Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-07-13


man, who happened to be Just entering
the hall; the man most positively de-
clared that the figure stood hooded and
cloaked, exactly as the maid had de-
scribed, on the top of the landing. The
young men rushed into the hall with
lights, as before, and with the same re.
sult-they saw nothing. Two of the
sons, genuine ghost-hunters, who thor.
oughly entered into the ''fun" of the
thing-determined to sit up and watch
through the night, with the pleasant ac.
compartments of plenty of warm fire and
bright light; but | need hardly say the
brave watchers saw nothing, discovered
nothing. His cloaked and hooded
''ghostship' did not appear again that
night at any rate.
About month afterward, however,
the same thing occurred again. A great
commotion was heard in the hall-the
ghost had again appeared, and what was
even more remarkable, had slowly dis
appeared Just as the man-servant caught
sight of it. This was almost too much
for my friends, especially the junior
branches, who were highly indignant at
being so completely ''sold" by the spec
ter. But there was nothing to be done
or discovered; so after many threats of
what they would do if they could only
catch him, the whole party went off to
bed.
Nothing further occurred to disturb
the family peace until three days after
ward, when Jack, the youngest son, rose
from his supper to let in favorite bull
terrier, Jinks by name-the doughty
hero of the garrets and corridor-who
was whining piteously, and scratching
vigorously at the garden door. Jack had
hardly entered the hall, when he rushed
back into the dining-room post haste,
and holding up his finger in a mysteri-
Gus manner, intimated in regular stage
whisper: Heres the ghost on the stairs
again, hood, cloak. and alll'' His brother
instantly jumped up, and both ran into
the hall; and there sure enough, on the
first landing of the staircase stood tall
dark figure robed In long cloak and
high hood. The young men both re-
garded the apparition intently for few
moments, and then boldly ascending the
stairs, both burst into a loud ringing
laugh, crying out that they had caught
| the ghost, and shouted for the family to
come out and see, but to bring no lights,
and they could Judge for themselves.
The terrible mystery was now at an
end. just outside the staircase window
at the rear of the house, was small de-
tached building used as a laundry; but
as the fireplace smoked very much, my
friends had had new and very much
taller chimney erected. This was mar
row at the top, and gradually got wider
as it went downward, and was capped by
large and peculiarly shaped cowl. The
''ghost" proved to be merely the shadow
of this chimney and cowl outside, pro-
jected by the bright moonlight through
the staircase window, on the clear white
painted wainscoted wall of the first land
ing. The sloping sides of the chimney
gave the appearance of cloaked figure,
and the broad cowl looked exactly like a
hood, while the dead white of the fiat
wall behind served to throw the dark
shadow into very strong and bold relief.
The reason now was clear why the ghost
was not seen oftener. 1t was simply that
the shadow was only projected when the
moon was Just opposite the window; and
its appearing gradually to fade before
the footman's terrified gaze is easily ex.
planned by the passage of dark cloud
at the moment over the moons bright
disk. Further, be it noted, that when
the family entered the hall ON the first
alarm a month previously, many of then
carried lights, and thus of course de-
stroyed the appearance altogether. The
window, moreover, was sometimes GOV
cred with blind.