The Red Cloud chief., 1886-09-10

Cousin Ned's arm. ju@ ecaaf G a spider
ran up her sleeve. IT. waatoo funny
for any thing"
Between Triphamnor 0d Gross
, Farm lay three other g. ms, The build
ings upon them at long iuten ais apart.
and then came the old ,iortsn house.
which stood a short dk; mce from the
woods. Priscilla had :lrcsny passed
the three farmhouse, wh6re lights
were burning. friendly eaopns in the
darkness. apd was Now approaching
the Morton house.
This old house had be.n ABANDONED
for many years. 1t stoo Ii uitIc back
from the road. with Csui oil. apple
trees and great clumpso lilsrs about
it. Some Of the Windows xere boarded
up. and in others a few = lnes of glas.
still chung to the sha.tere, frsmes. 4.
was built about 1928. an infhe time
Of the Revolution was occupied a. a
tavern. The landlord wa a Tory, and
in the southwest chamber. which cor-
nercd on the road-alI ear ly New Eng
land country houses ware built facing
the south. without regard o u high
way-a British deserter y as dot and
killed, after a struggle in 'yhich one Of
the captors was fatally ST bbed with a
bayonet. 1t was said tha the ghost,
ii these two u~nfortunates ften " alkcd
there at night. and fearfu, sounis had
been heard of mems Vol = in angry
contention. shrieks. shot, clashing o:
steel and glass. and groan,
Heard 'em niyself.' said Jake
Sampson, CONS n hum ononigh' from
Jason's. Yer see. I'd ben a-hss in all
day powerful hard. and j lson's wife
she kind o persuaded me I ST. an
take a little cider. some ia IN hal bot
tied mp the latter part q the Nintcr.
powerful risky, but ez god cii"r Ell
everItasted. An then Jason ,wife she'd
ben a-bakin' that AFTERNOON. 'n'nuthin
would dew but | must e. ste o her
mincc pies; n then | he'd :: lotier bot
tie o cider, n by that tim twas late.
n dark 81 pitch when Ig" t tn old
house. Wal, vas jest goin' By that
house kcepin' one eye { tn wind ard.
kind o cxpectin' sumthin'. yer know.
when l heard the biggest X I'd o. yell.
n the fire blazcd right out that ere
sou west chamber. n sumtl n gin me
a kind y "A whack. n H. 1t thing |
knowed. there I was on Il e ground.
a-cumin' t myself n a-rub ,in' o my
he'd, which ached drefTul. n ,scarcder
crittur yer never see, n st gpt up
n legged it t hum. m I've lever ben
by that place after dark senc,."
Jake told this story one night at
| Cross Farm. and after he hsd gone.
Priscil!a's father said most li!:clyJakc
had drank too much of Jaso1's cider.
/, and had fallen down anl fallen
asleep simultaneously. and 50 had
dreamed the whole thing. ut other
people. credible witnessed had af-
tirmcd they had seen and b lard the
same things. and SO the OH Merton
house had gained the reput ,tioa OF
being haunted, and others hes desc axe
summed it after n:ghtfall.
Priscilla listened to these t. es with
a pleased increduli.y. But o-ntght.
rs she drew near the haunted lOuer. n
'~'crccpy" sensation stole over her. Ii
thrilled through every ner SHE
found herself stopping o nd Ghen
to listen, and glancing furti, sly over
her shoulder. expecting to see she did
not know what. She did 40 q Der
stand why this was. but she r 'olusclv
turned her thoughts from the ragosiy
connected with the old hou,e % a
charming story which had or, ,inatrd
there also. a story she had oftci heard
from her fathers lips. concern ing Che
Observation-Disclosures from whom
she inherited both her in:repi, sptri;
and her name. As Priscilla--oirr PH>-
ella. the great-great-granddNu ,hterI
was recalling this story for Il Q hqn-
dredth time. perhaps. and in Ter ~
joymcnt of it was quite forget nS elc
other and different one which lc, 800
tragic interest 10 the old house, limo,
unawarcs she had reached its v0y
gate. There she suddenly 81 'ppei.
| spell-bound. ut the sigh; of 81 int ln
the haunted chamber. Ii streams ID OF
through the cracks IN the b. ard
windows in palliI CLEANS
If she had evcr doubted the trI tn of
the stories of the haunting ghosts. a.
doubted no longer. She stood WI
bated breath and dilated eyes. a. d Or
the first time inf her life terror to- K to
possession of her. She would ievpr
have to ask again: "Wha; is it Ii <e D
be afraid?' Janet's reply to her quce
ton flashed upon her memory: 81 ous1
know'soon enough
She did not stir-she waited. SooD
she heard them-the supposed & osu1
sounds about which she had SO fteo
specula,cd. and the cause of VIII, h.
she ever did hear them. she had tul4
meant TO investigate. She heIrl tn
fierce struggle. the smoihered 81 eao
that sounded like oaths. the shr es4
the clashing rs of steel or glass. to
lowed bv darkness and silence; O., n
deep Croan and footsteps a i'm
rapidly down the cracking stair' 'ay4
DID she stop to investigate? No. So
ran Ike the veriest cowari-ana 81
can blame her?-down the hill. .vd
the little bridge. past the old bar =
black skeletons of frames in the ti4
ligh,-and then stopped just b. on
entering the woods to take breath