The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-06-04
MIR. brakes veins. The longed.for op-

MT. Drhkeb Nciub. 1uo louBeu-IOr Up
portunity had come ct last, but he wal
spurred on by none OF that eagerness Il
interview the ghost which he had Away
imagined would stir his pulses; in fac
if there had been any possible back dool
whereby he might escape, he would
promptly have availed himself Of thai
ignominious gateway Of retreat. As II
was, in his CONSERVATION, he knocked
down a pile of wood, lost his balance,
and tumbled into the very presence Of
the ghost.
81 say" said the author, pulling him
self together with desperate effort,
"who are you? What the deuce do you
mean by trespassing hereY-which was
not at all the speech he had always pic
tured himself az making to ghost; but
we know too well the discrepancy between
the real and the ideal.
81 came" slowly answered the
strange visitant, "from the Land Of
Shadows"
"What do you WANT" gasped the new
tenant.
81 want my home"
"Eh ?" cried Mr.. Drake.
"When / was alive" deliberately ut
tered the spectre, IL walked in these
halls, and dwelt beside this hearth-stone.
In death claim them STILL"
Mr.. brakes face had turned the color
Of putty. He shook as if he had the
palsy.
"Iave-have you been long dead ?"
said he. Once more the old man trans
fixed him with the same light Of the
steely blue eyes.
"a hundred years." he said.
Mr.. Drake rose unsteadily to his feet;
he made grasp ut his mantle, and
rushed toward the door.
"lf ! had stayed another second in
that room," he afterward declared, ~
couldn't have breathed. / should GER
tainy have fallen down in ft."
Mr.. Pratt had scarcely completed his
toilette when Neighbor Baisley's one
horse wagon stopped before the real
estate Office, and Mr. Drake jumped ont,
his rubicund face grown pale and habby,
his eyes wearing startled expression,
his whole personality altered.
"Ial.lo?" said Mr.. Pratt, in great
amazement.
81 was comm in to early market" ex-
planned Neighbor Baisley, "when l
found this gentleman wandering Just
this side of Desperation Hall, and he
said he wanted to SEQ you, and 80 ]
brung him here"
"Ah |" said Mr.. Pratt, tying his ging-
ham cravat one-sidedly in his haste.
"rhe lease is quite ready, sir-right
here on the table"
81 don't want the lease" said Mr..
Drake, irritably. "1'll have nothing to
do with leases. I'm going back to the
city by the very first train"
"Well, | declare" said MIR. Pratt, 81
am beat What's the matter, sir, II l
may make bold enough to ask ?"
Matter" roared Mr.. Drake. "The
abominable hole is haunted! p
"IIaunted?" repeated the agent.
"Why, | thought that was exactly what
you wanted, SIR"
Don't be an idiot !" irately exclaimed
Mr.. Drake.
"But the gentleman don't under.
stand" explained Ncighbor Basley,
"that it wasn't n ghost at all he saw,
only Uncle Perez Packer. / can't seem
to make him comprehend that Despera-
ton Hall was used for the county poor
house while the new ono was a-building.
and that Uncle Perez can't be made to
b'lieve Tint he don't belong there still.
He's harmless soul, and folk know that
be goes there every day; and I've tried
to tc,! the gentleman how the old cree.
tur liz MS crazy ~ n cricket, and sticks to
it he's been dead n hundred years, and
only g mes back to life now and then.
rhc gentleman won't hear to reason.
i!u.ts, indeed Bless you, there amt
rrtiIn' hut black beetles and rats at
Desperation Hail."
g. cant help that" said Mr.. Drake,
testify. owe had enough of the place.
All the wealth Of Golconda couldn't
tempt me to go back there for another
horr.
But n bargains bargain" said the
rch cslnrr agent; "aud I've fairly
earned my commission.
30 Mr.. Drake paid his commission,
and shook the dust Of Amman Water off
his feet forever"
And the Drake family remained Joy
fully in the city, and nothing more was
said of n hegira into the country; and
when the first grisly horror had lost its
edge, Mr.. Gorvaise Drake made very
nice dinner.tablc story of the ghost, and
repeated it until all his friends were
heartily tired of it,
But it cured him of his ycarning after
the Mysterious md the Possible, and
Desperation Hall yet remains on Mr..
Philo Pratrs list of desirable Country
Mansions for Sale or to Let. "-Ha,pcr's |
Basar,