The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-08-19

.AAO AANoVoAAO W <So OIL CdAy ttthc1l up, iil1u
that unless I chose to share his straw
with one ofthe waggoners, who are &C
customed to sleep in their numbering
vehicles, there was no resource for me
except to occupy the lonely building,
which had first caught my eye upon
entering the hamlet. Upon inquiring
as to the accommodation it afforded, I
learned that, though long deserted by
any permanent occupants, it was still
occasionally, Notwithstanding it's evil
reputation, resorted to by the passing
traveller, and that one or two of the
rooms were yet in good repair and
partially furnished. The good woman
of the house, however, looked very por-
tentous when I expressed my deter
mination to take up my abode for the
night IN the haunted room, though she
tried, Intellectually, to arouse her sleep
ing husband to guide me thither. Mine
host had been luxuriating too freely in
some old Monongahela, brought by re-
turn wagon from Wheeling, to heed the
jogging of his spouse, and l was OBJ
llged to act as my own gentleman
usher
The night was dark and gusty, as
with my saddle-bags in one hand and
stable lantern in the other, [ sailed
from the door of the cabaret and strug-
gled up the broken hill in it's rear to
gain my uninviting place Of rest. A
rude porch, which seemed to have
been long unconscious of door, adj
mitted me into the building, and, max
ing my way with some difficulty through
long corridor, of which the door ap-
pearec to have been ripped open here
and there in order to apply the boards
to some other purpose, / came to a
steep and narrow staircase without
any balustrades. Cautiously ascending,
l found myself in a large hall off
which were several rooms. 1t appeared
to be lighted by a couple of windows
only which were partially glazed in
some places, and closed up in others by
rough boards, nailed across in lieu of
shutters. 1t had evidently, however,
judging from two or three ruinous
pieces of furniture, been inhabited. A
heavy door whose oaken latch and
hinges, being incapable of rust were
still in good repair, admitted me into
an adjoining chamber. This had evil
IDENTITY been the dor,nitory ofthe estab-
lishment, where the guests, after the
gregarious and most disagreeable fash
ion of our country, were wont to be
huddled together in one large room.
The waning moon, whose bright
autumnal crescent was just beginning to
cast above the hills, shone through a
high window full into this apartment,
and Indicated comfortable looking
truckle bed at the further end, before
the rays of my miserable lantern had
shot beyond the threshold.
Upon approaching the pallet L OBJ
served some indications of that end of
the apartment being still occasionally,
occupied, The heavy beams which
traversed the ceiling appeared to have
been recently whitewashed. There was
a small piece of carpet on the floor be-
side the bed, and a decrepit table and
an arm chair whose burly body was
precariously supported on three legs,
were holding an innocent consultation
in the corner adjacent.
"Pve had a rougher roosting- place
than this" thought I, as I placed my
lantern upon the table and, depositing
my saddle-bags beneath it, began to
prepare myself for rest.
My light having burned low, I was
compelled to expedite the operations
Embarrassing, which prevented me from
examining the rest Of the apartment;
and, indeed, although had, when first
welcoming with some pleasure the idea
of sleeping in a haunted house, de-
termined fully to explore it for my own
satisfaction before retireing for the night
yet fatigue or caprice made me readily
abandon the intention just when my
means for carrying it into execution
were being withdrawn; for the candle
expired while I was opening the door
of the lantern to throw it's light more
fully ON a mass of drapery, which
seemed to be suspended across the
further end or the chamber. The COM
plete darkness that momentarily en-
sued blinded me completely; but in the
course of few moments the shadows
became more distinct, and gradually,
by the light of the moon, I was able to
make out that the object opposite to
me was only large old-fashioned bed
stead, prodigally hung with battered
curtains. gave no further thought to
the subject, but, turning over, compos-
ed myself to rest.
sleep, however, whom Shakespeare
alone has had the sense to personify as
a woman, was coy in coming to my
couch. The old mansion wheezed and
groaned like broken-winded buffalo
hard pressed by the hunter. The wind,
which had been high, became soon
more boisterous than ever, and the
clouds huddled so rapidly over the face
of the moon that her beams were as
broken as the crevices of the ruined
building through which they fell. A
sudden gust would every now and then
axyoon thrO,1rh tho 1o,,or oorr;1cr bolou,