Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-01-17


longings up from the station, grin
widely.
Afraid of driving him to commi
suicide? says John. How would
| ghost manage that, l wonder.
More likely he'll turn you out, say
Hiram the driver,still grinning. Yol
amt the first folks-by long sho
that hez come up here bold a
/ brass at night, an lef' the mex morn
in, lookin' Is ef they'd been caugh
stealin' sheep.
Do you think we shall look as i
We had been caught stealing sheep
tomorrow morning, John? ask
Milly, demurely.
Johns laugh is his sole reply, hui
the driver looks at her admiringly
Clear grit she is, an no mistake
he saws. Wa'al, I'll look in to-mor,
row mornin' to see eff so be ye want
any chores done. I'd kind o. like tc
know how ye git through, an wheth.
er you'ar goin' to stick it out more'n
one night.
And so, having deposited their
trunks within the house, he remounts
his wagon, touches up his horses, and
departs.
The first thing to be done, John, ia
to inspect the house, SAYS Milly-to
look out for trap-doors and that sort
of thing, you know. And, oh, John,
do you happen to know how the
ghost makes himself manifest? Does
he frisk visibly, or is he merely audi
BILE? Does he clank chains, or play
hall with the furniture, or whatP
Really l cannot tell you, says
John. 1t might have been well if l
had inquired, but I quite forgot to
do so. No doubt we shall find out
for ourselves tonight, in the mean
time, keep your eyes open for any
thing suspicious.
Nothing suspicious meets their
gaze, however, as they explore the
old house. The rooms are furnished
plainly but comfortably, with old
fashioned furniture. A broad hall,
with a door at each end, and two
gOod-Sized rooms on each side of it,
constitutes the ground floor. Up
stairs the arrangement is much the
same, and this, with the kitchen
built in a wing, and large dusky gar
ret, constitutes the whole house. All
is plain, comfortable and unsugges-
tive in the extreme.
Human beings might be extremely
comfortable here, says Milly, as they
finish their tour; but should think
it the last place Oh earth for a ghost
to take fancy to. Everything is so
eminently practical and matter-of-
fact.
Must be a ghost in reduced eircum-
stances, as you suggested, says John.
Turned out of his ancestral abode,
most likely. and not squeamish about
his surroundings.
No servant can be induced to set
foot in the house by night or by day;
they have been warned of this be-
fore hand, and have prepared their
minds for q fortnight's picnicing.
1t is frolic for them to light the fire
and get the tea, frollo to wash up
the dishes and set them away in
their places afterward. What is
not frolic when you are gay and
happy and healthy and young, and
when you have not been
marned quite year? Then they sit
down upon the porch before the door
and watch the light as it slowly
fades from the twilight skies, and
inhale the scent of the brine in the
air, and listen to the soft chant of
wind and wave, as they build up
vague, fanciful legends of the haunt
ed house.
John! John! 1t is Milly's voice
which wakes John from his first
sleep, Milly's voice in quick, low
tones. John, wake up! there's
somebody in the house!
Oh, nonsense! grunbles John,
sleepily; It's only the ghost.
The ghost! Oh, to be sure; l for
got all about him. But what a row
be makes! says Milly, after listening
a moment. Poor fellow! lie must
have something awful on his mind
to 90 on like that. 1t would be quite
a charity, after all, to find him out
and let him unbosom himself, and
then be dead peaceably. Listen,
John! Did you ever hear anything
like it?
John listens. There is indeed
fearful row, as aMlIly has said.
There are subdued rustlings and
groans and moanings-moans as of
a soul in deepest agony; and the
sounds There is no doubt about it)
are in the same room with them
almost, it would seem, under the very
bed.
Who's there? says John, aloud;
ouG tiSiC II nv iFplJ' YIN SiOoI,
deep and awful, answers him, and a
sound of something stirring uneasily,
and faint wheeling noise, followed
by another groan deeper and louder
than the first.
Good gracious! cries Milly, what
can all the poor fellow? Ghosts
don't have toothache, do they, John?
1t must be his mind. What 4 pity
they didn't dissect him and take out
his conscience before they buried
him! Suppose you get up and see
what it's about, John. 1t sounds as
If he were hiding under the bed,
afraid to come out.
John gets up and looks, and lights
the candle and explores every closet
and corner, even crawls under the
bed and examines every inch of space
but there is nothing found which can
explain the mystery. Not even
stray cat is there to account for the
terrible sounds.
1t must be down stairs, says John,
candle in hand, proceeds down stairs,
leaving Milly in darkness above.
Nothing there, search as he may.
But on his return he is greeted by
Milly's soft little voice: Did you
find him, John? l suppose not,