The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-01-16

&00Og OS08SeO U0VeAD
From Harpasws
A few years ago l removed into a new
and larger house with young family.
Some nights after my removal was
awakened in the middle of the night by q
distinct knocking twice or thrice repeated
at my bedroom door. Icalled out, who's
there?" There was no reply; bat after an
interval of a few minutes the knocking
was repeated as distinctly as before, and
lust as If a person outside in the lobby had
struck sharply and repeatedly with his
knuckles on the door. sprang rapidly
from bed on It's being repeated and rushed
to the bedroom door and opened 1t. deter
mined 70 catch the knocker. But there
was no one outside, and no one could have
escaped down the staircase. brilliantly
lighted with food of moonlight, which
streamed through the skylight window.
am not. and never was, spirit-stricken or
superstitious, but [ Will confess my sensa-
ton now became trying; my heart began
to throb. and returned to bed with ears
painfully awake. Again came the knock
ing. clear and distinct. and methodical as
| before. Although feeling very uneasy, l
crept silently out of bed and stretched my
self on the floor, with my head on the
boards and few feet from the bedroom
room door. to find out. if possible. from
what part of the door the knocking pro-
| ceeded. Again it came as before, and
could distinctly refer II TO the lowest part
or panel of the door. ! suddenly opened
the door. but with the same result rs be-
fore; and again lay in my former posi-
ton Again came the knocking, three or
four distinct taps; and now, fixing my
eyes steadily on the spot from which the
| tapping proceeded. ! saw the knuckle-
bone OF a leg of lamb about the size Of a
very small walnut, jerked repeatedly
agains. the railing that lay alongside the
door. The skirting was thinner than the
sounding board of a piano; and IT was the
sudden tapping Of the little bone against
the sounding board that produced the re
peated knocking But how was this tap
ping produced? BY mouse that had
found its way along the hollow space be-
hind the wrincoat. Ii had bored a hole in
the very lowest part OF the waincoat. very
nearly on level with the floor, had found
its little bone left after the chlldren's din
ner. and had dragged it to the entrance Of
its hole, but could not get it through. II
had dragged through the tough bit of sin
ew which is attached 10 the end of tn,
bone-popularly known in mutton as tn,
gentleman's bone-and was trying. by
Jerking it backward, to get the bone it.el
through; and each jerk gave a blow
against the thin sounding board, anc
each blow gave out the sound or mysteri
Gus knock
Nv next experience was, if possible
more puZzliny. In the neighborhood o.
Dublin. on the rocky sea coast of Oakley
there are several castles supposed TO hav'
been erected by the Danes for the protec
ton of their traders. They are still il
fair preservation, and have dwelling hous
es OF modern construction built agains
them. One Of these old castles stands OF
the very verge of the sea. over what Wa
once IA rocky inlet. but is now a harbor
along the opposite side of which is row
OF tisherman's cottages. The dwelling
house attached to this old castle | witt
nv family occupied In the summer TO
healths sake and TO enjoy boating. o
which was fond. observed, some tint
after taking up my residence in II. tina
no matter at what time ! retired TO bed
and generally sat up one or two hour
after the other members OF NV family ha,
retired-the servants from the kitchen
story selected the same moment for thei
departure.
This increasing regularity became a
last annoying. and ] insisted on KNOWN,
the cause. The information given to m
. was that the old castle and house wer
, haunted. and that for no inducement
would the servants remain after had as
cended from the parlor. ] had nov
reasons for thinking there WAS SOM
ground for the fears. The pantry partlc
rlarly, and the rest Of the mouse with II
, were walked over by footsteps at night
i These were plainly heard, and there wa
added an additional aggravation; for
not content with this, the supernatural
, visitor began to do mischief and. general
! " in the gray Of the morning, mad
, free with eatables and pots OF jam on tn
shelves. occasionally breaking a glass o
plate. To add TO the mystery
though the pantry was carefull
|, locked every night. tn. depredations stil
! continued. and at length the terror Of eael
night. visitation became greater ans
, greater. and various stories began 30 b
circulated, one beng that the visitant wa
, the spirit OF "A nun condemned to suffe
, the pangs Of hunger for sonic transgres
sion. This was supported by the circum
: stance Of the castle and grounds havini
been occupied as convent. The onl
, opening in the pantry was through ven
tilaior in the roof. very high ny, and al
Joining one of the lofty walls Of the oil
castle. Through this no human benz
could gain an entrance; but II WAS enter
, ed By a monkey, which came 10 II in thu
way. One Of the pilot boat was taklni
off a pilot TO a ship. TO relieve the ore u
, duty, when the monkey. sick. suppose
. Of the sea. and determined not 20 lose tn
, opportunity. jumped into the boat and o.
, nearing the shore jumped out again an
sought the nearest shelter, which happen
ed to be the old castle. The ship wa
from the West Indies, laden with sugar
The monkey. though missed from 10
q homeward-bound. was unnotlced by IN
, pilot crew. and finding his way from th
i castle 10 the ventilator 81 the sdioInin
, dwelling house pantry, sought 10 sllay hi
hunger there when all was quiet at might
By day the creature lay hidden IN the oil
a castle; and II Was oniy after lapse c
. many days and nights that poor Joeko va
discovered peeping out from his lodging !
the old Norman keep.
!, Whas H1sssehes
#. Fnn<n III Hnstiand csur1-