Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-09-09


| was born in m old chartered and
very picturesque town IN q western
counly, in whose vicinity stood an an
ciens and dueal pslaee, which had not
been occupied Tor many . long year.
and. Iikc other buildings lelt 10. decay.
had the reputation of being haunteds
There certainly were strange sights
and sounds % ka seen md heard soIae-
times by those who were near The
place af dusk and after daFk. but 4 was:
neseF locked iat0. issd satSaIntd an
age when ghosts or hobgoblins and
such ike rubbish dad not terrify or
trouble me. Twas q married man, the
father Of several children, when a
cousin came TO VISIT us, who was high
" delighted with our pretty town: and
knowing her 20 be very clever with her
pencil. asked her 30 paint me one or
two scenes in the neighborhood. This
she willingly consented TO do, and we
saliied forth TO fix on what should be
our first picture. She thought the view
from the Dukes house, as il was called,
would be the best. | told her she
dared not trust herself in there, for il
had been uninhabited for the last CEN
tary, aud was haunted. She laughed,
and said she did not believe in ghosts ::
she was not so much frightened al the
dead in solitary places as at the living !;
and her curiosity being excited, she
wanted to explore the old building
So, while she went for her easel and
materials, got the keys from an old
man who lived in the courtyard of the
dncal residence.
We walked through the rooms, adj
miring their old grandeur, the lofty
marble columns standing on marble
hearths each side of the fireplace. sup
porting the grained ceilings, with coats
of-arrns and other evidences carved in
marble between them. The tapestry
round the walls smelled mouldy, but
was in wonderful state Of preserya-
tion, and nc worse than when,. q boy,
twenty years before, had pitied the
Iadies who worked so hard to cover
the rough stone walls. My cousin Sc
lected room for her first sketch, and
as was leaving, I advised her to lock
the door to guard against intrusion but
she objected TO this, saying she never
locked herself in any room for fear Of
sudden illness; but If would lock the
door on the outside, and call for her
as came from the baEk, she would =
much happier to know She Vas 'secdre
from interruption. After some hesita-
ton consented to do this, and With
the key in my pocket went to business.
II was just closing time, and was
locking up the strong room when the
manager drew my attention TO mat
ter which involved protracted search
of papers--a search. however, which
happily proved successful. All other
thoughts having been driven from my
head by this unwonted piece of busi-
ness, | reached bomes and as mechan-
ieally took out my latch-key aud went
into the house, still in a reverie, was
met by my wife, who asked why | was
so late for dinner and where Mary
was. -
"Msryl'' J. exclaimed / forgot all
about her, and catching my hat of
the peg again rushed out, speeding as
fast as j could 10 liberate her. and Bit
terly lamenting my folly for locking her
in. "A .,-,o4 o.si.gl, 7s,0 sb1
1t was quite dark when ] got theEe,
and ], had no light; but felt oct the
key-bole, unlocked the door, and tramp
ed loudly up the stairs. ! called her,
but received no reply. Going into The
room in which ] had left her, gazed
into the recesses, and found her huddled
up in corner.
"Mary, my poor. dear child, 81 ex-
claimed, "will you ever forgive me -
"Hush. hush! iorpity's sake, hush ~
said she in whisper.
why did you not answer me when
called your" replied.
| felt her whole frame culver, and
then, as was assisting her TO rise, she
tell , on me AN. a Gaintiag TT. had no
light, not even a. iusee in my pocket,
and no one was within call. At length
| theught-of the-water she bad for her
WORK; itnight revive her ifI could find
il. ] laid her down gently, and grop-I
ing about for The water, sprinkied her
face, which had The effect OF bringing
her around. q,
Hurriedly rising, she exclaimed: ::
"0h come away. Take me cut Of fihis
horrid place - ss.sskk.ea a
began to rally her about the absnr-
iity of her. fear, and her telling me- in
the nnoEiiHg she u as not superstifious.
Bot she interrupted me by saying
81 have seen no ghost. We are ina
den OF -borrid thieves and 'shurderers
! saw two bodies dragged up stairs,
stripped ofeverything, with Just shirt
around them. Oh, come out OF The
place orfwe shall be fhe next. Even
now shey may have heard US and viii
murder us"
sskea her il she had not got drowsy
whilst waiting for me IN the ,gioosss ol
the aIteknom, tor il was November,
and dreamed il.
"0h, no !'- she rcplied, 81 did moi
dream; aud horror-stricken as 1 was.
when the rnfians descended the stairs
again crePt silently Up to- see III
could find ont anything: and. oh horror,
! shall never forget the sight Do let'
us gos" -
| must confess | felt a little creepy
and nervOns. but was myself again IN
moment. Feeling her tremhle. and
fearing another swoun. 4 hr gan descend
ssAe kha Al