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

were perfectly well in health, and that
we had never before been the victims OF
similar terrors. Furthermore, though |
we spoke of the noises, we at first abstain (
ed from mentioning our sensations to
each other.
After an hours sleep would be arous-
ed as if at the command of some per-
son, unseen, indeed, but certainly in the
room. Then small something, say IL
marble, would be gently dropped more
than once. on the carpet, sometimes on
the floorcloth, Just outside the open door.
Then the marble would be gently rolled
on the boards of the room, and up against
the skrting board.
1t was IN immense relief when one
night we encountered each others eyes IA
we lay listening. and both made clean
breast OF our terrors. Yes, nothing short
of that word will do. We agree that the
first sufferer shall wake the other. But
my wife found it is not always possible to
carry out this determination. "What did
you hear?" l asked her once.
"Thc chest of drawers was dragged
over the floor" she replied. 81 am thank
full you spoke to me for have for some
time been trying to wake you, but was not
allowed. In fact, | have been kept per-
fectly motionless.
[ had heard precisely the same sound,
yet the drawers did not appear to have
been actually moved. The sounds were
30 distinct that we always connected them
with some special article. Now 1t was a
chair or the towel-horse that was moved
Now it was the loud swapping of a thick
stick in the hall. Now, it was a violent
blow on the hall table struck MS if with
my own walking stick, which ] remem-
bered to have left there, and which L
found there in the morning. Once the
heaviest book on my writing table APP
peared to be dropped, as if from the height
of man, on the tloorcloth i'll the hall.
| Then smaller one. | always myself
shut the doors of the rooms leading into
tho hall.
Of course, tried in every way to ac-
count for the mystery, but after II time !
could only resign myself to lie awake ana
wonder The nights were bitterly cold.
On one occasion, when there had been a
persistent dropping of nuts i'll corner
of the room, jumped up, ill desperation.
and held the light close to the spot. Ina
second, the sound was behind me. |
whisked round, but-tapping to right OF
me, tapping to left of me, tapping in ev-
cry ulTtcllDD, NllhOit IL Sttouti ih'ci liio7
sion No sooner did look toward one
spot than the dropping of nuts was at the
other end of the room. 1t was rs if some
mischievous elf were enjoying himself at
my expense.
Our boys had gone to spend a day OF
two with some friends and their mother
not liking the look of the empty room,
had closed the door in passing, giving II
a push to make sure that it was fast
That night we heard the door shut with 4
tremendous bang. Even had 1t been left
open there was no wind to move it.
Another night, when We had beef
, awoke in the usual way, there was Al
agreeable variety in the entertainment
A delicate. hute-like sound proceeded
! from the closed dining room. Again an,
again, distinct and long sustained ml
steal note, as of some small pipe. Thei
!. the fifth of that note then the octave re
peated many times then the seventh an,
octave over and over again. We wer'
greatly puzzled. The piano was not il
that room. And the sound certainl,
suggested a wind instrument OF swee
tone.
went down carly next morning, an'
found. to my surprise, Il concertina lying
Oh Il IuDlt. lllttu tlt Ihhel', uh'
there came out long-drawn note, thu
very note | had heard in the night. Nj,
wife called out to me from up stairs
{ "Thats it That's it What is it 2
! Without attempting to disentanglc he
: speech, held up the concertina.
"Oh that is Pills. He must hav
=, left it behind But it was the very note
: there is no doubt Of it,"
We locked the thing up in its box, an'
' put it inside a bookcase, and next nigh
. we were treated to a repetition of the mn
steal notes, only muffled.
Y 1t was not only during the night tina
y the noises were heard For instance
5 was reading by the fading afternoon ligh
A when II chair on the other side of the room
: seemed to be moved iIom its place; S
| that l instinctively turned my head t.
see who had come. Again, was abou
e tc 60 down the cellar steps, in the after
noon, when | heard heavy picking pa
: dragged along the stone floor below.
t quite thought some one was down there
g but, AS usual, there was no one to be seel
e and the pan was in its place.
t At eleven o'clock n. m, my wife an
Still were on the landing. The girl wa
i telling her mistress that she had hear
: Mrs, ks voice the evening befor,
/ Her mistress told her she was giving wa
| to fancies
t But Mary Jones heard it, too. Sh
b had lust brought in the eggs, and stoo
. listening to the singing in the DRAWN.
G room. Then heard Mrs. KS angr
: voice again, on the stairs, and Mary salt
e who's shouting? 2" said didn't kno
@ and she said, "It must be the mssi
Lor how angry she is to holler like tina
v Doesn't she like EN- to sing?"
r SIN an old house like this, began IN
wife. "thcre NAV be MANY noises cause
by"
Suddenly noise. MS of a shower ,
small niece. of ce;ling came down sharl