The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-11-01

for some time, listening to what seemed like
cautious steps, first on the landing and then
in our room itself. We tried to persuade
ourselves that it might be mice. But no;
there were distinct steps, as of a person
walking. Yet, though we followed the
sound with our eyes we saw nothing, Sud-
denly there was howl of anguish, like the
cry of large animalin pain. It thrilled us
with horror, for it came from our daughters
room, though it was not possible for it to be
their voices. When we reached their bed
side they were calmly sleeping, and were not
even reused by our entrance with the light
made quiet observations next day, both in
side and outside of the house.
If you please, ma'am may have my
sister to sleep with me?' said Stlllwates to
her mistress.
Are you afraid to sleep alone?
No, I'm not afraid
Then why do you wish it?'
No answer; only very earnest look.
why, Stillwell, you look as if you had
seen ghost, said her mistress, laughingly.
Yes, ma'am, have, she replied, very
quietly.
And what did it look like?'
Like Mrs. X, just as she was of after
Moons,
Come, come she ought to have been all
in white, you know.
No, she was not in white. She had on
the same sort of cap she always wore, and
the same dress and white apron
4 hope you asked her what she wanted
No, ma am, l lay still and looked at her.
and then l sat up and looked at her hard,
and presently / could not see her.
1t was no doubt a dream, and you will
probably never have such another
No | am sure it was not a dream.
Besides, have seen her twice before, when
was walking about
Out of doors?'
No MAJ am; in the house. One afternoon,
towards DUSK she came and looked at me
through the window. 1 wondered how she
could be there, and looked at her for a
good little time.'
And then?'
sAnd then she was not there. And 1
went to the window and looked out, but she
was gone
What was the use of going to the window,
when you knew she was dead?
4 don't know. She looked just as if she
was alive. The other time was kneeling
down on the rug, making your fire burn mp
She passed stright before me-
'Ohl nonsense She would have set fire
to her Clothes
Still looked injured. bur quietly persisted.
She did, MAJ am. She passed straight be-
tween me and the fire.
How could she do that? Really, Still, for
sensible young woman, you are very full
of fancies.'
1t was not fancy, either of the times,
ma'am. did see her; l did, indeed. l
hope you will believe me-
Yes, quite believe that you think YOU
saw Mrs. X. You may have your sister
| TO sleep with you.
! Now, it is not pleasant thing for any
man, still less for one of my profession, to
fpT.f. l,,,I fol+ fau1
| OF certain inexplicabe sounds. But, as this
| is perfectly true account, 1 am compelled
to acknowledge that it happened to me again
and again, during the time of my dwelling
in the Old Lodge. And also declare that
my wife and 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
abstained from mentioning our sensations to
each other.
After an hours sleep would be aroused,
as if at the command of some person, unseen
indeed, but certainly in the room. Then a
small something say marble would be gent
ly dropped more than once on the carpet
sometimes on the fioorcloth, just outside the
open door. Then the marble would be gent
| ly rolled on the boards of the room and up
against the skirting board.
1t was an immense relief when one night
we encountered each others eyes as 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 " axe the other. But my wife found
it not always possible to carry out this de-
termination. What did you hear?' Iasked
her once2
'The chest of drawers was dragged over
| the floor she replied. i am thankful you
spoke to me for / have for some time been
trying to wake you but was not allowed. In
fact, | have been kept perfectly motionless.'
had heard precisely the same sound, yet
the drawers did lot appear to have been ac-
tually moved. The sounds were so distinct
that we always connected them with some
| special article. Now it was chair, or the
| toWel-horse that was moved. Now. it was
| the loud swapping of thick stick in the hail.
Now, it was violent blow on the hall table
struck as if with my own walking-stick,
which remembered TO have left there, and
which / found there in the morning. Once
the heaviest book on my writing table ap-
| peared to be dropped, as if from the height
of a man, on the foor-cloth in the hall.
| Then smaller one. / always myself shut
the doors of the rooms leading into the hall.
| Of course, tried in every way to account
| for the mystery; but after a time, ] could
| only resign myself to lie awake and wonder.
The nights were bitterly cold On one occa-
sion, when there had been persistent drop
ping of nuts in corner of the room, jump
| ed up, in desperation, and held the light
close to the spot. In second, the sound
| was behind me. whisked round, but-tap-
| ping to right of me, tapping to left of me tap
ping in every direction, without second
| intermission. No sooner did look toward
| one spot than the dropping of nuts was at
| the other end of The room. 1t was as if
some mischievous elf were enjoying himself
| at my expense.
Our boys had gone to spend day or two
with some friends; aud their mother not
| liking the look of the empty room, had clos
ed the door in passing; giving it a push, to
| make sure that 1t was fast. That night we
heard the door shutwith a tremendous bang.
Even had it been left open there was no wind
| to move it.
Another night, when we had been awoke
in the usual way, there was an agreeab lie
varie ty in the entertainment. A delicate,
| fute-like sound proceeded from the closed
dining room. Again and again, distinct
and long-sustained musical note, as of some
small pipe. Then the fifth of that note
then the octave repeated many times; then
the seventh and octave over and over again.
| We were greatly puzzled. The piano was
not in that room. And the sound certainly
suggested wind instrument of sweet tone.
| went down early next morning, and
found to my surprise, concertina lying on
table. lifted the handle, and there came
forth a long drawn note, the very note /
had heard in the night My wife called out
to me from up stairs, That's it! That's It'll
| What is it?'
Without attempting to disentangle her
| speech, l held up the concertina.
'Oh! that is Phil's. He must have left it
behind. Bnt it was the very note; there is
| no doubt of it,
We locked the thing up in its box, and
| put it inside bookcase, and next night we
were treated to repetition of the musical
notes, only mufficd.
1t was not only during the night that the
noises were heard. For instance: | was
reading by the fading afternoon light, when
chair on the other side of the room seemed
to be moved from its place; SO that instinct
| lively turned my head to see who had entered
thereon. Again, was about to odown the
cellar steps, in the afternoon, when heard
heavy picking pan dragged along the