, 1886-10-05

hculty In finding a pretext for preceding
them, and 1t was arranged that some of
the bed room furniture should be imme-
distely sent to our new domicile. We
were going to sell most OF our furniture in
our West End house, and the new furni-
ture could be bought Immediately, and
placed in No. 45. So at about 10 O'Clock
one evening, after a substantial dinner in
town, we let ourselves to our new abode
by means of the key, and took possession.
A bright fire, lit by our l~andlady, was
blazing in the kitchen. We had a plenti-
full supply of whisky and tobacco, and we
made ourselves comfortable with our
81 ppers and lounging coats, and prepared
for II night OF IL.
"Uncomuonly comfortable" said my
brother approvingly. &c al, the old ady
know how to make a frel"
"And what a gratei And a chimney as
big as a blast furnace. There is not ling
ike 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,n
said my brother. IL only hope we shan't
have to take the devil by his" | was not
quite so compiacent. for inherited some
thing OF my fathers nervous teInpera-
ment. However, / had company, and
there was Dutch courage in the whisky
bottle, so | kept up a stout heart. We
were very cheerful and light hearted at
first. We talked over var GUS boyish es-
capades; we criticised the characters OF
our trends and relations; we got the ldg-
cts; we found we could not smoke forever
without burning our mouths. Finally
tue fumes of whisky and tue heat Of the
fire had their inevitable effect and we be-
gan to doze.
do not. know how long l had been
asleep, but | suddenly awoke with a VIC
lent start. A cold shudd-r ran through
me from head to foot. | mad an in lehIa-
bic sensation of something strange and
terrible. | rose ana stretced myself aud
tired to feel at my ease. But | could not.
l touched my brother and he awoke.
"Heiloir he said. "Wnat's the matter,
Why. I've been asleep What's the
timer"
1.-TWO o'clock" said l.
"Just the time for ii ghost said he with
unseemy levity. ID you know.
VIII, 1 don't think he'll come here.
Ghosts are uncomfortable thing, and
don't like good fires. Get too
much of them where they are, l suppose.
Let's go and LOOK for him.
Anything for a change" said l.
although the thought of pelambulatin3
that great lonely mansion in the dead
OF night was anything but agreeable. Il
am wide awake.
so am l." said he; and taking up the
brass candleStick, he went toward the
door. | followed him-clo-e. We passed
along the passage, our stealthy footballs
miking "A faint sound on the uncarpeted
iio"r. We examined the rooms on the
ground floor. We hearl and saw moth
ing. We assembled the stairs. Every In
d.vidual stair creaked horribly, but that
was all No ghost.
My brother suddenly opened the door OF
a bedroom on the first floor. Instantly a
gust of air blew the candle ont. And as
we stood there in the icy cold we di -
TIC ly heard-a groan. 1t was no fancy.
1t was II long-drawn, wailing moan of in-
expressible horror and patnos. 1t died
away in a despairing cadence. 1t seemed
Ike the sorrowful lament of n soul In
torment. As we stood trere graspinI
each others hands, with our hearts
%throDbing in great pulsations, 1t came
again. Oh. the horror Of i'll II seemed
to be in the room and close to Us. The
cold was d~eathly, the silence broken only
by that weird and awful moan. Oncs
more It rose and fell-and somehow or
other the next moment we found our
selves in the kitchen, with shaking
limbs and ashen faces. relighting our ex-
tinguished candle. Then we looked ut
each other.
That was no fancy WILL" said my
brother.
"Fancy-no," replied, my teeth chat
tering in my head. What are you going
to dor
For my brother had relit the candle and
was moving away.
"I'm going to have another look, - he
said.
But perhaps l suggested, "the the
ghost extinguIshes the lignt."
"Tll give him another chance said my
brother coolly. Come along, you chat.
tering idiot" I was too shattered to resent
this unfiatterins description, and with a
~Quaking heart l followed his foolhardy
footsteps. This tina he opened tins door
more cautiously and we entered with
every nerve strung to its utmost tension.
Holding the candle on higi we looked
around. Pure vacuity. And the sound
came not again.
Poor old chap said my brother. "Hs
amt stand the light Shall blow it out
againf"
"If you do" said |. "But, joking
apart, who is going To sleep in this roomS
I'm not, for one. And this would naturally
be the governors room"
My brother was struck.
You're right" he sad: I'VE must get to
the bottom OF this. Well find IL out
somehow. An now / think we may go
10 bed. I'll just look round
He examined the room carefully, but
there was nothing to be seen, neither was
there anything to be heard. So we gave up
tine thins for tnat night and went to bed.
] could not sleep IA wink. My nerves were
completely unstrurg. After a night 81
tossing and lever, l awoke unretreshel
aud nightly pleased to find myself in
broad daylight
At noon that day had to run the
gauntlet OF inr friends. And, am bound
10 say, / lied ike Ananias AS the day
drew on, ! grew more and more uncom-
Portable. and | fairy dreaded the ordeal
of the ensuing night. As before, we
dined in town. Ii was a hae night, and
we took a walk around the square before
turning in. The houses all lUokel cheer
full with their bright lights. Ours alone
was black and gloomy. We agreed that
at . O'Clock precisely We wound again
Wis I the haunted room There was no
danger OF our going TO sleep to- night.
We were painfully wi le-awaks. All
sorts of wild conf .cture, Gro ssed my mind
as we sat by the kitchen fir,. waiting for
the appointed hour. Perhaps some
maniac had taken up his abode in tine
house, and roved about at night utterins
that awful noise. Dr. perh ,ps some willy
person hal a fancy to live rent-fres and
hnd Tdopted this m, thod of frightening
tenants away. In any case the effect
was sufficiently horrible. The shock OF
ones nervous system was the same,
whatever the cause.
The whisky ebbed fast, but not so fast