Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-24
THE MYSTERIOUS HOUSE.
Z Ell i


Ia Der voice. my sister Margaret ran of on
her myers the list OF my requirements Tor d
/ had Just returned from India with NY SLY
children, and wis anxious TO settle them com.
fOrtably before their fathers return
~ Gu want every comfort" continued my
sister. 'and you 0On'J want TO pay for every
comfort. l believe YOU AnglO-lndians think
we live upon nothing In England"
Her husband came in as she spoke. Turn
ing to him. she ran over again, with a sight
eyaggeTatfon AID deeper infusion OF con
tempt. the catalogue given above
He took seat Difficult, ;" he said oracullrly;
but II might De done | have It, saId he.
what: The right house, Then you are
cleverer than thought you
DO you remember the story Williams tod us
yesterday
Now James said my sister. rising u her
Feet and looking at her husband severely. If
on your own responsibility. WASH my ntLds
or it
sit down again. Margaret, he said BE
reasonable. nv dear. Is there any sufficient
reason why Eleanor should not take that
house.
There is one very good reason-she will
have 10 do the homework herself. No servant
VIII stay week
- She has All Indian servant a. any rate who
must stand by her.
- But Think 81 herself, OF her feelings You
smile, James . YES: | know you mink me
absurd Very likely am absurd; but remem-
Der thS-therets smoke without som. fire
Beside, J know the last tenants. Mrs. Green Is
not All idiot. she told me-
stay a moment" said my brother In law,
ard he addressed himself TO me. Eleanor.
tell me the tTu =; are you believer In gn1sJs?''
Does this mean that the eligible mouse Is
haunted?' ! exclaimed, much stimulated by
what had heard If so, Will take IL al oace.
Write TO the agent Tor me James"
= do DeiieVe you are all going mad, said my
worthy sister. holding UP her hands in horror
flames, you are sensible man. You know
things ought not 10 be done in a hurry. Etean-
or. listen 10 what l heard from the last tenant.
She told me with her own lips; Ii Is nOIe or
your second hand StorieS"-
NO, / interrupted Don't tell me- II
here Is a ghost IL Will show itself II there IS
not might Oe SCI thinking or your story. and
might imagine II: or at least'-c0rrecting my
self might D. betrayed into telling some
body else. somebody else might imagine IT,"
My brother tn-ltW thereupon entered into an
elaborate description or the house. when had
everything | could desire, and he believed
could have II FOR a rent which was SO small
considering lis advantages, as 10 seem merely
nominal The Tact is, he said. their prln-
ctpal object = 10 have the thing off their hIn Is
tenants have Deen coming aud tenants nave
been going. ana some have paid and soma have
not pad The place has got bad name In the
nsighooThoOd- The owners, however think
that IL a respectable tenant comes and stays for
some time II Will have good effect on the puo-
lie mind But, a. Margaret says, you must
count the cost Your servants Will be sure TO
hear the ghost story. They Will see visions aud
dream dreams. You may have TO do good
Z,
an old housekeeptr. Mrs. Weevil, who lives IN
the lower rooms
could we not get rid OF herr" / said. "She
might tell the servants
Il am afraid that would be easier said than
done. he answered. ''She has some claim
upon the family. But they say she is a quiet
Old soul. Who inIerteTeS with nobody You
might warn her, You know
Well sad, let Us write 10 the agent. and
see what eau be DONE
The result or all this was that, week or two
Tor q 4Tf ga FIt I'm tho Z,
OF August. drove up with my children ser
wants ana luggage before the deep porch OF one
OF those moderately sized country houses which
abound In the county or Surrey. IL was 10 be
my home Tor the next twelve mOnthS-SerganUS
and ghosts permitting.
For once, desert prion and the expectation
that followed hard upon It WERE | felt ablnd-
anJly luStified. Ny earthly paradise was par
adlse indeed; ana ipyfully, on the evening of
our arrival SAT and wrote TO my husband OF
our good fortune The house was beautifully
Situated. and was Itself picturesque, with It's
deep porch In front. and the neat balcony that
SurmOunted IT. IL was an irregular building
and It's red brick walls were half sm0Jhere1
With ivy and CleInatiS. Beyond the garden in
mont was broad Lawn, bounded by the grand
Old beecheS and elm5 which form a baIC round
Lord BIS estate. During the first few weeks
nothing happened 70 Change my good opinion
OF the house
There was one circumstance | did not like:
but persuaded myself IL was trivial and to BE-
affected by II proved ultra-SenSltiyeneaS, be-
side had been warned beforehand. Two OF
The lower rooms We're occupied Dy an old Wo-
man. Sue was prnsiOner, | was told or our
LANDLORDS AaDy years ago she mad been hOu Sc
keeper 10 some relatives OF his who lived iu the
house, and she had lived in il ever since. |
wished 10 see neT and have some conversation
with her diSliked. In the first place, that any
one or whom knew nothing Should be in nav
house; and In the second place. was anxious
10 warn her 10 keep the ghost story twhateVtr
mat might be} secret My three English ser
wants were north country girls. / had AIKEN
Of
10 the heighborhOod: but knew IL the pJsSibI-
lily or seeing ghost were suggested to them
tney would promptly make tue possibility a
certainty. and then my troubles would becip
sent a polite message TO Mrs. WeeVil. asking
f0r an interview; ana she came 10 nv room.
She was not prepOssessing woman. Her age
might BE- somewhere between sixty aud sew
enty; and as she dropped an awkward courtesy
on entering felt that she was giving me
homage which she did not pay willingly. |
said understood that she had permission from
the owner or the house TO occupy certain rooms
In It
Yes, ma'am" she said; "but not from
ma am.
She manifested. | thought, a certain little
concealed sulKineSS as | went On 10 ask her n
she could not oe induced TO md accommodation
Tor herself In some OF the cottages on the ad.
Joining estate, so to give US the house 20 ouy-
selves. She stubborny refused
NO. ma am, she went on 70 say, Il am an
OLD woman as has lived here for nigh tHeaty
years. and never gives tTorble 10 no one /
only wishes 10 be let alone: and means TO STAY.
ma am-yeS, means 70 stay.
saw that IL would serve no purpose a. prpS-
ent 10 Try 10 dlSSuade heT; and as did not wish
10 quarrel with her. | changed the converse
ton said understood there were some fool
ISM stories current about the house being
hauIteG, and hoped. whatever she thought Of
II, tnat she would say nothing to my servants
on the subject.
IF YOU servants Ill let me alone. rna'am IN
lei them alone. / has no wish TO NEEDLE win
any lady S servants"
then permitted her to go. She was certainly
no trouble about the house: and she was very
seldom seen either by me or the servants. she
only went out occasionally, as fr 10 make snoh
purchases as her necessities might REQUIRE
rocking the door OF her rooms both in going and
returning.
\ month passed by. People in the nefrhbor-
hOCd began TO call. They all Iralsed the house
ana grounds but they all looked ulysferio1S
ana one and another limited: You won't STAY
mere over The winter"
My answer was a smile. But the winter
came Flowers faded trees grew red, golden
DiOHD- ana al last their shiVering leaves fal
20 tLt ground IL was an early winter In No.
VENEER the cold was intense and the DAYS
were snort and gloomy. Many years had passed
oy since had spent a winter In England and
ltI the cola very much. / made the best of
mugs. however mufi1ng,mySelt and the child
itu IL IlabheL keeping the doors and windows
SlOseu ana having large rTeS ia the rooms and
nan IN spite or all could do two OF them foil
III IhtiT Illness was not serious: but NURSING
ana looking after them gave me much 10 do for
their ayah INDIAN nurse was SUFFERING AT the