The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-03-15


balcony. "will you come up stairs,
Andrew should like to see you"
He stood for moment, scratching his
head. think he would have preferred
anything to entering my house at that
moment; but evidently he did not see
his way to refusing. A few moments
later he was in the dnwing-room.
Andrew" began, with some inten-
tional solemnity of manner, "you see
The position am In" His expression
indicated that he considered the position
sn exceedingly unpleasant one. 1.-THE
story has got about" went on, THAT
this house Is haunted" He turned pale.
You think 1t Is hauntedp" l asked,
looking at him fixedly.
He hesltated for few moments, shook
his head slowly, and succeeded finally
in saying Wat Is folks to think,
ma'am ?" uU
II acknowledge" answered, "that
the thing has a queer look. When
people appear, and vanish as suddenly
as they came, 1t is diff cult to think of
them as creatures of flesh and blood like
ourselves. -
=" "'Tain't posslble-like, was Andrews
comment; and observed that with the
words, his face took more healthy hue.
The quiet tone had assumed reassured
him. Ghosts, when they can be reason-
ed about, lose half their terrors.
"No, answered him cit is not
possible. But Andrew, if we look at
these things from another point of
view
6 Be there another ?" he eagerly asked
as paused to allow time for expression
of opinion.
" Yes, | said, "there is another. Be
fore believe in your Interpretation,
Andrew-before L believe it possible
that spirits can wander about the world
for no other reason than to frighten
people, must test mine"
His eyes, awakening to new interest,
were looking at mine inquiringly.
explained at once. What L mean
is this. l suspect trick. Somebody
has -pite against the owner of this
house - somebody has an interest in
keeping it empty"
Andrew was naturally shrewd. AS L
spoke there came into his face new
look Of keenness. He smiled. "There
has been queer things done" he observ-
ed with cautious impartiality.
- You have been here some weeks /
said. Have you heard anything dur
ing that time about this house, about
the people who own it? 1 am told they
lived here once.'
Thus stimulated, Andrew told me that
the house and grounds had originally
belonged to Lord B, father of the
present lord, whose park was command
ed by our front windows. On the mar
riage of a favorite sister with Mr.. Roupel,
a maa somewhat beneath her in posi-
ton, he gave her the house. Here the
married pair lived, in much happiness
it was said; and here their only child, a
daughter, was born. After running
through his wife's money, the husband
died. When left alone, the widow, and
her now grown up daughter, determined
to let their house and live abroad. The
rent of the furnished house, with its
excellent garden, would bring them in
an income sufficient to enable them to
live quietly In some foreign town. But
while this project was being discussed,
the widow died, suddenly and mysteri-
ously. An inquest was held over her:
for strange suspicious were circulated
abroad. The verdict was that she had
died Of the family complaint-heart
disease. But there were those who still
spoke mysteriously about the circum-
stances of the death, and declared that
the lady had met with foul play.
Now, this was the germ of the ghost
story, for it was said far and near that
Mrs. Roupel, If she had really been mur-
dered-and murdered by her own child,
AS some dared TO whisper-would never
rest in her grave. And when singular
appearances came and went, and strange
sounds were heard in the house, now
empty save for All ancient housekeeper,
the suspicion, scarcely spoken of at first
above breath, so dark it was and mon-
strous, was by and by openly discussed.
On this part of the story old Andrew
was ready TO dilate. He warmed to the
theme, indeed, aud would willingly have
given me, had desired it, q full and
particular account of the various people
who from TIME To time had been driven
from the premises. But I, holding still
to my point, that trick had to do with
it, restrained his flow of language, and