The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-08-23
THE MYSTERIOUS ROOM.

er part of man and woman kind, but i
am not so weak as to believe in witch
craft, or In omens, or In warnings. l
never did believe in them nor In dreams
generally speaking), though as to these
latter phenomena / will not speak posi-
lively for reasons which could give, but
shall not just now. Nor do believein
apparitions, most of which may be easi-
ly accounted for by the state of the seer's
health, or his nerves, or by the state of
the atmosphere, or a hundred other cir
cumstances. But 1 will say, without
ble person, that some things are quite
unaccountable, though they cannot
either be denied or explained away.
For example, noises Dreadfully un-
accountable are the noises that person,
sitting up late at night, and alone, land
when a. the weary world to rest are
gone" may hear in some houses.
say alone, because it is not to be suppos-
ed that when several persons are togeth-
er, some talking and laughing, some
moving about, some occupied one way
and some another, that they should pay
any attention to the mysterious noises
of which ] am speaking. l am not
nervous, but really could not live in
house that was so afflicted-no, not If
could get it rent free, and, moreover,
be paid for living in it.
And again there are still worse things
than mere noises that make some houses
very undesirable habitations for the liv-
ing; such things, for instance as shadowy
figures to be seen fitting by when there
is apparently no substance to cause them;
or a trembling to be felt in the air which
makes the bell wires vibrate, or even
the bell to ring at unreasonable hours
cannot say that l ever actually saw
these things myself, but l confess that
once, just at midnight, mo, / will not
say what it was now. l do not wish to
make my friends either nervous or un-
comfortable; still more unwilling am
to give them any cause for distrusting
my veracity, so / will pass over that
strange affair for the present at least,
and to give true account of what hap
pened in house that L was we'll ac-
quainted with, and then they may judge
for themselves whether or not that house
Was.
The house in question was large
and substantially mansion, stand
ing in beautiful sheltered spot,
although scarcely furlong from the
sea, and on the eastern coast of England.
1 know no other such spot on the whole
line of coast from Berwick on Tweed to
Dover. You already imagine that it is
stately edifice with gables, and turrets,
partly clad with ivy, with deep-set, mar
row pointed windows, and winding
stairs complete No such thing
neither is it great staring modern
house, standing stark naked, with
neither an evergreen shrub outside, nor
superstitious legend inside, to enliVen
it. On the contrary the garden can
boast of fig-trees of magnitude seldom
attained in our island except upon the
southern coast, and the myrtle, which,
further inland, can only be kept alive
through the winter months in green
house, covers the walls with its shining,
dark green leaves and fragrant, silvery
blossoms, to height far above the draw
ing. room windows. The house may be
hundred years old-it may be more,
or it may be less, though 1 should not
think it. Who lives there now is no
matter our business is with the " good
old Squire" as he was commonly called
in the neighborhood, who lived there
five-and-twenty years ago. knew him
well, and a hearty, hospitable, ,old trump
he was, too. He was a widower, and
had no family; but as his means were
ample, his house large and well appoint
ed and, moreover, his disposition social
and jovial, it seldom happened that his
house was without visitors.
OF all the places ever knew it was
the most pleasant to stay in; there was
no trying to be cheerful and gay, it all
came naturally; it seemed to be the very
air of the place. There was plenty OF
shooting in the autumn; in the winter,
hunting with two or three packs OF
barriers that were kept in the neighbor-
hood; in the summer an endless variety
of amusements on sea or land, and for
wet days there was billiard table and
good library for those who were inclin.
ed to be studious, or quiet, or lazy-every.
body did as he liked-Liberty Hall il
was.
And yeti had heard certainly, for