stains on its shelves. There was doc
y opeuing into the gallery, and ane the
Y mon quiet and secluded corner of tn
y Garden. out of sight of the house; an
5 fhe two windows, one looking towards tn
' saa and the other over the large grass
5 hack ward. were shaded from the sun b
vines and the long dropping branches
= weeping-willow, which cast green sha'
ows and 6reathed fresh odors throughol
the apartment The very place, though
for a study; charming nook III VINE
To lie reading some interesting volume l
$ dav. or quietly dreaming by night, ava
tie from the noise of the children and tn
is screaming of baby so / at once che
s This little room for my own, -bed-roo
lie and etudv in one-and, after giving it
,ol tborough publication and airing, too
Is possession.
ne 1t proved quite as pleasant as | II
p anticipated. Here, awakening IN |
he morning, l would open the windows al
Iy; LET in the fresh sea breeze, with the II
ed GRANGE of the dewy vine-leaEes that eli
ly Tered on the walls without; here, in t
en- snltrv noon-tide, [ dozed or dream
tn, away the hours, lying upon the lit
III lounge near the window and glancl
es from the book in my hand upward il
la the deep. cool recesses of the will
nts branches above; and, when event
it'll came. | would sit in my little GARD
ur- door. looking upon the neglected wild
ness of bowery shrubs and dewy tiowe
and rejoice in the quiet and seclus
- which loved so much.
Thus l was sitting, about twilight
the few DAYS after | had moved INTO my IL
ent hermitage, as called it. The AR
of very still scarce rustic disturbed
INTO branches of the willow, and the surf
~ Ming ON the beach made but low II
egi- muir. Suddenly, in the midst OF this
to lence, / became aware of strange so
pos near me--a faint, uncertain sound,
ian, the whispering of voices and rustllni
ing garments. Fancying that my slste
ely, the children had playfully stolen
5 1t me in my abstraction, looked arou
of but, to my surprise, there was no
he'd visible.
lsed 1t must hava been a fancy, Of cou
was I thought, and turned once more to
pre-. book: but hardly had | done so "
an OF again l heard the rustling of drap
made and what sounded like a football on
lfant floor. | was startled, and sat breath
they staring around and listening. Ono
ectu- twice it was repeated, and then all
rents still as before.
Tern- In order that my story may be
e for comprehended and credited, must
He is form nv reader that was at this II
ID to woman of four-and twenty, had nev'
arac- nv life been i'll or nervous, was the
t viii therest possible from being superstlt
cord " inclined, had been accustomed
IS not card with ridicule all stories concel
either Ghosts, COLLINS, and other so called
rable itual manifestations Such being the
it is not to be supposed that the cir
stances just narrated should have
any deep or lasting impression on
On the contrary, though regarding
town certainly singular, 1 set it down as
lebec, those odd and fleeing fancies viii
: and sometimes puzzle and bewilder eve
eturn most rational, and, as such, thong
l that more of it, at the time.
,rs as But on the following day, and
is way ON the next, the mysterious sounds
he al | have described were repeated.
owing exactly as though some person or p
e last we're occupying the room with me,
ching ing with soft footsteps and speak
20 re- low whispers, as if unwilling to be
| took Once it seemed as though some SIN
once. ticle was dropped upon the floor,
cnsto- metallic sound dulled by carpet
les st there was none in the room. and
o hug distinctly distinguished grating n
yer. I Of kew turned in a lock after
vent in for the rest Of the day, all was gu
= take I said nothing to anyone about
wrest- noises though by this time was
when CONVINCED that they were not the
# who of my imagination ] yet decided
,;m 90 10 watch for their recurrence, anc
thoroughly convinced OF their res