The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-04-12
A TERRIBLE GHOST STORY.

a 1EOAtOLn VhONA OhVhAs
lam an old farmer, living in tho old
est house in Oldtown.
The only thing new upon the place is
ny well.
We have an ancient we'll, but no one
ever tastes the water there, though it is
rs cold and clear as crystal.
I suppose the place is worth gre at
deal.
1t was valued at twenty thousand dol
lars when bought it years ago.
The house is q handsome mansion
the sort of place gentleman retiring
from business usually buys to end bis
days in. and city people come to see it
and the grounds, and seem to be de-
lighted.
Now, when tell you that came into
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, 1 owned this place.
But Ill tell you all about it.
It was what folks call a haunted place,
and for ten years it 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 even farm the land.
Twelve years before this, the proprietor
had been a jealous old gentleman, who
had . young wife, whom he would never
permit out of his sight il he could avoid
It.
However, she was IS sly as he was
watchful. and she managed to flirt suffi
GENTLY 20 make herself talked about.
Being very pretty, two silly young fell
lows fell in love with her, and one used
to follow her about, making eyes and
aighing dreadfully. like lover in play.
The post mistress said he wrote TO her
and suppose ne 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 great
loss, to man who had wanted it for
years-a rich man, who liked to have it
said that he owned the finest place in
Oldtown.
It was plain that the poor old gentle
man did not care what became of him
self; and when he got the money he wan
dered away, and was never seen again.
The new proprietor moved up to the
great house in state; but at dawn the
whole family-servants and all-retuIned
10 their old quarters.
What they had seen, or what they had
not seen, it was hard to tell, but they
we're all nearly frightened to death.
The doctor was sent for the ladies, and
they spoke of the most awful apparitions.
After this the head of the family and
three constables, from the little market
town, spent a day and q night there.
They held their tongues but those who
Aw them next knew that they had been
we'll frightered, and the man put the
place into the market at once.
Lawyer Tantivy privately told the peo-
pie that only coward would have been
heightened at rats in an old wall, and he
sold the property to q 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.
It was let for the summer once, but
Me people did not stay . week.
After while nobody would farm the
ground.
Some said they saw . wo man with her
throat cut; some that they saw . man
With . wound in his breast; some both.
Voices were heard; hands were felt,
md there. when I came to the place,
the old house stood, with moths aud
spiders ~ its only tenants.
went up and looked at it, and then
talked to Jane.
Che had not q bit Of superstition in
her. and she agreed to what proposed.
Iwent to old Taptivy and offered him
hundred n year for . five years lease OF
The place, the five hundred to be paid in
80 sum.
s.Aiter that" said I, II will give you
no thousand for the property. Wife
and are not afraid OF ghosts
The old lawyer shook his head. :,
''Yoa say you've met with losses;
said he. "and have Just six hundred dol
hrs left. Keep it. You couldn't live IN
Nat house one week. I've tried it. I'd
Doks . bargain with . rich man. but I'm
m rascal enough to take . poor man .