The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-09-04


sr = To find that George comes homeward
Engaged to another girl
THE RATIONALE OF HAUNTED
a HOUSES. m rof .a@
That a very old house should gain the
reputation of being haunted is not sur
prising, especially if it has been neg
ieeted and allowed to fall out of repair.
The woodwork, shrinks, the plaster
cfumbles away; and through minute
Sits and ehasms in window frames and
door cases there comes weird and un-
eanny noises. The wind sighs and
whispers threugh unseen fssures ,sug-
gesting to the superstitious the wall
singsof sdisembodied spirits. A whole
household was thrown into eonsterna-
ton, and had its repose disturbed one
storgny ylwinter, by a series of lamenta-
ble. howls and shrieks that rang through
the rooms. The sounds were harrow
ing, andstas they rose ftfully and at
intervals, breaking the. silence of the
night, the stoutest nerves among the
listeners we're shaken. For long time
the visitation continued to, harrass the.
family, recurring by day as well as by
might and especially in rough weather
when there was storm, piercing yells
and shrieks would come, sudden and
stanlingsa changing anon into low,
pelancholy walls. 1t was unaccounta-
bic. AT length the mystery was solved.
Complaints had been made of,draughts
through the house, and as remedy
strips of gutta-percha had at some
former time been nailed along the
windowframes, while its owners were
at the sea side. This, for some
reason explainable upon acoustic
principles had caused the disturbance.
Even after the gutta-percha had been
torn away sudden blast of wind,
striking neil. some spot to which afrag-
ment STILL adhered, would bring a
shrek or moan to remind the family of
the annoyance they had so long en-
dured
Meantime the house got "a bad reptl-
tadon, and servants. We're sly of engag-
ing with its owners. A maid more
strong-ninded than the others, and who
had hitherto laughed at their fears,
came fleeing to her mistress on one oc-
casien, saving that she must leave in
stantly, and that nothing would induce
her to pass another night under the
roof. There was long corridor at the
top of the house, and the girls story
was, that in passing along it, she heard
footsteps behind her. Stopping and
looking baek-~sheessaw no one; but
as soon as she went on the in
visible pursuer did so, too, fol-
lowing close behind Two or three
times she stood still suddenly, hoping
the footsteps would pass on and give
her the go-bys instead of which they
pulled up when she did, and when. at
last, wild with terror, she took to her
heels and ran, they came clattering
along after her to; the end of the pas
sage.
The mistress suspected that some one
was trying to frighten the girl, and she
urged her 10 comeupg stairs and EN-
deayor to find out the trick. This the
Terrified damsel refused to do, so the
lady went off alone. On reaching the
4. corridor and proceeding along it, she
was startled to find that, as the maid
had described. some one seemed to be
following her-tap, tap, elack, clack,
as of one walking slip-shod with shoes
down at the heel-came the steps, keep
ing pace with3er own, stopping when
she stopped. and moving on when she
did. In vain the lady peered around
and beside her; nothing was to be seen.
= ltcoald be no trick far there was mo-
body in that partof the house to play a
practical Joke 7a'f 8.sa fossl7
Ere long the cause was discovered in
the shape of 9. loose board in the floor
ing OF the corridor. The plank spring
ing when pressed by the foot in walk
ing along gave an eehoing. sound that
bad precisely the.effect of a step follow
llngs and this, IN the supposed haunted
house, was. sufficient to raise alarm.
1t happened to us once TO be tenn
p0rary dweller in a mansion that had a
ghostly reputation We sWere on our
way to Paris travelling with an invalid,
aads the latter suddenly becoming too
Ito proceed on the Journey, we were
4 forced tostop in the first town weeanae
.o' Ihe hotel being found too noisy, a
mouse IN quiet street was engaged by
2 saessYeek.9 Ii was a grand old mansion
saas had once belonged to mag
nate of the land, fallen now
from its hfgff sespate, and but
lataliefeatly p keptsa mp asl Wide
i stone stair-eases. /, with. .balusters
Is O carved oak led to rooms lofty and
sgaclous, whose walls and ceilings were
decorated with gfld@d eniiehAaents and
paintlngs in-tflte style of Louis XIV. At
] m sae SIDE of fTt8e house was a covered
& y, Nay leadingt TO the stables and offices
ms was en- -ered through a tall porte
sosaere; and 81 either side Of the great
gstes' liked to the iron ratings, were a
'9apie OF those huge metal extingaish-