The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-01-26

-llt A4NsAt "a N-4N -t4- 49,
nc to sleep while ! was waiting ior
my visitor.
/ had been reading about halt an
hour when my attention was attract
ed by low, plaintive moan, sever
al times repeated. 1t sounded is if
it proceeded from a wardrobe stand
ing in a recess between the chimney
and the window.
! went very silently to the spot
and placed my ear against the door.
Yes I it certainly came from there.
I turned the key and opened 1t, but
discovered nothing. l moved the
wardrobe a little forward at one end
to see if there was anything at the
back.
No Perhaps it came from the
next room, so / made my way there,
but with like result. In fact, ! could
not even hear the sound.
| came back, but in my absence,
the moaning had ceased: so, with
nothing to guide me, l had TO wait
for It's recurrence before | could at
tempt any discovery.
/ had determined to pass the md
night hour in the room where the
blood had been found, and just before
twelve I laid my book aside and re-
paired to that apartment, which was
Immediately overhead.
After waiting half an hour, took
a turn through the house and final
" came back to my old quarters:
having met with no success.
Another hour passed and stlu no
result. / began to think the haunt
ing was over for the night, and my
watching had ended in failure, but
lust as the morning was breaking
the same cry reached my ear, ac-
companied jv sound which might
ftlybe described as the rustling OF a
dress.
Still it proceeded from the same
place. and again l examined the
wardrobe. Then l opened the door
at the top of the CRATE commumcat-
ing with the chimney, to see II any
thing was there. n. nothing was
TO be seen.
Now it sounded az if in the room
above, but a journey there proved
as fruitless as before.
When returning, however, the
noise seemed neareraRd louder than
| had heard it, as though the ghos'
was in the room l had recently left
and then ! remembered Mr.. II. hao
told me it was in the early morning
his wife had been first alarmed.
Very quietly I reached the foot o
the stairs and passed along to tn
door, keeping on the opposite SD,
of the corridor, so as 10 shield my
self as much as possible by avoid
ing the glare of the gas. Still ther'
was nothing visible.
| entered the room, and coulo
distinctly hear the moaning, but tn
ghost did not appear. ! tUrne,
down the gas, and Immediately
saw something come from the bot
tom of the bed toward the doc
Slowly itmoved and made no nois
but the low. pitiful wall, rs thougI
in great trouble
i spoke. and Immediately it stoo,
still and looked round as though i'm
ploring my help, but spoke not
approached, but it stood its ground
and allowed me even to touch j
We were neither Of Us afraid of tn
other
In less than half an hour l ha
! learned as much as | could OF II
sad story. having, in the meantim
administered to its comfort a. far
II then could, after which 1t vanish
ed from my sight never more {
haunt that house.
Early in the morning Mr. II. al
nounced himself by a good pull a
the bell, being anxious to know tn
result Of my labors.
told him | had seen the ghost
and having learned its story, ha,
succeeded in laying it; but coul,
not give them a full explanation, in
asmuch as there were still one Q
two points upon which | needed t
be satisfied. | promised, however
that in the course of a week | would
tell them all / knew.
Before the time had expired, Mrs
II. and the children returned home
and had almost overcome the alarm
the ghost had caused them, but wer
still very impatient for me L
tell them what | had discovered.
At last the day arrived, and / me
Mr.. and Mrs II. and their two oldes
children.
They first assured me, on thei
part. that they had not heard tn
least disturbance since ] left tn
house. neither by day nor night.
Then ! said, Il viii give yol
my story. which is very short, in
deed. Had it not been for thenoise
in your room. ] have not the leas
hesitation in saving that you woulC
not have attached my importance L
the stain on the floor in the Uppe
room. which | find is now due Il
the upsetting Of a bottle Of French
polish, and not to any murder vol
had an idea had been committed
This was the point upon which
was wanting information, and which
| have satisfactorily proved. As tC
the cause Of the noises, az the morn
ing was breaking, after one unsuc
cessful endeavor to discover it,
opened the door of the CRATE in youl
room, and while | was up stairs, the
ghost descended the chimney, where
it had been confined from the com
mencement of your alarm, and when
/ returned to your room | found, moi
the shadowy ghost Of human form
as you had believed. but, in verita,
BIG flesh and blood, / behcld-a PIG
EoNl / gave it a saucer Of water
and some bread, which was greedily
devoured, and after 4 short time il
grew stronger, and manifestlng de-
sire TO be free, | opened the window
and it escaped"
They looked at me in astonish-
ment as finished my story. and
could scarcely believe that such a
trihe had caused them SO much
alarm.