The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-01-21
(Chamber's Journal]
The Mysterious House.


school near; not far from London; cheap
Thus, with something more than suspi-
cion of scorn in her voice, my sister Marga-
ret ran off on her fingers the list of my re-
quirefnents for a house.
[ had lust returned from India with sry
six children, and l was anxious to settle
them comfortably before their fathers re-
turn.
you want every comfort" continued
my sister, land you don't want to pay for
every comfort. l believe you Anglo-Indans
think we live upon nothing in England"
Her husband came in as she spoke.
Turning to him, she ran over again, with a
slight exaggeration and deeper infusion Of
contempt, the catalogue given above.
He took seat Difficult" he said
oracularly; shut it might be done. l have
it," said he, turning to his wife.
"What? The right house? Then you
are cleverer than l thought YOU"
"Do you remember the story Williams
told us yesterday"
Snow, James," said my sister, rising to-
her feet and looking at her husband severe
ly, IF you advise Eleanor to take that
house you do it on your own responsibility.
l wash my hands of it"
''Sit down again. Margaret" he said
"Be reasonable, my dear. Is there any suf-
ficient reason why Eleanor should not take
that house?"
''There is one very good reason~-she wi Il
have to do the housework herself. No SER
want will stay week"
"She has an Indian servant at any rate,
who must stand by her,"
''But think of herself, of her feelings
You smile, James. o yes; know you
think me absurd. Very likely 1 am absurd !;
but remember this-there's no smoke with
out some fire. Beside, know the last ter
ants. Mrs. Green is not an idiot She told
me-
''Stay moment" said my brother-in-law,
and he addressed himself to me. 'EEeanor,
tell me the truth; are you believer in
ghosts?'
"Does this mean that the eligible house
is hauntedT' exclaimed, much stimulated
at once. Write to the agent for me,
James,"
81 do believe you are all going mad,"
said my worthy sister, holding up her
hands in horror. "James, YOU are a sensi-
Bile man. You know things ought not to be
done in hurry. Eleanor, listen to what 1
heard from the last tenant She told me
with her own lips; it is none of your Sec
ond-hand stories"-
"No," l interrupted. HDon't tell me.
If there is ghost it will show ITSELF If
l.
your story, and might imagine it; or at
least''-correctng myself might be be-
trayed into telling somebody else. Some
body else might imagine it."
My brother-in law thereupon entered into
an elaborate description of the house. which
had everything / desired, and he believed
could have it for a rent which was so
small, considering its advantages, as to
seem merely nominal. "The fact u.s." he
said, 'their principal object is to have the
thing off their hands. Tenants have been
coming and tenants have been going; some
have paid and some have not paid
The place has got bad name In the
neighborhood. The owners, however,
think that if respectable tenant comes and
stays for some time it will have good effect
on the public mind But, as Margaret says,
you must count the cost. Your servants
will be sure to hear the ghost story. They
will see visions and dream dreams. You
may have to do good deal of the work
yourself. Blythe bye, there is an old house
keeDer, Mrs. Weevil, who lives in the low
er rooms"
Couldn't we get rid of her?' l said .
''She might tell the servants
81 am afraid that would be easier said
than DONE" he answered. ''She has some
claim upon the family. But they say she is
quiet old soul, who interferes with nobody
You might warn her, you know"
'Well,'' said, ''let us write to the gent
and see what cas be done"
The result of all this was that, week or
two later, on placid afternoon early in the
month ST August, 1 drove up with my child
rem, servants and luggage before the deep
porch of one of those moderate sized coun-
try house which abound in the country of
Surrey. 1t was to be my home for the next
twelve months-servants and ghost permit
ting.
For once, the description and expectation
that followed hard upon it were, l felt,
abundantlyjustified. My earthly paradise was
aparadise indeed; and joyfully, on the even
ing of our arrival, sat and wrote to my hus-
band of our good fortune. The house was
beautifully situated, and was itself pictur-
esque, with its deep porch in front, and the
neat balcony that surmounted it. 1t was
an irregular building, and its red brick walls
were hall -snothered with ivy and clematis,
Beyond the garden in front was broad lawn
bounded by the grand old beeches and ems
which form belt round Lord BIS estate
During the first few weeks nothing hap
pened to change my good opinion of the
house.
There was one circumstance did not like :;
but persuaded myself it was trivial, and to
be affected by it proved ultra-sensitiveness
beside, Ihad been warned beforehand. Two
of the lower rooms we're occupied by an old
woman. She was pensioner, / was told, of
our landlords. Many years ago she had
been housekeeper to some relatives of his
who lived in the house, and she had lived in
it ever since. / wished to see her and have
some conversation with her. l disliked, in
the first place, that any one of whom l knew
nothing should be in my house; and in the
second place, | was anxious to warn her to
Eaaya IA Ohoct-Sfprv fwhatayo or fJ,of ,ol,f
bel secret. My three English servants were
north-country girls. had taken good care
that they should be utter strangers to the
neighborhood; but knew if the possibility
of seeing ghost were Suggested to them
they would promptly make the possibility
certainty, and then my troubles would begin.
sent polite message to Mrs. Weevil, ask
ing for an interview; and she came to my
room. She was not prepossessing woman,
Her age might be somewhere between sixty
and seventy; and as she dropped an awkard
courtesy on entering felt she was giving me
homage which she did not pay willingly. l
said understood that she had permission
from the owner of the house to occupy certain
rooms in it.
Eyes. ma am," she said; "but not from
the owner as is the owner of the 'ouse now,
ma'am."
She manifested, thought, certain ILL
cOnCedlcu SulhlheSS, dS went on 10 ask her
if she could not be induced to fl d accom-
mediation for herself in some of the cottages
on the adjoining estate, so as to give us the
house yourselves. She stubbornly refused.
mo, ma am," she went on to say, II am
an old woman as has lived here for nigh twen-
ty years, and | never gives trouble to no one.
l only wishes to be let alone; and | means to
stay, ma am-yes, | means to stay.''
saw that it would serve to nc purpose at
present to try to dissuade her; and as did
not wish to quarrel with her, L changed the
conversation. said | understood there were
some foolish stories current about the house
being hau ted and hoped whatever she
thought of il, that she would say nothing to
my servants on the subject.
''1f your servants III let me Alone ma'am
I'll let them alone. has no wish to me dde
with any lady's servants"
then permitted her TO go. She was GER
tainly no trouble about the house; and she
was very seldom seen by me or any of the SER
wants. She only went out occasionally, as if
TO make such purchases as her necessities
might require, locking the door of her rooms
both in going and returning.
a month passed by. People in the noighbor-
hood began to call. They all praised the
house and grounds; but they ali looked mys-
sterious, and one and another limited: You
won't stay here over the winter"
d. -