The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-04-09

"One evening l was returning
rom the village of Sand met
be owner of the house Of which 1
have been speaking.
Smiley said be, how'd yoo like
10 take Up your headquarters 10 the
Daunted bou-eY y.
so | have bat one objection SAID
| Il fear no ghost ;but YOU see that
has become u sort Of standing
Ike. Any mao who goes into 1t Is
regarded with curiosity, aud II be Is
driven out he would better leave
this ueighborhood, for tie very boys
boot at ban for bis want OF nerve
aud men who, for their lives, dare not
into it even ia day time, call him
. coward fSr being scared out by
lbey know not what-at night
shall have to decline your offer, l
guess"
He laughed, aud we parted,
| bad uoticed that some time be-
fore a dark cloud bad begun to loom
no 10 The West. Tue wind nov be-
gan 10 moan and sligo, the lurid light
oing 10 Hash, aud | saw that a tem-
pest was about 10 oyertake me ere l
could reach my boarding place. /
gave my horse, Bill, the relos, aoa
-ped on AT u sweeping galiep. A
mile ahead was the Daunted house,
and Just a. ] came 10 it The heavy
Drops Of rsin began To fall r"de
I'd 10 the ience, a0u Bill cleared II at
a bound. rode to the stable tDd
found some hay 10 it. leading Bill
into a stall, | Supplied his manger
with hay, stripped off his rig, aud, al
ter tyiog nim by means OF a halter
which be wore, | carried The saddle,
blanket and bride into the house
Here | drew from my pocket q small
lantern aud lighted 1t | then pro
eeeded TO take q box at the surround
iugs. A backlog, about a quarter
burnt through ia front, lay In The ca
pacious fireplace. A pair OF heavy
aud-irons stood on The hearth. 10
one corner was quite q pile OF wood,
that bad evidently lain there sluce
the last occupant had been 10 the
house Ga the floor were the da;k
stains made 10y the vital iuld of Jack
Grisson. gszed ON them for a mo-
ment, muitered To myself poor devil.
aad then turning | strobe into the
next room. Here | met with nothing
of u suspicious nature, and took my
way thence to the cellar. Nothing
here to alarm any u The WIN
was flowing III httul gusts, aud tue
rain falling 10 %uorrent-, while coca
~siopally a fash of blue lightning
would Hume earth aud sky With Ia
gnastiy glare. knew that | was II
lf.r a night at the haunted house, ane
| prepared To pass It as best | might
returned to the room 10 which JacI
Grisson bad met biz fate, and noticed
one thing the momen that | stepped
into il, which was diffeieat from to-
manner 10 which | had left il; IN
DIOR betJceen the ti10 room ioos closed
/ HAD LEFT 1T OPEN.
: | am tree " confess that wa
, startled by this. | will not say alarm
. ed. but srartled. | weGt u the doc
aud opened it, but there was nothing
| 10 be @
, Inow returned to the fireplace 40
SET about kidding IA fire This oil
4 nos occupy much If my uime. sou
had a very cheerful ire blazing o
The hearth. had found an old chal
| in The room, Left here doubtless b
, some one, aud | drew il into The CO.
2 ner, lighted my pipe aud was soc
puHi y tbe blue smoke from my mput
as conteatediy as though | We're n,
, occupying u seat iu q hauoted hous'
/ [ must have fallen asleep; at al
rate | was neatly caused 10 sprlu
from ny chair by "a long, deep, hollo
a grUan; just sncn a grpau As d perso
v makes when he yields up the ghost
a | rubbed my eyes aud sla;ed aroun
the room. The fire was pretty VT
,e burned u | ouce more repleDishe
ee it. aud now noticed that the do
Y. when | bad before found closed aft
leaving il open. was open, whe1
e knew | had closed 1t. 1 walked
IN the door aud drew il shut, aud
III make assurance doGblv sure, took
ID stout hickory splinter aud inserted
I'd iuto the handle u St mi-clrculsr piece
I'd iron, In such a manaer that 1t Won
resist any ordinary ofsrt made
open The door without lirst removi
d the splinter. | now arranged q
be saddle aud saddle-blaDket, and hsvii
ut filled the cup of my pocket flask wi
w whisky, drank il aud lay down
an front vi the fire, soon atterward ia
ed ing asleep.
on How loDg | slept | knew not b
it. | was awakened by something,
III knew not what | was wide ava
be when | opened my es es, aud the Il
ed cast but au uncertain aud hsful glt
rs upon objects in the room but 81
there was enough light 10 render Q
ha iecls distinctly visible. There, L
mr. six feet from me. stood the form
Jack Grisson. | gszsd upon the
90 pearance for q moment. l Dot
n. particularly the fact that objr'
~, which | knew were behind The apI
,.s rition were not visible through il.
N, closed FIRST one eve aud then the u
dis er the object remaiaed as before.
nj. moved my baud before my eyes;
was shut cut ; but when | reGIov
J., nv hand there il stood as before.
n, gazsd, | was now satisfied, upon |
he apparI.ion of the guerilla chief, Jr
Grisson. | spoke TO the form, bur
"a returned nc reply. drew q rev
co. yer, and aiming II at the breast of
a figure, pulled the trigger.
The sharp report followed, aud
a'S loud ringing 'hs ha! hal echo
through the room, | gazsd agai
the apparition was still there. A
culiarlv sorrowful expression sprs
across It's countenance. For q |
minute it maintained its positi
when it moved suddenly across
door, and as suddenly sunk out
- sight. l arose to a sitting postr
rubbed nv eyes, but could See nc
ing. / arose, took my lantern, q
searched the whole house from &
ret to cellar. | found nothing to
,;m ward nv pains. When moro
7, dawnei | saddled my horse
made my way to my boarding hor