The Arkansaw traveler., 1882-09-03
THE HAUNTED STAIRS
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 was rus. convaleselng .Ner , loas lii- ness. and the easy char MS so comiofta- ble ,ha, insisted upon occupying It. iittie longer against the atslee ot lns nurse. sho was nodding IT her chan at intervals deciarfa. that she-A.ls moi .ll all =sieeilll Far from rendering me drewss. the wind seemed to till my mind Mth :, thousand ancies. 1 could hear whispering veloes. and old half-forsottcn store, ot mys,e- nous sights and sounds tleated ald mingled m fr. gmentafY manner through my brain. l determined to make ngrse talk. knew her to be < s,rict te'islon- isl of the old school and l ven practical woman besides. and had li,tle reason h think that "iant es' would meet With much tolerance from heg. Ncf looking sst her curiously wondered fl unknown te or unrecogntzed by herself she. ton. had no, some love for the mysterious.
 "Of course said !. there K no gram of truth in all these s;orics of houses be ine haunted: presume all the my >te- rious noises heard ln them might be ~ blamed in some NAY: preeahlN mp-e than hali in the way crenlah tain,wlneh explained the noises htdra Fl the old Clennam house. to his w.ic. AiieTy rat> cats. water. drains. iAeH,i A"u think 50: said l.
 "I don't like io ;als of !; or might answer your question by telling yoa something tha, happcnedlo me nc.trly 4o years ago." sid nurse.
 Here thci. WAS Iu>t what wanted a realmystery:
 ...i was just turned ot E. sltet nurse. and good size Tor III! age: strong. too. which was fortunate Tor mother fer we were | large family. and she had need of my help Father had small place hardly to be calico | farm near RoN- barv in pcnnsxlvan,a. Besides hls work al home he followed tca,nius. hauling grain for large farmers III. Carlisle and Harrisburg. We were thrifty and were ,augh, early in life to help ourselves. and to earn money for any extras in schooling or dress. No girl in those days was looked down upon tof gong in to a neighborlng family Ia help during a busy season. so was rather pleased than otherwise when father on his return from one oi hls irips to RoSbury told me that there was chance for me to earn a little pocket money, If liked to help Mrs fQtCnkiSs Tor d month ar >t.
 "'They are the new folks from York State ,ha, have moved mt the old house down in the hollow. sad father: I heard Abigail Green say that ,hcY wanted "a girl spell and would gNe dollar a week. so. a> was going that wal. called to see They were nlce folks. and hive two girls near your age. Hannah. so YOU wouldn't be lonesome.
 "A dollar week was good pay n those times. when girls were considered We l dressed in prints Wth N hite fflls n the neck. and black silk or white oambuc aprons. And they .ooSet as sweet and pretty. to my notion. as sIrls do no~. with all their expensive clothes. At any rate they had no lack of beauN. good. steady young fellows. worth dozen oi these >lm. kid gioved chaps see lounging around the corners down town now-a-daSs. who never seem ,o have anything to do but ogle the girls and am sorry to confess that many of the giris never seem so hap py as when attracting the attention af these same chaps lou are getting m- patient for my stors bat yoa lusi let ne tell 1t in my own roundabout way my dear il puts me ouyio have you hdgei.
 Well. concluded ;o 20. As mother was willing. and grandmother. ~ho always had more of the say so than me ;hcr. vas away. Mex; morning afler ar early break fast fa,he. and started n me wagon for the long. rde ;o the Drown house. as Il was called. VII pass over our ade and only say that father. af,e making me ae- quain,ed w!lh the people. wha seemed glad to see me. ate his dinner and prom sed to come and see how 1 was ge;uns on mex, week some ,lmc. and then lefi me
 "I found the Ho;chk:ss family ,o consist of Mir. H otchk,ss. hs wiie and mother and two daughters Re5ecca. about my age. and lane. two years older. Mir. and Mrs. Hotehkss slept down stars. m a room leading ous of the kitchen which was diningroom AS well. The grand mothers room opened by one door into the kitchen and 5roiher into Ihe hall or entry. as they called t in those days