The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1881-01-22
las triaIis over

terms, Now you had better go
home, change your dress and seek
rest, for you appear greatly wear
led"
He left my office then with an
unsteady step, and ] did not see
him any more hal day. Another
source of trouble now began to
lower in my pathway. Coming.
from an unsupported direction, and
so far as it affected me individually,
it was ten.foid greater than any l
had ever experienced. Trouble d.
vestedof mystery may be endured,
but when it takes us by surprise,
and we feel the blow bu. know not
who dealt it, it is somewhat hard
to bear. Such was the blow that
fell on nae. l could feel it, but
couldn't see it. An impenetrable
cloud Of mystery began to gather
around me, mixing itself up with all
matters in which I was interested.
Something near two hundred yards
east of Mr.. Rockland's residence,
and on the same street, was a small
two.story brick dwelling house, sit
uated in the middle Of a small in.
closure, containing | suppose about
a quarter of an acre Of ground. The
plat OF land was inclosed with pine
plank, not over three and a half
feet high. That part Of the lot that
lay in front Of the house, and con-
shutting the front yard, was thick
" set with short untrimmed shrub.
berry, while the other had been used
as a vegetable garden. There were
only four rooms in the house-two
In the lower and two in the upper
story, and a narrow ball separated
the two lower rooms; a pair Of steep
narrow stars commenced on the
lower floor near the door and end
ed on the back side of the house,
on the upper floor. The building
itself stood in a low fiat place, sur
rounded with rising ground on all
sides, and particularly in the rear,
where a tall bluff rose up fully as
high as the top of the house. The
low, marshy ground, whore the
building was located, and the un-
slightly surroundings, rendered it
very undesirable as a residence; and
suppose it was owing to this fact
thatit was most Of the time unoc-
cupied. Tho glass was nearly all
broken out Of the sash, and oldrags
and dirty papers had been tackled
on to supply the place Of the alb.
sent glass. The inside doors were
all broken down, and the front hall
door was on the eve of following
suit. Take it all in all, the premises
presented a perfect picture Of des-
olation and ruin. There were no
locks to the doors, and the house
had for a long time been unoccu-
pied, save by some lonely tramp,
who now and then sought a nights
lodging in it. ! have thought it
expedlent to give a minute descrip-
ton of this dismal old house, be-
cause it has somewhat to do with
my history. About the time Har-
nv returned from California, a ru-
mor began to circulate among the
negroes who are by nature very
superstitious) to the effect that the
house was haunted by ghostIy visi-
tors every night. Of course this
story was not believed by any ex-
cept very ignorant persons; but the
matter began to attract some at.
tention, nevertheless because those
who did not believe in ghosts were
Of the opinion that perhaps the
house was being used by thieves
and counterfeiters. at any rate, il
was very certain that one Of the
upper rooms was occupied every
night by some one, for a dim light
was often seen gliding about the
apartment. This mysterious cir
cumstance was the usual topic o
conversation among Mr.. Rockland'i
servants. The coachman was al
old gray-headed negro, nameC
lack. He was as full of supersti
lion as he could be crammed; an(
he vowed that he had seen a ghost
all robed in white, with long blacl
hair streaming down her back, ant
face as white as snow. One even
ing Imet Harry in the street, no
very far from the mysterious house
and he cast on me one lingerini
look, as he spoke as if irritate
about something:
sWhat woman is that who is stay
ing ii that old brick houseg"
aHow should / known ! er
CURED.