Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-11
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THE HAUNTED WELL.

place are trees OF the pfiIBevai lores,- 1
have plenty of farming land beyond
their deliehtful shade, and the only thing
new upon the place is my we'll. We have
an ancient well with the old fashioned
sweep, but no one ever tastes the water
there, though it 10 az cold and clear al
crystal.
suppose the place is worth a great
deal. Il was valued at El.1Uo wnen
bought it years ago. The house Is nana-
soune mansion; the sort OF place Res-
tleman retiring from business usnany
buys to end his days IN, and city people
came to ses it and the grounds, ana seem
ed to be delighted. Now, when teii you
c1a0 in INV pocket. ard that | bad 10
idea what | should do when that was
aren't. Won will feel surprised that, SIX
months after, / owned this place. But
I'll tell YOU all about it. 1t was what
folks call a haunted place, and for ten
wears it had stood vacant. People tried
TO live there, but were always frightened
away. II it had only been the house,
that could have been torn down: bot
nobody would even farm the land on
shares.
Twelve years before this. the proprle-
tor had been jealous old gentleman,
who had young wife whom he would
never permit cut of his sight, II he could
avoid 1t.
However, she was as sly az he war
watcnful, and she managed To flirt SUM-
cie.ltly to make h@rs II talked abont.
Being very pretty, she set one or Two
silly young fellows Wild about her, ana
one used 10 follow her around. making
great ewes and sighing desperately, Ike
lover in play.
The pootinistreSs said he wrote to her,
and / suppose he did. And AT last tins
news spread through the place that sue
had run away with hiID.
He WAS gone and she WAS gone; and
the old man came one morning 10 Law
yer Iantiyy and sold his property at n
great loss to nan who had wanted IL
for years--a rich man, VINO liked To have
il said that he owned the finest place III
Oldtovn.
1t was plain that the poor old gentle
man did not care what became OF HIM
aud when be had got the money he van
dered away and WAS never cen Hgaip.
The new proprietor moved up TO ine
or at house IN state, but 1t dawn th.
who o family, servants and all, returned
to their oldquaIters.
What they had seen, or what they bud
not seen. 1t WAS hard to tell; bot they
were all nearly frightened to death. The
doc or was nent for Tor the lhdles, anu
they told him of the most awful apparI-
lions.
After this the head of the family and
the cOus, able spent Ii day and night there.
They helu their tongue, bat those All"
saw them first knew that they hnd besIi
we'll frightened, and the man put The
place into the market at once.
Lawyer Tantivy privately told Peep .
that only coward would have Deen
frightened by rats IN an old Wall, ana ne
sold it to u city man. Much tie same
thing happened; but this time the hous-'
was not sold again. The city man went
elsewhere, and tried III vain to yet nd OF
his bargain. Ii was lot for the summer
once, but the people did not stay II week
After "A while nobody would farm the
ground.
Some said they saw woman with her
throat cut; some that they saw man
with wound III his breaet; some both.
Voices wero heard; hands were felt; ana
there, when l caiue to the place, the old
house stood, with moths ana spiders for
its only tenants.
Wtlib anu ioOhtu ~ ~, anu sbch
talked to Jane. She had not bit Of
superstition in her, aud she agreed to
what proposed.
went to old Tantivy and offered him
925 year for a four years lease OF the
place, the EGO to be paid in one lump.
after thai" said |, "Fllglve you E4OU
for the property. Wife and are not
afraid of ghosts"
fCba old l.np.r okf,ok his bauI
"You say you've met with losses. my
friend" said he, land have just flZO
left. Keep it. You couldn't 1--we Ill that
house one week. I've tired it. Id make
a bargain with rich man, bus I'm not
rascal enough to take a poor mans all y
IN risk It," said l. I" ] do 1t freely,
but the papers must be made out fair
and squaro-four hundred after Iny four
years lease"
And 30 l had my way. Jane and /
went up to the house one day. had Gl3
in lay pocket and wheribarrOw full OF
groceries. She carried broom anu II
new scrubbing brush. 1t WAS n wonder
full, grand, dirty old place. We set !.
work to clean Ito drive out the insects
and the rats; and We got some fresh
straw 10 sleep on, for the beds were all
moldering away. That night at nine VT
lay down with lamp burning and went
to sleep like two tops; ana l think II
must have been II o'clock, or nigh to 1t
when Jane shook me violently. start
ed up, and, holding each others hands,
We both SAW what had frightened her.
A man stood near tho bed. q young
man, with fair hair curling about his
temples; his breast WAS bare, and We saw
great bleeding wound there. / had a
pistol under my pillow, and drew 1t cut
and looked at him.
Go, or fire." said. I'm not fool
to be tricked III thus way"
Instead of obeying, he slowly moved
toward the bed. j no shrieked ana drew
the coun;erpane over her head. COW
cred him with sns pistol.
"One step more and Are" said.
de took tue step. fired. A shrek IF
laughter followed, aud there WAS no one
there. arose aud searched tie place.
Every window WAS barred--every door
locked. unlocked one OF the doors anu
entered the adjoining room. A great
Oed, with tester and canopy, stood tnere,
Anu upon this lay the figure If Woman,
all III white, covered with blood! Irushed
toward 1t, lamp III hand. Again those
hollow shrieks Of laughter, and nothing
but the stained and yellow TICKLING OF AL
old feather bed lay under the Canopy.
cliasl Silas." screi neu my wife, who
mad followed me, clinglng u my ar,n
II is ali true; let us leavs the place"
JANE said l, lit seems 10 be true
that this place Is haunted, but We have
risked our all on it. The tuings We have
seen have not hurt us, anu propose 10
drive them away. I'll take you t. the
village, II You like, and leave you there
TO board, but here | stay until l beat these
ghosts."
Not Alone" said Jane. Aud she did
not leave me.
Ii yol believe me. friend. day and
night for three weeks We we're haunted
aspeopls never we're before faces, voices,
hands) IN the house and III lie field; and.
worse than all, We grew sick.
cent for the doctor. who wouldn't
come, and We wefit 10 him.
You are poisoned" he said, "Wha,
nave you eaten, or what have you been
drinkinei"
We thought it over and told him tina,
we knew of nothing harmful, and ,ha,
We cooked and prepared all of our own
food.
never knew any one to pass a day
at that confounded house you live n,
without being affected in this was," lie
eaiu; "even thos- who did not eat there.