Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-06-02
tales aud Skftthts.
10. II WELHAA-sQUARE.
CHAPTER |.

| No. II Welham-square has always been
the freehold property of my family. 1t
Was built. together with several adjoining
houses. about the beginning OF the lotn
century, by the owner of plot of ana IN
which the houses stand. a retired attorney,
who had two nephews. These were An
drew Massey, my great-great-great-g grand
father, and his cousin. Ronald Massey.
Ronald, who was generally thought to be
his uucle's favorite and probable heir.w was
an exceedingly tall and powerful young
man. with forbidding and melancholy
expression of countenance. AS boy ne
was singularly backward. and his incaPacl-
tv for mental exertion seemed to develop,
as he grew uu, into something not far re-
moved from downright idiocY. His weak
ness of mind caused him to- be remark
ably subject to the influence of those with
whom he lived and in particular his cousin
Andrew. my ancestor, was supposed to
exercise ever him an influence almost
Amounting to fascination, and to be able
to mold him to all the purposes OF an ex-
ceptiouallv vigorous will. Shortly after
the building of the houses in what is now
Welham-square the uncle OF these young
men died. and Andrew took possession OF
all his property under the provisions, as
he asserted, of will. the existence OF
which no one except Ronald had any in
terest in disputing, and which no one ex-
cept Andrew. the sole executor and de-
visee ever saw Shortly before his uncle's
death. Ronald had become engaged to a
Young lady named Lettuce White, to whom
he was passionately attached. and it was
generally supposed among the neighbors
that upon his accession to the avuncular
wealth the marriage would take place.
But when barely decent interval had oc-
Cured since the old gentleman's obsequies,
the fair Lettuce was led to the altar, not
by the impecunious Ronald, but by his
more fortunate cousin Andrew. The new
ly married pair took up their residence in
No. II, and Ronald came to live with
them.
When it was represented to Andrew by
some of his few intimate acquaintance
that this arrangement was so singular as
almost to be thought improper, he CURLY
gave them to understand that Ronald's
mental condition was not such as to per-
nit of his only living relation allowing
him to live alone. and he was compelled
bv the merest consideration of family af-
lection to take the unfortunate young man
into his own household. So the three
lived on in the stately and somewhat
gaunt mansion. Andrew collecting his
rents with methodical regularity, and
otherwise giving his neighbors but little
concern. As for Ronald, there soon came
to be little doubt in any ones mind of his
confirmed imbecility. He appeared sell
dom, and when he did. was tor the most
part silent, regarding his cousin and for
mer betrothed with an expression of the
profoundest submission. which at times
merged into look of wild and hardly
human apprehension, ''like a terrified
brute beast" as 1t was put by an old la
dy VINO was one of the few friends occa
sionally privileged to partake of the
gloomy hospitality of this uncomfortable
establishment. Nothing more was ever
known of the condition in which my an
cestor, his wife and his cousin lived, and
no one was specially interested when,
about six years alter the marriage, Ro-
maid. who had not been seen for many
months, died. and was buried in the most
frugal manner.
Before he had been dead year Andrew
and Lettice suddenly left their house and
took up their abode elsewhere. and after
while tenant was found for No. II .
Thirty years later, the lease of the house
having expired, Andrews son, who had
succeeded to his fathers property, came to
reside there, but not for long He left
the house suddenly after a few years, and
a rumor went abroad that it was haunted,
probably by the ghost of the unfortunate
Ronald. From this time No. IL
dnn Tod f,tL Al
joining property being sold piecemeal
as the family necessities dictated. Occa-
sionally the successive freeholders made
attempts to live there. but they never
staid more than a few months, and on
each occasion of their removal the rumors
of ghostly possession were renewed.
These, however, would die away. and ten
ants would after time be found, who
never suffered from any inconvenience.
The last occupation by the owner was that
of my father. who moved into the house
some eighteen years prior TO the COM
mencement OF this narrative, After
living there a year he left precipi-
ticulars of his reasons for doing so, and
lately, but I could learn me no par
knew only that he disliked any reference
to the house. and never mentioned it him.
self. The house was now let to a stock
broker with family.
CHAPTER II.
My father was now dead, and
the tenant of No. IL Welham-square
had Just given me notice of his in
tention to depart from it. and it occurred
to me that it would be interesting to tol-
low what seemed to be the family DESTINY
and try living in the house myself, to say
nothing OF the fact shat it was admirably
suited to my requirements | felt fully
capable of confronting any number OF
ghosts. and my wife was neither timid nor
superstitions. Accordingly, at the begin
ming of the new year we established our
selves, with our two babies and nv sister
Ellen. who lived with us, in Welbam-
square. greatly delighted with the prox-
unity of my work. with the solid masonry
spacious apartments. and roomy passages
of our new abode, and with the remnant
OF eighteen century fashion and grandeur
which seemed to pervade the neighbor-
hood. And in Welham-square we lived
prosperously, without any kind of dis
turbance, tor upward of six months.
In the course of July my wife and the
children left home to spend couple of
months at the seaside. intended to Join
them when the time came to take nv holt
day, and in the meantime l staid in Lon
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