The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-04-24

S1oou III TWO rOOmS on the premises,
and the privilege of residing in them
rent free for the term of twelve months
after the aunt's demise. That event
happened about a month after the Sc
cret marriage, and you needn't be told
that Hamshire was furious when the
will was read. He was first disposed to
quarrel with the fortunate inheritor, but
discovering what a timid and nervous
person he was, and how easy it would
be to impose on him, he affected to
make light of the matter, and, with his
wife, took up his abode in the apart
ments provided for them, while MI.
Wicks, tho bachelor, having nothing
else in particular to do, resolved on car
rying on the chandlery business him
sell. But now, having revealed so much
to you." said my medical friend. IN
conclusion, '.Mr. Wicks himself shall
tell you what next happened"
MI. Wicks, on whom we called that
same evening, was nothing loath. He
is an easy-going looking man, of short
stature, and so stout that the only indi-
cations of his shop apron being secured
by strings appear in the bow in front.
He has a polished bald head, andlarge,
mild blue eyes. and is, I should Judge,
of a nature so unsuspicious that if the
credit system is a recognized feature of
the concern he will probably extend the
business far beyond the condition in
which old Mrs. Ingledew left it, what
ever his ultimate profits may be. He
exhibited great trepidation when he
was informed that Mr.. Hamshire was
still resident in the neighborhood, but
became somewhat treasured when he
was informed that it was highly i'm
probable after what had transpired that
he (Mr. Wicks) would ever be troubled
by. him again. 81 am heartily glad to
hear you say So, SIR" said the chandler,
'tbut one never knows what such a cum
ming rascal as he is may be up to. I
pity his wife and forgive her, though
she did very nearly frighten me out of
my life by appearing to me as the old
lady's ghost. But no doubt it was he
who put her up to it." s.But it was
some time before you suspected himP''
my good sir, 1 had no reason for doing
so. He used to laugh at my ridiculous
nervousness. I well remember how he
laughed" continued Mr.. Wicks,
wincing a little still at the unpleasant
recollection, ''when / found the devils
coachman in my bed" Found whatP''
1.-The devils coachman, sir. That was
b first of it, and it happened when
they had, been in the house not more
than a week. Three nights in success
sion the COMPOUNDED thing appeared
there, though of course I killed it each
time. l didn't know what it was called
till Hamshire told me. 1t is a sort of
beetle, long and narrow, with two little
horns on its head. I showed the last
one to Hamshire, and he laughed and
said it was a good thing I was a man
OF too much sense to believe in the SUI
perstitious nonsense ignorant people
put so much faith in. They call that
thing the devils coachman,' said he,
and they believe that it is sent by Old
Nick to make known to the person to
whom it appears that he will be making
a journey his way shortly I never was
a superstitious man." continued the
innocent chandler, land of course I
wasn't frightened, but I had lived in
the house a good many years, and such
a thing had never happened before, and
it wasn't a pleasant thing to happen
now. l had the bedding all turned out
and the bedstead examined-Ham-
shire's wife used to attend to that sort
OF thing, just as she had always done
and l saw no more 'coachmen,' But
something a great deal worse was in
store for me. Two or three nights
after, when I had been in bed a little
while and the clock on the mantel shelf
had just done striking twelve, 1 heard
3 sound that caused my head to bounce
up OFF the pillow as though it was an
India-rubber ball. 1t was the most
horrid dismal groan, sir, that ever was
heard by human ears, and it seemed to
come from inside the pillow. I am not
a drinking man; L never was. All I
had in that way all the evening was
one glass OF warm rum and spruce after
[ shut up the shop, SO there could be no
mistake as to my being sober. The
sound was like that of a person with a
dreadful pain in his inside, and who
was giving vent to his feelings with his
lips tight shut to keep him from scream
ing. / thought that perhaps 1 might
have been in a half dose and fancied it,
and 1 got up and moved the pillow and
bolster; and while L was doing so, as
plain as you now hear me speaking, I
heard the horrible noise again, not in
the pillow this time, but in the wall,
Just at the spot where my head lay.
Hamshire and his wife slept in the
room overhead, and wishing to be con-
WINGED that l was not mistaken-the
awful noise was repeated every two or
three minutes slipped on part of nv
and went up and Knocked at
their door. Theywere abed and asleep,
it seemed, and when I told through the
key-hole what 1 had heard, Hamshire
answered in a pet that L had been
and advised me to have a
glass OF grog and go to bed again.
However, he got up after a little per-
s%uasion, and so did his wife, and they
came down to my room. 1 had heard
outside the door that she did not wish
to come, and 1 heard him mutter:
What good will it be, you fool, if you
don't Gomez 4 shall faint with fright
if | hear anything dreadful said she.
All the better said Hamshire. I
have been told since that overhearine
should have opened my eyes, but it
did not. 1 think I 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, I couldn'thelp
connecting her with the awful noise in
the wall, and 1 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
than he was. As all three stood
close to the wall, the stif1ed cry, or
whatever it was, was heard again quite
and Hamshire's wife was as
good as her word about the fainting
and went off dead, crying put: o,
aunt, aunt!' as she was doing so. OF
course l didn't faint, but 1 funked, 1
confess it. But Hamshire kept as cool
as a cucumber. 4 wouldn't care about
being her aunt wherever she is he re-
marked, if that is her present voice,
Pom my W rd,' said he. st 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