The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-04-13
A Ghost Story,

ever tastes the water there, though it
is as cold and clear as crystal. sup
pose the place is worth great deal.
1t was valued at twenty thousand dol
lars when bought it years ago The
house is handsome mansion--the
sort of place a gentleman retiring from
business usually buys to end his days
in, and city people come to see it and
the grounds, and seem to be delighted.
Now, when | tell you that / came to
Oldtown with exactly six hundred dol
lars in my pocket, and that | had no
idea what | should do when that was
spent, you will feel surprised that, six
months after, | owned this place.
But I'll tell you all about it.
1t was what folks call haunted
place, and for ten years 1t stood vacant.
People tried to live there, but were
always frightened away. If it had
been only the house, that could have
been torn down; but nobody could
ever farm the land Twelve years
before this, the proprietor had been a
jealous old man, who had young wife,
whom he would never permit out of
his sight if he could avoid it, How
ever, she was as sly as he was watch
ful, and she managed to flirt sufficient.
ly to make herself talked about.
Being very pretty, two silly young
fellows fell in love with her, and one
used to follow her about, making eyes
and signing dreadfully, like lover in
play. The postmistress said he
wrote TO her-and suppose he did
And at last the news spread through
the place that she had run away with
him. He was gone, and she was gone;
and the old man came one morning to
Lawyer Tantivy, and sold his property,
at a great loss, to man who had
wanted 1t for years---a rich man, who
liked to have it said that he owned
the finest place in Oldtown. 1t was
plain that the poor gentleman did not
care what became of himself; and
when he had got the money he wan
dered away, and was never seen
again.
The new protector moved up to the
great house in the state; but at dawn
the whole family-servants and all
returned to their old quarters. What
they had seen or what they had not
seen, it was hard to tell, but they were
all nearly frightened to death. The
doctor was sent for for the ladies, and
they spoke of the most awful appar-
itions. After this, the head of the
family and three constables, from the
little market town, spent day and a
night there. They held their tongues
but those who saw them next day knew
they had been well frightened, and the
man put the place into the market at
once.
Lawyer Tantivy privately told peo-
pie that only coward would have
been frightened by rats in an old wall,
and he sold the property to city man.
Much the same thing happened, but
the house was not sold again. The
city man went elsewhere, and tried in
vain to get rid of his bargain. 1t was
left TOR the summer once, but the peo-
pie did not stay week After a
while nobody would farm the ground.
Some say they saw woman with her
throat cut some that they saw man
with wound in his breast; some |
both. Voices were heard hands
were felt and there, when l came to |
the place, the old house stood, with |
moths and spiders for its only ten
ants.
| went up and looked at it and then |
l talked to Jane. She had not bit |
OF superstition in her, and she agreed !
to what proposed. I went to old
'rantivy and offered him a hundred
year for five years. lease of the place,
the five hundred to be paid IN one sum
"After that said l, 'Ill give you two
thousand for the property. Wife and
| are not afraid of ghosts" The old
lawyer shook his head. "You say
you've met with losses said he, "and
have just six hundred dollars left
Keep it. You couldn't live In that
house one week I've tried it. I'd
make bargain with rich man, but
I'm not rascal enough to take a poor
mans all. 81 risk it," said l. 81 do
it freely, but the papers must be made
out fair and square-two thousand
after my five years lease" And so /
had my way.
Jane and / went up to the house
next day. 1t was wonderful, grand,
dirty old place. We st to work to
clean ito drive out the insects and
the rats; and we got some fresh straw
to sleep on, for the beds were all mold
ing away. That night at nine we lay
down, with lamp burning, and went
to sleep like two tops and | think it
must have been twelve o'clock, or
nigh to it, when Jane shook me vio-
lently. / started up, and holding each
others hands, we both saw what had
frightened her. A man stood near
the bed, young man, with fair hair
curling about his temples his breast
was bare, aud we saw a great bleeding
wound there, | had my pistol under
ny pillow, and drew it out and look
ed at him.
"Away you go, or | fire." | said
SIN not fool to be tricked in this
way Instead of obeying, he slowly
moved towards the bed Jane shrek
ed, and drew the counterpane over her
head | covered him with my pistol
''One step more and | fire." / said
He took the step fired A shrek
Of laughter followed, and there was
no one there. / arose and searched
The place. Every window was barred,
every door locked | unlocked one of
The doors, and entered the adjoining
room.
A great bed, with tester and canopy,
stood there, and upon this lay the
hgure OF woman all in white. COW
cred with blood. | rushed towards it,
lamp in hand. Again those hollow
shrieks of laughter, and nothing but
The stained and yellow ticking of an
old feather bed lay under the canopy.
'Luke {! Luke" screamed my wife,
who had followed me, clinging to my
arm, sit is all true. Let us leave the
place"
"Jana," said /, sit seems to be true
hat this place is haunted, but we have
'isked our all on it. The things we