Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-21
nAtNrED HOT >Es.

! mat a very old house should gair
the reputation of being haunted is no
su rprising, especially If il has beer
neglected and allowed 10 fall ou, Of
repair. the woodwork shrinks, tht
plaster crumbles awsy. and through
minute Sits and chasms in window
frames and door cases there come
weird aud uncanny noises. The vino
slghs and whispers through unseen
assures, suggesting to the supersli
tious the wailings of disembodied
spirits. 4 whole household wa,
thrown into CONSERVATION, and had
its repose disturbed, one stormy
| winter by series of lamentable how /.
and sBrIeks that ran through the
rooms. The sou !ds were narrowing
and as they rose fitfully aud at inter.
walls, breaking the silence of the night.
the stoutest nerves among the visitors
were shaken. For long time the
visitation continued To harass the
family, recurring by day as well as by
night, and especially in rough wealth
er. When there was a storm, pierc.
ngyells and shrieks would come. sud
den and startling, changing soon into
low melancholy walls IL was unac-
countable. At length the mystery
was solved. Complaints had been
made Of draughts through the house,
and as remedy gutta percha had at
former time been nailed along the
window frames while its owners were
at the seaside This for some reason
unexplainable upon acoustic princi-
Piles, had caused the disturbance.
Even after the gutta percha had been
torn away. a sudden blast of wind
striking near some spot to which a
fragment still adhered. would bring a
shrek or moan, 10 remind the family
OF the annoyance they had 80 long en-
dured
Meantime the house got bad rep
tation, and servants were shy of en-
gaging with its owners A maid more
strong minded than the others, and
who had hitherto laughed at their
fears, came fleeing to her mistress on
one occasion. saying she must leave
instantly, and that nothing would in
duce her TO pass another night under
the roof. There was long corridor
at the top of tne house, and the girls
story was that in passing along it she
heard footsteps behind her. Stop
ping and looking back, she saw no
one; but as soon as she went on the
invisible pursuer did go, too, follow
close behind. Two or three times
she stood still suddenly, hoping the
footsteps would pass on and give her
the go-by, instead Of which they phil
ed up when she did. And when at
last, wild with terror, she took TO her
heels ana ran, they came clatteTing
along after her to the end of the pas
sage
The mistress suspected that some
one was trying To frighten the girl
aud she urged her to come up stairs
aud endeavor To find out the trick
This the terrified damsel refused to
do, so the lady went Off alone. On
reaching the corridor and proceeding
along it she was startled to find that,
AS the maid had described, some one
seemed to follow her. Tap, tap,
clack, clack-as of one walking slip
shod. keeping pace with her own,
stopping when she stopped and NOV
ing when she did. In vaid the lady
peered around and be ide her; nothing
was to be seen. 1t could be no trick,
for there was no one in that part Of
the house TO play practical joke.
Ere long the cause was discovered
in the shape of loose plank in the
flooring Of the corridor. The plank
springing when pressed by the foot
in walking along gave an cchoing
sound that had precisely the effect OF
q step following, and this, in the
supposed haunted house, was sutfici-
ent TO raise alarm.
1t happened TO us once to be tenn
porary dweller in a mansion that had
= ghostly reputation. We were on
our way to Paris, travelling with an
invalid, and the latter becoming too
i'll TO proceed on the journey, we were
forced to stop at the first town we
came to. The hotel being found TOO
noisy, a house in quiet street Was
engaged by the week. 1t was
grand old mansion, that had once
belonged To magnate OF the land;
fallen now from its high estate, and
but indifferently ksptup. Wide stone
stair cases with balusters OF carved
oak led TO rooms lofty aud spacious,
whose walls and ceilings were deco
rated with gilded enrichments and
paintings in the style of Louis XIV.
At the side of the house was q cover
ed way leading to the stables and Of
fees. This was entered through a
tall porte cochere. and at either side
of the great gate. fixed TO the iron
ratings, were couple of those huge
metal extinguishers-still sometimes
to be seen in quaint old houses-used
in former times TO put out the torches
or links carried at night by running
footmen beside the carriage OF the
great The stables and offices of the
place were now falling into decay,
and the porte cochere generally stooa
open until nightfall when the gates
were locked.
We had been in the house some lit
tie time before we heard the stories
of supernatural sights and sounds
connected with it-of figures fitting
through halls and passages - the
ghosts of former occupants; OF strange
whisperings and uncanny noises.
There certainly were curious sounds
about the house, especially in the up
per part, where lumber closets were
locked aud sealed up. through whose
shrunken and ill-fitting doors the
wind howled with unearthly walls.
In the dining hall was q row of old
family pictures, faded and grim; and
the popular belief was that, at the
"witching hour" these worthies de-
scended from the frames and held
high festival In the scene of former
banauetings. No servant would go
into this room alone or In the dark
We had with US young footman
called Carroll. the SON of an Irish
tenant: devoted TO his masters, under
whom he had been brought up. lie
was q fine young fellos, bold as a
lion. and ready 10 face flesh and
blood in in any shape; but very
craven as regarded spirits. fairies and
supernatural beings. in whom be De