The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-05-01

he holy fssst to ksspr'
The Or. rspsnta.s. hid hsr fsss;
TN, bsnding esntly down.
g." sasA ths naSas. Il viii share
With you my shining CROWN
She covered her with golden leaves,
And soon the Ar-trss stood
Encirclsd By . halo bright
That siorinsd the wood. N. NJ.
PURSUING A SPECTRE.
The majority of the .house" had passed
the sweltering months of July and August
in sylvan retreats or at watering places, as
fancy listed, while I remained in the dusty
CITY TO see that the business did not run
away with itself, and shall always think
that I had the best of it. The Office was
large and airy, and got the benefit of
eveFy meeze from the river, which renS
dered life quite endurable even in the
days when the mercury threatened to bub
BILE over the top of the thermometer.
had very easy time, assure you; and
back lin town." the lovely months Of Sep
tember and October were mine for vaca-
ton. -''
; Like soma good people of ancient time,
I decided ''to 20 a-fshing," and enjoy my
self generally. After tarrying two or three
weeks on the Hudson and in the Adiron-
backs, I sought little hamlet on Lake
Ontario, whence / intended 10 put forth
daily after fish. Lagonda is as lovely and
quaint q wee burgh as one could well find
anywhere. Green hills close to it on two
sides; on q third o clear, swift creek goes
by, while on the white beach at
its foot the blue waves Of the lake break
in constant music. The town itself is
some thirty or forty queer, gabled houses,
ranged irregularly on one long street that
overlooks the gem of bay. And 1t has
an inn, like the nice old inns in q story
p6E[ [lsrRe and comfortable, clean and
cosy. where the wants Of the Inner man"
are we'll attended TO, and On whose broad
pJrches the villagers gather every pleasant
evening TO hear and retail their little gos-
sip..: During my stay there fished TO my
hearts content and took long rambies
through the charming surroundins coun-
= One evening. early in October, fotnd
myself ON the broad, smooth pike that
skirts Silver Creek, leisurely enjoying the
matchless loyeliness of that delicious
night. The air was pure and gentle as an
angels breath; and the full hunters moon,
ms1estically tender, enfolded the earth in
peace. I had wandered about mile from
Iagonda, when my attention was particu-
Iarly attracted by . singular but handsome
cottage that stood q short distance from
De roe. stepped aside and leaned over
the bow wicket gate thai / might examine,
it more closely. 1t was picturesque lit
tie dwelling-the counterpart Of many l
had seen in Normandy-but notin Ameri-
ica Il was built of undressed stone, and
had q number OF small diamond-paned
windows There were many tall, fanciful
chimneys, and quaint dormer windows
blinking everywhere out of the steep roof.
Luxuriant vines with fast crimsoning
leaves chung 70 the walls aud draped the
porticoes- The place was evidently un-
grown with grass. and the garden was
tangle Of neglect, Frightened up little
here and there by few sturdy astets that
still survived. The moonlight invested
this desolation with such a weirdly inter
esting air of mystery that decided to
view il still closer. So opened the gate
and passed up the box-edKed walk. Hav-
ing satisfied myself with the front of the
house, I went around it and seated my
self upon some broad stone steps looking
ess~1rd To the early rising moon, to rest
and meditafe, Ats short distance before
me was a rustic arbOr overgrown with
climbing rose and honeysuckle, and ON q
bench near the door the bright moonlight
revealed to me, with perfect distinctness,
the figure of man. The place was very
lonely he might be an evil disposed tramp,
and 1 put my hand cautiously upon my
revolver. Then / arose, walked over TO
the arbor, andlaccosted him.
Il beg pardon, sir; but does this house
belong to youy'
! The man, a tall, well-dressed person,
turned towards me as / spoke, but he did
not reply. His face was gloomy and
pallid-it was the face of a man whose
familiar spirit was the raven Of despair.
Still persisted. r...e -=1.e
Are we both intruders herer'
Deserted property is the privilege Of
and one who wishes TO visit il, presume" |"
he replied, with cold gravity. .i
! Il heg your pardon, sir" said /; ~ am
q stranger at Lagonda-passing a few
weeks there, CHANGED to stray this way
tonight, and this desolate house fills one
with q strange curiosity to learn some
thing of its former occupants. Can you
ealjghteC mew y 'st
Il am not q resident of Lagonda or its
vicinity. he said, quietly; but I could see
that h6 pale face grew whittier, and de-
termined TO know what was in il, If could
find out. A vacant house is nothing re.
markable; bulI had a mysterious convic-
ton that there was something remarkable
shout thisone. r
$50, then, you can tell me nothing
about?' 1 asked, in a tone of doubt and
inquiry.
Nv strange companion did not immedi.
ately reply; but sat quite still, with his
bands clasped quite loosely over his knees,
staring out into. the moonlight with hor.
TOR brooding in his deep eyes. Ipassed
before him and seated myself on bench
in the arbor Just opposite him, where
could watch b 8 face; for the man begar
to interest me as much as the house In a
moment he turned.
7;"There was family-a mother and
daughter-named Legire, who lived here
ab0ut three years ago; but l heard that
they were frightened away by IA ghost." !"
"A ghostr' ---z.. .-.s-ue.
4Yes, = ghost. You certainly must have
heard something of it at the village ~ he
said, inquiringly.
mo; have heard nothing about il. /
am not surprised, however; for a country
town never attains its true dignity until Il
has spook of some kind. But tell me
about it!- exclaimed, alive with interest
The ghost" There isn't much toltell,
for no one ever succeeded in finding out
much about it. 1t appeared as a broad,
white light, that nightly started out upon
q solitary walk from the low, wooded hills
beyond the creek there, thence across 1t to
the brow of the hill upon which stands
this cottage, then back aga n. The whole
country side had watched il and speculat-
ed about it for twenty years, but no one
couldsgive satisfactory explanation Of it.
It was q hideous thing" he said, with a
shudder. f...f-
"And there was a discovery-not a ru-
NOR of onew
He answered reluctantly, and with a
sigh: About ten years ago some one stars
ed rumor that Doctor Brown, q rcck-
less young scapegrace from New York who
came to Lagonda to practice, had contriv-