The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-10-01
Pr, FRIDAY, OCTOBER /. 1886.

| pleased TO nild my SELF III DrOau day
sht.
At noon that day | had to run
the gauntlet Of my friends. Aud /
am bound TO say, | lied like Ana
MAS. As The day grew on | grew
more and more uncomfortable, and
fairly dreaded the ordeal OF the
ensuing 'uight. AS before, we dined
in town. Il was a fine night and
we took IA walk around the square
before turning B. The houses all
looked cheerful with their bright
lights. Ours alone was black and
gloomy. We agreed that at 2
O'Clock precisely we would again
visit the hauntt d room. There was
no danger of our going to sleep
tonight. We were painfully wide
awake. All sorts of wild coniec-
lures crossed my mind as we sat by
the kitchen fire, waiting for the
appointed hour. Perhaps some
maniac had takeni up his abode in
the house and roved abOut at night
utterng that awful noise. Or per
haps some willy person had fancy
to live rent tree, aud had adopted
this method of frightening the ten
ants away. In any case the effect
was sufficiently horrible. The
shock to ones nervous system was
the same, whatever the cause.
The whiskey ebbed fast, but not
so fast as my courage. My brother,
cool and practical, was deep in
thought. He was not likely to in
dulge the wild speculations that
crossed my brain. He was seeking
some material explanation of the
weird phenomenon. At last the
hour began to sound. AT the first
stroke my brother arose and took
up the candle. | had provided my
self with a second candle on my
own account. We examined the
rooms on the first floor without
success. We ascended the STAIRS
and paused outside the haunted
chamber. The passages and the
stairs above us were thick with
shadow. Ny brother turned the
handle, aud the weird sound died
away as we entered.
Iu moment 1t came again. 1t
rose and swelled aud died sorrow
fully away. 1t was singularly hu.
man. Yet it was beyond all de.
scription unearthly. No banshee
could wall in sadder or more thrill
ing tones. We stood there like
Dante and Virgil, except that the
author of the "Inierno' and his
guide did not wear carpet slippers
or carry brass candlesticks. Meth
er Lad they such extraordinary
rough heads of hair as we had. |
felt nine growing gray fast. And
d Geld stream of terror trlckled
down my back. My brother stood
still aud listened intently. The
ghost groaned again, and yet again.
In fact, he kept oil groaning. 1t
was frightful. The wall began in a
whisper; it swelled TO an acute
pitch it died away in Il note of
woe that thrilled ones heart. 1t
was awful tv stand there, waiting
for the sound to come again. My
matter of fact brother spoke.
"He's in good voice to night he
said approvingly. "a bit hoarse,
but l don't wonder at that. Still, l
wish he'd try another key; he's
been al this long enough. And he
might get hlmslf tuned-hush y i
quite expected some supernatural
visitation TO rebuke this ill-tImed
levily. None came. My brother,
having politely'waited till the ghost
had finished, began again:
Gail these groans are exactly
alike" he said. considering
"Thars odd, isn'titP viii, III tell
you what. The ghosts up the
chimney" Once more the sound
came, as though to cOn6rm his
words. Aud ii certainly did ap.
pear to proceed from the region OF
the tire-place.
.'Still,n resumed my brother,
thoughtfully, "a ghost in "A chimney
is AN uncomfortable sort of thing.
Will, we'll have that chimney swept.
Fancy ghost coming down with
the SCOT. Well see about it the
first thing tomorrow
The awful threat appeared too
much for our unearthly visitor, for
he gave tongue no more that night.
We went to bed, aud dreamed that
the spirit of chimneysweep ap-
peared to me and confessed to the
murder of one of the little boys who
were still employed in those days
ln bis profession. However, | got
some sleep. | got none the pre-
viOus night.
We lett the Office early in the
afternoon. We secured the services
of an intelligent and / sharp little
bright-eyed boy. The chimney was
amply wide tor the youngster to
climb, aud up he went. We waited
in suspense.
When he came down be reported
that be had found nothing. We
questioned him eagerly, bat he had
seen no ghost or anything belong
ing to one. We sent him up again
This time he found out something
This chimney communicated viii
the one next door.
'sThat will be the kitchen chin
ney next dOOr,% said my brother
ave must explore that" Oar land
lady vas considerably amazed sheu
) We asked TO be allowed 70 explnIe'
After a little demur, however, sne