Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-06-05
A Desperate Deed.

a desperate Deed.
In the spring of 1876, being
desirous of purchasing a coun-
try dwelling, / advertised, stating
my wants and requesting owners
of desirable property to commu-
nicate with me. Among the nu-
merous answers that L received
was one requesting me to exam
line a place in the village Of NJ,
ON Long Island, which, if the de-
scription given was an accurate
one, would, / thought, exactly
suit me. The price was exceed
ingly low, and the house within
an easy distance of the city.
/ at once wrote to the agent, a
Mr.. Williams, stating that I'd
examine the property on the fo.-
lowing day.
AT a late hour the. next after
noon / alighted from the cars at
M. The appearance of the
place pleased me, and | was GER
tain that the property would
prove just what l wanted. Ihad
expected the agent to meet me
at the depot, but no one was in
sight save a young fellow who
was lying at full length upon the
platform, watching me with idle
curiosity. ane
"Lookin' for any one, mister?"
he ventured to inquire.
~ expected Mr.. John Will
liams to meet me here" replied.
'Hain't seen nothin' of him,
was the response.
''Can you direct me to a place
called the Elms?" asked.
The effect of this inquiry up
on the countryman was some
what extraordinary. He sat bolt
upright and stared at me with
wide open mouth.
''The Elms?" he presently re-
peated. @ .sia>
eyes, the Elms,'' / said con-
sulting the letter / had received,
in order to assure myself that /
had made no mistake in the name
of the place.
Mister" said my. companion.
with great earnestness, "is Viii.
liams tryin' to sell you that.
housed? If he is, don't you have.
nothin' to do WITH
''Bnd why not, prayg' I ask,
ed, not a little surprised.
Because, Mister, that house
is hamted," he replied.
'ITaunted! ha, ha, ha!7y
Laugh if you lille,"a said my:
companion stoutly; you'll find,
Pve told you the truth"
AT this moment a carriage.
drove rapidly up to the platform
and halted. The di'iver,a shrewd-
looking man of about forty leap-
ed out. b@
''Mr. Bascomb, / suppose?'' he
said, advancing toward me.
s"That is my name:ps7ssa .aT,e.
81 am John Williams; I'm scr
ry to have kept you waiting, sir,
but if you'll jump into my wag--
on III take you to the house at
once"
A moment later we sWeres on
our way.
'Yonder rustic has been en-
tertaining me with a story that
the house You have for sale is
haunted" REMARKED, ,laughingly.
Mr.. Williams uttered an ex-
clamation of impaticnce.
"The superstitious villagers
will never let that story rest" he
said. at has had the, effect of
preventing the sale of the house
more than once" I 81
"Well, / assure you it will
have no such effect in my case"
/ replied. 81 am no believer in
ghosts, and if the dwelling suits
me we shall have no difficulty in
coming to terms, | think. But
how did the ridiculous story o..
riginate?" bI1GaoJ 4l q
That's more than / can tell
you," was the answer. "The
house has been moccupied for
over a year, and ever since its
former tenant left it absurd sto-I
ries of strange voices, ghostlyi
forms, and all that sort of thing
have been afloat."
"Who owns the placew
''Mr. Charles Ashton, who for
merly lived in it. A little more
than two years ago he fell heir
to a fortune to nearly half a mill
ion, which was left him by his
brother, George Ashton, former,
ly a well-known New York mer-
chant"
30, yes" interrupted, Il was
slightly acquainted with him and
heard something about the dis
position of his. property. 1t was
left conditionally to his brother,
was it not?"
"By George Ashton's WILL"
replied my companion, "his en-
tire property was left to his son
Henry, who ran away from home