The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-04-26

what good Will 1t be, you fool, if you
don't Gomez Il shall faint with fright
if hear anything dreadful said she.
AL the better said Hamshire.
have been told since that overhearing
this should have opened my eyes, but it
did not. | think | wanted her to come
down and rather liked his insisting on
it. Nothing had been said over the
coachman business in reference to the
old lady, but, somehow, | couldn' Il help
connecting her with the awful noise in
the wall, and had some idea that her
niece, who knew her way so well, might
be able, perhaps, to throw some light
on it. But she was no more able to do
that than he was. AS all three stood
close to the wall, the stiled cry or
whatever it was, was heard again quite
plainly, and Hamshire's wife was as
good as her word about the fainting
and went off dead, crying out: %,
aunt, auntn as she was doing so. Of
course / didn't faint, but | funked,
confess it. But Hamshire kept as cool
as cucumber. Il wouldn't care about
being her aunt wherever she is he re-
marked, If that is her present voice,
Pom my word, said he, 'it is enough
to make one believe some of the rub
bish we hear about unquiet spirits.
who repent some great wrong they did
in this life and haunt the place where
they used to reside Then he sug-
gested that the sound might have come
from the room at the other side of the
wall, and when he had carried his wife
up stairs we went there and listened,
But there could be no mistake about it,
The unearthly noise was still to be
heard, and it was in the wall 1t was
heard on and olf-sometimes gently
and sometimes lOuder-until the clock
struck one and then itstopped. didn't
90 to bed again that night, but Ham
! shire did, but next morning he came
down and told me he was very sorry,
but his wife was that nervous on ac-
count of her aunt's spirit haunting the
house that he was afraid they would
have to leave. Ii had any suspicious
before of his having hand in causing
the noises-which | candidly confess l
had not-this was enough to disarm
them; and l begged him not TO leave
the house, or, at all events, to wait u
little and see if the strange sounds
were repeated. They were repeated
that night and the next in exactly the
same way and at exactly the same
time; and what with worrying and hay
lug my nerves unstrung by the want of
rest, the matter began to tell on me. |
consulted with Hamshire as to having
a clergyman in to see what it meant.
! But he said if | did so the whole neigh
borhood would soon know all about it,
and the business would fall off, and the
lease of the premises be rendered worth
next to nothing. Besides, said he, in
an off-hand sort of way, it's no use
talking to man like me, who never
went to church in his life, about clergy
men. Ed just as soon, if not sooner,
apply to old blanchard Blanchard,
whatever his name is, the Wizard. He's
| got quite reputation for squaring
matters with unquiet spirits, I'm told
But when | asked who told him, he
replied: Hanged if | know. Surely
you don't believe in such humbug?'
Neither could he tell me where the
| Wizard lived, nearer than that he had
heard it was somewhere in the neigh
borhood of Walworth common. But
you take my advice, says he, and keep
the matter to yourself. You saw the
"coachman" three times, remember,
and you've heard the noises three times,
and now, perhaps, you won't hear 'em
any more. My wife, he says, is going
away this evening to stay with cousin
for week, so you won't have her to
worry you, and ! shall sleep at home as
| nr1In1 Wall hi, bo
babe me goodbye before she went.
There were no noises in the wall that
night, nor for two nights after. But
the night after that | had q twister ]
had yentured to 90 back to my bed
again, but | didn't lock the door, in
case anything might happen and !
wanted to run upstairs in a hurry, and
tell Hamshire. | burned light-a
small Notwithstanding on the hob
in the fire place. | don't know how
long | had been asleep, but q strange
sound woke me, and there was the
ghost of old Mrs. Ingiedew standing in
the doorway, with the door wide open
| was wide awake and sitting up in bed
and there could be no mistake aboutit
There she was, as though she had Just
got out of the coffin had seen hei
lying in, with one hand screening hel
eyes, rs though to see me better in the
half dark, and vengefully shaking hel
other fist at me. Then the door closed
and she vanished.
81 won't deny, gentlemen, that was
in mortal fright, if ever q man was
though my conscience was enough. Il
had ever wronged the old lady, OF
done anything to induce her to leave
me her property and disinherit hel
niece, it might have accounted for hel
vindictive appearance. But had dont
nothing of the kind. | jumped out o.
bed, and at first thought l would 90 up
and tell Hamshire; but on seconC
thought | resolved that l would not
He was such disbelever, as he haC
made out to me. that he was almos
sure to laugh at me, and he would dc
so more now that his wife was away.
turned itoyer in my mind-and pretty
sort of distracted mind it was, as vol
may guess-and | came to what Ger
tainly was a most foolish conclusion
namely, to go and find out the wzarC
Hamshire had mentioned as beins
somewhere near Walworth common
and take his advice on the subject.
said nothing about the ghost, but, mex
morning, making pretence that