The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-10-21
A GROANING GHOST.

Some tive-and-thirty years ago, when
| was young man, my fathers busi-
ness experienced sudden and severe
check. We were many in family, and
the expenses of education were heavy.
1t was necessary to retrench. My
fathers place of business lay in the
heart of the city. We had to keep
horses, if only to take myself and my
father to and from the city. The most
important articles in our scheme of re-
trenchment Were our horses and car
riages. For all these reasons we re-
solved TO move eastward to within easy
reach of our place of business. My
brother and myself were commissioned
to find a suitable house.
After a long search we selected a
house that stood at the corner of quiet,
sober-looking. very old-fashioned square.
Being the corner house it was larger
than the other houses, and appeared
just suited to the wants of our family.
The next day | was lunching at my
usual chop-house along with two or
three acquaintances.
Still house-hunting, DenionP" said
one of these.
No, thank heaven" said. We've
got house at last. In - square,"
g. square," echoed he, thought
fully. why square is the -.
Which number have you got?''
No. 49, said. He threw his head
back and burst into ft of laughter.
The other men lauged, too. l looked
from one to another for explanation.
When you've DONE" said l with
dignity.
why, don't you know" said my
friend, recovering his gravity, mo. 45
-- square is haunted?n | saw the
other men looking at me, SO l put on
bold front.
''As if every one didn't know that"
said | composedly.- He was somewhat
taken aback, but returned to the charge.
''WelI, you'll have plenty of COM
pany there he said. 1--WE shall have
you appearing in the city with a fine
head of snow-white hair. acquired in a
single night. Poor old boyr'
Don't you be afraid,n | retorted.
There are enough of Us to frighten any
ghost, We shall crowd him out"
Il bet you new hat you don't stop
there a week." said he.
Done with YOU" said l promptly.
LAS often as you like. Any one else
want to bet?n
No one volunteered and the subject
dropped. But was extremely uncom-
Portable. In the course of the after
noon | took my brother aside and told
him.
"Phewm said he. That explains
bo lov.r R,,t +bo. eor;o,,-
The governor can't stand anything of
the sort. You know how nervous he is. !"
"Yes, l know" l said. And it
strikes me that the best thing we can
do IS to move into the house ourselves,
SO we can tell him the story is a myth
if any one lets it out to him. Just you
and l."
Right" said he. 1--WE have taken
the house and we can't afford to lose
the money. Besides, it's such capital
place
The whole family were to move in
about three weeks time. We had no
difficulty in finding pretext for pre-
ceding them, and it was arranged that
some of the bedroom furniture should
be Immediately sent in TO our new
of our furniture in our West End house,
and the new furniture could be bought
Immediately, and placed in No 10. So
at about 10 o'clock one evening, aftes
a substantial dinner in town, we let
ourselves into our new abode by means
of the key, and took possession. A
bright fire, lit by our landlandy, was
blazing in the kitchen. We had a
plentiful supply of whisky and tobacco,
and we made ourselves comfortable with
our slippers and lounging coats, and
prepared for night of it.
"Uncommonly comfortable" said my
brother, approvingly. Cad. the old
lady knows how to make a fire."
''And what a CRATE! And a chimney
as big as a blast-furnace. There is
nothing like one of these old-fashioned
kitchens for comfort" Ensconced in
our chimney corners we passed the
time luxuriously enough. We had
made up our minds to sit up all night
and show the ghost what manner of
men he had to deal with.
Well take the ghost by the horns, :"
said my brother. IL only hope we
shan't have to take the devil by his. "
was not quite SO complacent, for in
herited something of my fathers nerv-
Gus temperament However, ] had
company, and there was Dutch courage
in the whisky bottle, SO 1 kept I'D a
stout heart. We were very cheerful
and light-hearted at first We talked
over various boylsh escapades; we
criticised the characters of our friends
and relations; we got the fidgets; we
found we could not smoke forever with
out burning our mouths. Finally the
fumes of whisky and the heat of the