Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-11-10

mary noises and IN lllustrahOn, we
Il i'll turn shook the door not, however,
reducing anything like the previous eff.
yet.
at must have been at the back door,
aid my wife, with a searching look at
saltwater. hugo.
"No it's the cellar door that does it, =
Iuetly replied the girl.
GLOW can it make that noise of IT.
elf?"
II don't know
"Did you ever hear it before ??
eyes this evening, when Miss was ut
lie piano ,,
We decided that we must watch Still
water.
In the course of the night we were
by the agreeable sound OF
drip, drip, drip, in one conner OF the
room. NY wife put basin beneath, with
A towel in it, to deaden the sound. Pres
emily, "Trip, drip again, Just outside
the door. which we always kept open.
There's Il sudden thaw, and we're in
for it, said 1. Lets go to sleep. 1t
won't hurt the iloorcloth.
but there was no going to sleep, for
the drip came faster than ever, until 1t
increased to a little stream. There were
no matches in the room, but | managed
to find my bath ami to set it, with blan-
kct inside it, under the spot whence the
sound came.
When ut breakfast | announced the sad
news of the sudden thaw, there was II
chorus of ordinations "Why , every
thing is as hard as iron, etc, etc
The mother, meanwhile, was directing
her hundmaiden to dry up the water which
had come in during the night. The girl
stared. When she came into the room
again her mistress asked her what she had
done with the wet blanket, She stared
more expressiyely, and was mute.
Don't you understand q
Eyes, ma'am Bui there was no wet
blanket, and no water to wipe up.
Up stairs went the mistress and ser
want, and in two minutes back came my
wife, looking quite bewildered.
There's not IL trace of water any
where, said she ''and yet, after you
were asleep, | heard it drip fast upon the
cormterpane, Just at my feet.
Our delighted offspring settled it that
mother had been dreaming, and Primus
irreverently limited that had generously
lent my bath in order to escape my morn
ing's shudder.
When Tertius was being tucked up that
night he asked, "Who WAS that-persoI
who came and looked to me after I was il
bed?'
saltwater, suppose
'Oh no. 1t was an old woman, anC
she had a funny cap on.
"You dreamed her, dear.
"But / hadn't been to sleep. And
turned my head to the wall. and when
looked for her again, she had gon'
away"
"You must have been half asleep
Now go to sleep quite and finish thu
dream"
Mother, | wish you'd tell that ole
knocking. | had Just got into bed, hap
pening to glance across to the drawers
and there she stood. coolly looking at me
was disguised and turned my back upoi
her Presently looked ont of the tai
of my eye to see what she was doing, bu
she'd cut.
You don't know who it was q
mo she looked like one of the char
women - Boots's mother. | dare say
These people are cool enough for any
thing
My wife called to Saltwater, to ask
Mrs Brown or Mrs. Jones had been il
that evening. She answered that no ON
had been.
Then You must have been hall asleep
although you did not know it, and hav
dreamed"
eyes, | suppose so. BUTT seemed YER
real. At any rate, I'm half-asleep now,
murmured Primus.
Night after night We were reused b.
the voice of this or that child. Thei
mother always went to them, and Away
found them sleeping peacefully, though
minute before there had been sobbin
and moaning. 1t was bitterly cold, and
persuaded her not to go at the first cal
Then there was whimpering on tn
stairs.
One night we had both been lyin
awake for some time, listening to wha
seemed like cautious steps, first on til
landing and then in our room itself. w
tried to persuade ourselves that it Nigh
be mice. But no there We're dlstinC
steps, as of n person walking. Yet, thong
we followed the sound with our eyes, W
saw nothing Suddenly there was how
| VI ulSll. linz tlIt u VI ~ luIRt
i'll pain. 1t thrilled us with horror for
came from our daughters room, thong
it was not possible for it to be their voice.
When we reached their bedside they wer
calmly sleeping, and were not even rous
ed by our entrance with the light. mad
quiet observations next day. both msitl
and outside of the house.
'lf you please, ma'am, may have III
sister to sleep with me o. said Stillwato
to her mistress.
".Are you afraid to sleep alone 2
NO, I'm not afraid.
Then why do You wish it y
No answer only very earnest look.
"Why, Stillwell, you look as if 70
had seen ghost said her mistress
laughingly.
Yes, ma am, have, she replied, vel
quietly.
"And what did it look like ?"
Like Mrs. y. Just rs she was
afternoons.
Come, come she ought to have bee
all in white, you know"
mo, she was not in white. She hi
on the same kind OF cap she always wor
and the same dress and white apron.
II hope you asked her what she wan
ed"
"No, maam; lay still and looked
her, and then sat up and looked at h
hard, and presently | could not St
her"
at was no doubt dream, and yc
will probably never nave such another. u
mo, / am sure it was not drear
Besides, ! have seen her twice befor
when | was walking out"
"Out of doors ?"
"No, ma'am; in the house. One Il
ternoon, towards dusk, she came al
looked at me through the window.
wondered how she could be there, and
looked at her for good little time"
And then 2"
, "And then she was not there. And
went to the window and looked out, III