The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-04-10

house, except that it was a lonesome
place and the neighbors didn't like Il
and that was the reason it went for notb-,
in. Not a soul said word to her about
the flIrriner or the dead woman; and
that made what happened all the curl
ouSer.
"They moved in one bright June
morning. The apple trees was all in
blossom; the sun shone; the house had
been scrubbed up clean; and it looked a
likely place enough. The man and his
wife was both nightly ticlxled with it.
They took a room upstairs for sleeping.
and the little room off the kitchen, where
the woman was found, you know, they
settled ON for a store-closet. 1t was ac-
cidental, for she didn't mistrust anything
about the matter, as | said. He pit up
a shelf for her, and she set her butter
and milk and groceries there, and her
flour bucket and sugar-pail. All day
long they was busy fixing up and set
Ting the house. By night things was
pretty well in order; and they were SO
tired that they went to bed early and fell
asleep at once.
Just before midnight the woman
woke up, and as quick as winkin it
flashed into her head that perhaps she
hadn't recollected to put the cover on a
crock of lard which she had set in the
room below. She knew that there S
always plenty of mice in old
houses, and it made her uneasy; so,
without saying word to her husband
she Just got up softly and went dow
stairs to see. 1t was full moon, and The
windows hadn't no shutters, 50 there
was plenty of light to see by, without
carrying candle. She made her way
across the kitchen and opened the store
closet door, and then she stool stock
still and didn't move step further, for
she was too surprised. The shelf was
gone, and all the crooks andpails and
parcels of groceries; and instetd OF EN-,
she saw bedstead, and a woman in it,
sitting up with her hair falling all
about her shoulders. Her eyes were
shinin' with fever and she fixed 'em right
on the woman's, and madea motion to
reach a pitcher of water on the floor
down by the bed.
''It was all 50 natural looking and she
was SO took by surprise that for min
ute the woman at the door forgot, and
just thought of reaching the pitch
er, to help the other but as the
thought crossed her mind the clock
in the kitchen began striking
twelve, and with the first stroke came a
long, wild bay from upler the window,
the baying of hound "a dreadful noise;
and with that it all cane over the man S
wife that it wasn't real, and she gave a
terrible scream and just fell flat on the
floor in fit.
Next morning SIZE and her husband
packed up their things and come away.
They wouldn't have slept iii the house
another night if ahybody'd have given
'em thousand dollars, they said. Both
of them had spells of sickness, as | told
you, and as soon as they was well enough
they moved over to Canaan to live. They
had taken sort of dislike to all this
neighborhood, you see. That was fifteen
years ago. Not a soul has lived in the
house since, and | rather think it II tum-
BILE to pieces before any one else will.
Some fool may try it again for one
night concluded Aunt Sabina, impress
lively; g but it won't be moren one, or
/ miss my guess"
80! nobody ever Wilt, cried, NLillyy,
81 wouldn't go near the house for
worlds; and neither would you, john
would you? Do say you wouldn't"
John was loftily incredulous. He had
no faith in ghosts; none whatever, he de-
clared! Village people were always
getting up stories. 1t was shame that
good bit of property like that should
run to waste on account of such nonsense
1t was noticeable, however, and Aunt
Bina did not fail to notice that, with all
this bravado, John did not take the old
house on the hill. g On Milly's ac-
count he explained. g 1t was pity
that girls were brought up so timid?'
Men are not always so considerate of
their wives fears, however, and Aunt
Sibina shrewdly opined that John was
not altogether unvisited by private mis-
givings of his own, in which opinion she
was very likely right.-Susan Coolidge in
T,,<}o a.